Salem, Ore. – Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon today praised the Oregon Senate for unanimously passing a “landmark” bill to expand birth control access.
House Bill 3343 guarantees access for women to a full 12-month supply of contraception at one time.
Dispensing a one-year supply of birth control is associated with a 30 percent reduction in the odds of conceiving an unplanned pregnancy compared with dispensing for 30 or 90 days.
The bill passed the House of Representatives last month with a 55-2 bipartisan vote, and was adopted unanimously by the Senate today. This will make Oregon the first state in the nation to require health insurance companies to give a year’s supply of the pill, the patch or the ring at the same time.
“With this bill, Oregon will lead the nation – once again – in improving women’s health care and reducing the cost of health care,” said Mary Nolan, Interim Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. “This is the most significant leap forward for reducing unintended pregnancies in a generation.”
Making contraception more accessible also saves money: Medical research shows that having a full 12-month supply of birth control all at once can reduce the chance of unintended pregnancy by 30 percent. By preventing just one unintended pregnancy, an insurer will save the cost of a delivery – a minimum of $17,400. That is enough savings to pay for 29 additional years of contraception.
The bill now goes to Governor Kate Brown.
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