President Biden's executive order to increase access to contraception

In the USA, President Joe Biden will be signing an executive order to expand access to contraception. 

The aim of the order is to increase avenues for women to gain access to contraception, and to decrease costs associated, as reproductive rights advocates have been campaigning highlighting the barriers women are facing in acquiring contraception, leaving millions of women vulnerable and without contraception. 

The ruling could help to encourage private health insurance agents to offer broader coverage and contraception options, such as covering multiple products and increasing efficiency in the process of obtaining appropriate care, all coming under the Affordable Care Act. 

The order will also mean increased access to over the counter contraception, increase coverage of contraception through Medicare, promote family planning services through Medicaid, support access to contraception to vulnerable groups and students, and to further research and data collection on contraception access across the USA. 

"This action will build on the progress already made under the Affordable Care Act by further reducing barriers that women face in accessing contraception prescribed by their provider," a White House fact sheet on the order proclaimed.

“Today’s announcements build on actions that the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to protect access to contraception, including in response to two prior Executive Orders directing actions to safeguard access to reproductive health care services” stated the fact sheet. 

In 2022, the US House of Representatives, which was largely controlled by the Democratic party at the time, passed a bill to request a law with the aim of protecting women’s access to contraception. However, on consideration by the Senate, the bill was eventually blocked from passing into law by Republican representatives. 

As recently as last week, two Senators moved to introduce a new bill to achieve better protection for access to contraception, for this bill to get passed, it will need to be signed off by Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House.