Health care reform will require health plans to offer a number of preventive care services at no cost.

Women’s advocates, says this full story, say that contraception should be included.

Reproductive health is a major women’s issue beginning at the point a female becomes sexually active until menopause. That is a lot of years of paying for contraception, enabling women to plan their families.

The Washington Post

…”It’s basic preventive health care,” says Laura Hessburg, a senior health policy adviser at the National Partnership for Women and Families. Among other health benefits, women who plan their pregnancies are more likely to get necessary prenatal care and avoid closely spaced births, which can put a strain on their bodies and their parenting skills, and may result in low-birth-weight babies. (Emphasis added)

“Many health plans already cover prescription contraceptives. Twenty-seven states have laws that require some level of coverage. Improving access and coverage even further could help reduce the estimated 3 million pregnancies a year that are unplanned. (Emphasis added)

“One of the reasons for unintended pregnancies is the cost of contraception, say experts…”

Source: Washington Post, July 6, 2010