Many CVS drug plans will cover OTC contraception pill Opill without charge

CVS Health on Thursday said its drug plans will cover the primary over-the-counter contraception pill within the U.S. without charge for a lot of health plan sponsors, a choice that would open the door for more people to forestall unintended pregnancies and not using a prescription. 

The corporate’s pharmacy profit manager, CVS Caremark, said the pill might be added to its preventive services oral contraceptives list and might be covered at zero cost for a lot of sponsors. The drug, generally known as Opill from Perrigo, was available at pharmacies starting April 1, in response to a pharmacy update from CVS Caremark dated last week and viewed by CNBC.

Pharmacy profit managers, or PBMs, maintain lists of drugs covered by medical insurance plans and negotiate drug discounts with manufacturers. At most stores, Opill has a retail price of $19.99 for a one-month supply and $49.99 for a three-month supply. 

The Food and Drug Administration approved Perrigo’s medication in July. It marks the primary time that many U.S. residents are in a position to buy contraception pills over-the-counter, the identical way they’d purchase common pills like Tylenol or Advil. 

The drug could significantly expand availability of contraception, especially for younger ladies and people in rural and underserved communities who often have trouble having access to contraception methods. 

Medical organizations have estimated that 45% of the 6 million annual pregnancies within the U.S. are unintended.

The pill’s entrance into the market is a win for the Biden administration, which has tried to shore up reproductive rights as abortion restrictions rise in lots of states. 

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling greater than a yr ago, which ended 50 years of federal abortion rights, has led to shrinking availability of the procedure nationwide and renewed calls for expanded access to contraception.