Maryland Women Will Have the Easiest Access to Contraception in America

Maryland is the first state to require insurance to cover emergency contraception. Photo: MediaForMedical/UIG via Getty Images
Maryland is the first state to require insurance to cover emergency contraception. Photo: MediaForMedical/UIG via Getty Images

Maryland governor Larry Hogan (yes, a Republican) signed the Contraceptive Equity Act into law Tuesday. This means that by January 1, 2018, Maryland will be the state with the most expansive contraception law in the country, reports BuzzFeed.

And you know that pesky co-pay that goes along with over-the-counter birth control? Gone. Oh, and guess what. The law now eliminates a co-pay on vasectomies. Finally, someone is considering all sides of the equation here.

And Maryland is the first state to require insurance to cover emergency contraception — which can be as expensive as $60. And get this: The law actually requires women to obtain up to six months of birth control at one time. It simultaneously eliminates prescription requirements for birth control and preapproval requirements for IUDs.

Delegate Ariana Kelly, who sponsored the bill, put it simply:

“Family planning is essential for women’s rights and cost is a factor in family planning. This legislation is going to help eliminate barriers and reduce costs for women and for men.”

Maryland to Have Easiest Access to Contraception