 Dear Illinois Women:
It seems obvious to say that women should have the same access to affordable health care as men. But right now women pay an average of 68% more in out of pocket health care costs than men do because of the cost associated with reproductive healthcare. And recently, some pharmacists have been refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, making contraceptives even less accessible to women who need them. I am making sure that women, like men, have immediate access to more affordable health care.
Last year, we enacted legislation that requires all private insurance companies in Illinois to cover FDA-approved birth control devices and services. If insurance companies can cover Viagra for men, it’s only fair that they be required to cover birth control for women. Find out how we made contraceptives more affordable through your existing insurance.
Saving money on the cost of birth control is important, but only if you can get the prescription filled in the first place. You shouldn’t have to wonder whether your local pharmacy will fill your doctor’s prescription. That’s why I recently issued an emergency rule that orders every pharmacy in Illinois that sells contraceptives to accept and fill all birth control prescriptions. No delays. No hassles. No lecture. Just fill the prescription. Find out how we’re ensuring that contraceptives are immediately accessible.
Whether or not you use birth control should be your decision. With the changes we’ve made, once you have a prescription, now your private insurance must cover it and your pharmacy must fill it. With your help, we can continue to enforce the law to make sure that women across Illinois have the same access to affordable health care as men do.
Sincerely,
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich
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