A decade-long battle to eliminate contraception copays for military families has finally reached a turning point.
According to Military.com, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is set to remove all Tricare copayments for birth control, aligning military healthcare benefits with civilian insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The groundbreaking legislation will impact over 4 million female service members, dependents, and retirees who receive care through the military health system.
Among these beneficiaries, approximately 1.6 million women are of reproductive age, making this change particularly significant for military families nationwide.
Historic Victory for Military Healthcare
Previous attempts to eliminate birth control copays faced resistance due to concerns about mandatory spending increases and Republican misconceptions about emergency contraception.
The current policy requires military dependents and retirees to pay between $13 and $43 for contraceptive prescriptions at retail or mail-order pharmacies, despite birth control being available for free at military pharmacies.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who championed the initiative, expressed her satisfaction with the breakthrough. Her statement emphasized the importance of equal access to healthcare for service members:
After more than a decade of advocacy, I'm so proud that my bipartisan amendment to ensure women in the military don't have to pay a co-pay for FDA-approved contraception is in this year's NDAA legislation. Service members who are sacrificing so much to protect our freedoms deserve the same access to contraception as their civilian counterparts.
The changes come at a crucial time, as a 2022 Rand Corp. study revealed that approximately 18% of active-duty women reported difficulties obtaining their preferred method of birth control through the military health system.
Implementation and Future Impact
The approved legislation differs significantly from earlier versions that included limitations to avoid mandatory spending rule violations. Initial proposals suggested delaying implementation until 2034 or limiting the copay waiver to just one year.
A Senate aide, speaking anonymously about private negotiations, revealed that the post-Dobbs environment influenced the decision to remove these limitations. The Supreme Court's 2022 ruling on abortion rights created greater urgency around contraception access, particularly for servicewomen.
The House of Representatives has already approved the bill, with Senate approval expected next week. Once President Biden signs the legislation, the removal of copays will take effect immediately and continue indefinitely.
Moving Forward With Healthcare Reform
The successful passage of this provision represents a significant shift in military healthcare policy. This development follows July 2022's partial reform, which eliminated copayments for certain forms of contraception like IUDs but required congressional approval for prescription pill coverage.
The comprehensive nature of the new legislation ensures that all FDA-approved contraceptive methods will be available without cost-sharing requirements. This change brings military healthcare in line with civilian standards established by the Affordable Care Act.
Implementation details are being finalized as the defense bill moves through its final legislative stages. The removal of these financial barriers is expected to improve access to reproductive healthcare for millions of military families.
