Bill to Expand Access to Reproductive Health Care Passes Senate

SB23-284 would ensure coverage for 12 months of contraception

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, to expand access to contraception passed the Senate today with bipartisan support. 

SB23-284 would require both insurance plans and pharmacy benefit management companies (PBMs) to cover a year's supply of contraception, which can be dispensed at one time or in smaller amounts if requested. 

SB23-284 builds off HB17-1186, a bipartisan bill that ensured Coloradans can access 12 months of birth control. However, HB17-1186 hasn’t been complied with and many Coloradans can only access three months of birth control at a time. SB23-284 closes loopholes and helps ensure that both insurers and PBMs are complying with the requirement, and makes it easier for patients to obtain a year’s supply of birth control. 

"No one should have to ask for permission every month from their insurance company to not get pregnant," said Bridges. "I spoke with a woman during the election who spends more than an hour on the phone every month just getting her birth control prescription refilled. That's absurd. Today's bill protects the freedom of Coloradans to make health care choices on their own timeline."

“Whether folks live in rural areas or work odd hours, trips to the pharmacy can be inconvenient and difficult to make,” Danielson said. “With SB23-284, we’re tightening up restrictions so insurance companies and PBMs can’t skirt our laws, and ensuring patients can access 12 months of birth control. This bill will expand and improve access to reproductive health care across Colorado.” 

Data shows that dispensing one to three months of birth control at a time increases the likelihood of contraceptive discontinuation and makes it harder for folks to plan their pregnancies. Additionally, access to 12 months of birth control can prevent unplanned pregnancies.

SB23-284 now heads to the House for further consideration. Follow the bill’s progress HERE.