| Right now in Washington, fair access to affordable birth control doesn’t exist and it’s going to get worse. Everyone deserves fair access, no matter who we are or where we live.Long acting reversible contraception (LARCs, such as IUDs and implants) are the most effective birth control methods, with a failure rate of less than 1%. Unfortunately, unfair reimbursement rates from Medicaid drive the lowest income women toward less effective methods. This leaves providers with the impossible choice of either offering LARCs or closing health centers. |  |
This means that the lowest income Washington women have unequal access to the best contraceptives available. Women should be able to choose the birth control method that works best for them, without interference from the government.
Washington could save significant money on unintended pregnancies by ensuring all women have access to the most effective birth control method they choose to use. In fact, it’s estimated that fair access to LARCs saves the state a net $8 million annually by preventing associated pregnancy costs. Over time these savings would grow while costs fall as more women stay on LARC and transition off other methods.
We’ve seen what increased access to LARCs has meant for other states. In Colorado, the teen birth rate dropped 40% between 2009 and 2014.* Providing IUDs and implants at little or no cost saved their state over $40 million in the same time frame. This is a clear model for the future that we can achieve in Washington.
IUDs and implants are more effective than other forms of birth control, and save the state more money in the long-term. It just make sense.
Thank you,
Jennifer Allen
Director of Public Policy
Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest
*http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/12/how-colorados-teen-birthrate-dropped-40-in-four-years/
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