Does my student health plan have to cover birth control, and if not, what are my options?

It depends on the type of coverage your college or university provides. “Fully-insured” plans are required to provide, without cost sharing, access to all FDA-approved birth control (“contraceptive”) methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling prescribed by a health care provider.

If your student health plan is “self-insured,” coverage of birth control services depends on which state you live in. Check with your college or university to find out what type of student health plan they offer, or contact your state insurance department to find out what rules apply to your student health coverage.

If your college or university has a religious objection to providing coverage for birth control, it may have opted to have the insurance company provide the coverage directly to policyholders. Some universities have sued to challenge the birth control coverage requirement. Some universities may have excluded coverage from their student health plans while the lawsuits work their way through the courts.

If your plan does not cover birth control, you have several options. Some family planning clinics offer free or reduced-cost birth control for people with low and modest incomes. Check with your local family planning clinic to see if you qualify.

Alternatively, you can check if you are eligible to enroll as a dependent on your parents’ health insurance plan until your 26th birthday if they have coverage through work, or until the end of the year you turn 26 if your parents have a Marketplace plan. Or you can consider buying coverage on your own through the Marketplace. Depending on your income, you may be eligible for financial assistance to purchase a Marketplace plan. If you have a very low income, you might be eligible for Medicaid. Check with your state Marketplace to see if you may be eligible for Medicaid or for financial assistance on the Marketplace.