ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210041
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
Women, the state and health insurance companies could benefit from a bill requiring insurers to pay for birth control pills, supporters of the proposal told a legislative panel Tuesday.
Insurance companies, however, denounced the bill as one that would drive up premiums and reduce choice for customers.
Women's and abortion-rights groups squared off against insurance groups during a hearing before the Special Advisory Commission on Mandated Health Insurance Benefits during a hearing on the bill.
The legislation would require all insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and corporations that offer coverage for prescription drugs to also include prescription contraceptives.
``It simply doesn't make sense for prescription contraceptives to be singled out for non-coverage,'' said Cori Parrish of the Virginia branch of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.
Bill sponsor Del. Judy Connally said some poor women have a hard time affording birth control.
``For a number of women, the $25 spent on pills means $25 less for rent or food,'' said Connally, D-Arlington.
The law wouldn't affect anyone who has coverage through the state of Virginia's employee health plan or anyone who is covered under a self-insured policy.
Connally said the plan would increase the availability of birth control and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
But the state's largest insurer, Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield, said the legislation is not needed because employers can offer the benefit if they are willing to pay for it.
``What you're asking people to do is to prepay a benefit. That isn't insurance,'' said Wilda M. Ferguson, a Trigon spokeswoman. ``We are opposed to mandates because we think the free market should decide.''
She said Trigon now covers contraceptives in individual policies, but the benefit is not automatically included in group policies.
Amanda K. Matthiesen, a legislative aide for the Health Insurance Association of America, said that mandating coverage would increase the cost of health insurance, making coverage too expensive for some people. The association lobbies on behalf of insurance companies.
A survey by the state Bureau of Insurance found that contraceptive coverage would cost group insurance holders between 6 cents and $3.90 a month. The cost to individual policies would be between 82 cents and $1.50 a month.
Only Hawaii now mandates contraception coverage, legislative researchers said.
The commission also heard from nurse-midwives lobbying for a law that would require insurance companies to reimburse certified midwives with their own practices.
Many insurers will pay for midwives who work for doctors, but few cover midwives working on their own. That forces some families to bear the entire cost of a midwife.
Ferguson said Trigon does not pay for independent midwives because it wants to limit the number of mandated providers and hold down administrative costs.
Both bills are scheduled to be voted on Sept. 20 by the full House Committee on Corporations, Insurance and Banking.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB