If you can't afford a vasectomy, then you definitely can't afford to have kids. Sadly, a lack of funds is one of the main reasons why people with penises don't get snipped.
But in California, male birth control might soon be a free-for-all. Well, kind of.
The state is hoping to make vasectomies free, a perk that would potentially cover millions of state residents.
Currently, federal and state law require that most health insurers cover the cost of prescription contraceptives. However, that doesn't apply to male forms of birth control. It only applies to a number FDA-approved birth control options for women.
Lawmakers are hoping to change that by considering a bill that would make male sterilization — and other forms of birth control like condoms — free.
The bill is called the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022. If passed, commercial insurance plans regulated by California won't be able to impose out-of-pocket costs on these forms of birth control. It would be an important step in helping people plan their families, especially because cost is a major deciding factor for a lot of men who can't afford or don't want children.
Liz McCaman Taylor is a senior attorney with the National Health Law Program, a group that advocates for the health rights of low-income people. She spoke with The Los Angeles Times about the impact of such a bill. “It’s pretty groundbreaking in that way — it’s a whole new framework to think about contraception as something that is relevant for people of all genders,” she said.
If the bill passes, it would take effect in 2024, and while groundbreaking, it won't cover absolutely everyone. The bill would apply to more than 14 million Californians with state jobs. It would also cover those with student health plans as well as state-regulated commercial health plans.
However, the new benefits wouldn't apply to those who have health insurance plans that are regulated by the federal government.
The elective surgery is definitely rising in popularity. That's especially true given the reversal of Roe v. Wade. More than ever, there's absolutely a need for men to use whatever forms of birth control are available to them.
