FDA-approved birth control methods are considered preventive care under the Affordable Care Act and should be covered with no copayment or coinsurance in most private insurance and group health plans
Telehealth providers like GoodRx Care, Nurx, and Twentyeight Health can provide birth control prescriptions online and mail products directly to you
In-person clinics like Planned Parenthood and Federally Qualified Health Centers provide birth control along with other reproductive and sexual healthcare services for a low cost
To adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have made lifestyle changes. For many women this includes changes surrounding gynecological care. For example, research showed that one in three women had to delay or cancel in-person visits related to sexual and reproductive healthcare. And about a quarter of women said they worried about losing access to sexual and reproductive healthcare because of the pandemic.
When it comes to birth control, telemedicine can help fill in the gaps the pandemic has caused. No matter where you live, there are ways to get birth control for free or very low cost — even if you don’t have health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act requires most private health plans to cover birth control and counseling for it at no out-of-pocket cost. But the law doesn’t force insurers to cover every medication or device equally within birth control categories, so you still have to check which one your plan covers 100%.
The most popular forms of birth control are hormonal methods like the pill, patch, or intrauterine device (IUD).Typical costs for birth control pills can range anywhere from $0 to $50, depending on your insurance. For methods like an IUD that require a medical procedure, your out-of-pocket costs could be higher.
Birth control is a decision you and your partner should consider carefully to determine what method is best for you. Are you forgetful about taking daily pills? Or do you want to avoid hormonal birth control entirely and rely on barrier methods?
Read on to learn more about your options, and how to access low-cost birth control.
What is hormonal birth control?
Hormonal birth control works to prevent pregnancy by influencing the level of certain hormones in the body. Small amounts of synthetic hormones such as progestin, estrogen, or progesterone stop ovulation or prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus.
Hormonal birth control can also help relieve period pain and acne. It is safe for most women, but avoid it if you smoke or have certain health problems, such as an increased risk for blood clots, breast cancer, or diabetes.
Hormonal birth control methods include the following:
What is non-hormonal birth control?
Non-hormonal birth control includes any type of birth control that does not involve the addition of hormones into the body. The most common type of non-hormonal, barrier method of birth control is the condom. Other types of barrier methods for females include the birth control sponge and the cervical cap, both of which are often used with sperm-killing chemicals called spermicides.
These options come without any risk of side effects from medication, but may sometimes cause mild irritation or allergic reactions. To be effective, most have to be used every time sex occurs.
There are also the surgical sterilization options of vasectomies for males and tubal ligation for females. No surgery is risk-free, so you should discuss risks and benefits with your healthcare provider.
Non-hormonal birth control methods include the following:
Currently, the only available over-the-counter contraceptives are condoms, the sponge, cervical caps, and spermicides.
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Promotion disclosure
GoodRx Health information and resources is reviewed by our editorial staff with medical and healthcare policy and pricing experience. See our editorial policy for more detail. We also provide access to services offered by GoodRx and our partners when we think these services might be useful to our visitors. We may receive compensation when a user decides to leverage these services, but making them available does not influence the medical content our editorial staff provides.
What types of birth control are covered by my insurance?
Good news for most who have health insurance — the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that healthcare plans cover many birth control methods. Considered preventive health measures, any FDA-approved birth control method should be covered without a copayment or coinsurance when prescribed by an in-network provider.
What’s included?
Hormonal methods
Barrier methods
Tubal ligation
Emergency contraception, like Plan B (also called the “morning after pill”)
Patient counseling
To figure out which brands may be covered for each method, consult your insurance provider for details.
There are some exceptions to federal contraceptive coverage requirements. Since the ACA took effect, religious employers and religious non-profit groups have been exempt from the birth control requirement. Then, the Supreme Court ruled in July 2020 that employers with a “religious or moral objection” could opt out of the ACA requirements. It was estimated that up to 126,000 women could lose their contraceptive coverage because of this ruling.
You should also be aware of loopholes relating to plans created before 2010 that were grandfathered in under the ACA. If you have a grandfathered plan, you may not have some of the rights and protections included in other plans under the ACA.
Are vasectomies ever covered by insurance?
Two main reproductive healthcare methods fall outside federal coverage mandates: drugs that induce abortion and services for male reproductive control. Even though vasectomies are cheaper and lower risk procedures compared with tubal ligation, they’re not considered preventive measures and not required to be covered.
However, eight states do require plans to cover vasectomies at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Those states are:
Illinois
Maryland
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Vermont
Washington
Another possible way to cover the cost of a vasectomy is through a job-based flexible spending account (FSA) or a health savings account (HSA), a portable account paired with a high-deductible health plan. FSAs and HSAs let you pay for eligible healthcare expenses with pre-tax dollars. A vasectomy is an eligible expense in IRS publication 502.
When it comes to other forms of male birth control, several are in the development stages, including two pills: 11β-MNTDC and DMAU, as well as a topical gel known as NES/T. However, we are still many years and stages of testing away before a new male birth control product will become commercially available.
How can I get birth control?
Now that you know your options, you may be wondering how to get birth control for the lowest price possible. What your birth control will cost depends on factors such as your insurance status, what type of birth control you choose, and if you qualify for Medicaid or government programs that cover the cost of birth control.
The good news is that whether or not you have health insurance, there are many online, state, or local resources available to you.
Through your commercial health insurance plan
If you’re insured, there’s a high chance your birth control will be low cost or free. To figure out your cost-sharing responsibilities, you’ll want to understand your plan and if it has any coverage restrictions. For example, one formulary (list of covered drugs) may only cover certain brands of birth control. Oftentimes, your healthcare provider can prescribe birth control to you over a video visit or on the phone.
Telehealth or online services
There are lots of online resources that can help you get a birth control prescription sent to the pharmacy of your choice or even mailed directly to you. This can be a great option for avoiding the time and expense of a doctor’s office visit.
The standard procedure for most online services is answering a few questions about your health history and possibly a short telehealth consultation. Many don’t require that you have insurance, but will charge a small fee (usually $15 or less) for the consultation or prescription.
Online resources will only be able to prescribe birth control pills, the patch, shot or ring methods. These are all methods that you can administer yourself. Birth control methods that require medical procedures for insertion, like IUDs or implants, must be done in person by a healthcare provider.
GoodRx Care: GoodRx Care is a telehealth provider where you can get a prescription for a birth control pill, ring, or patch for a $15 consultation fee. It can be used with or without insurance, and you just have to answer a few simple health questions online to get a prescription. The cost of your prescription depends on your insurance coverage. Your prescription can then be sent to the pharmacy of your choice.
Nurx: Nurx is an online service where you can receive a medical consultation for $15 and get a prescription for birth control mailed directly to you with no added shipping fee. Nurx can be used with or without health insurance. The cost of your prescription depends on your insurance coverage, and without insurance the cost can be as low as $15 a month.
Twentyeight Health: Twentyeight Health provides a prescription for the pill, patch, ring, and shot through their online services. They then ship you your medication for free. All you need to do is fill out a questionnaire, with an option to schedule a phone call with a doctor. If you have insurance, you’re most likely paying $0, depending on your insurance plan and what type of prescription you get. If you don’t have insurance, prices start at $18 for one pack of pills, $150 for one birth control ring, and $170 for a month’s supply of patch.
Planned Parenthood Direct: This is Planned Parenthood’s free app, which can help you get a birth control prescription, find your nearest Planned Parenthood clinic, and get them shipped to a pharmacy or directly to you. To use the app, answer a few health questions or speak with a clinician over video chat, depending on what care you need. Costs and services vary depending on what state you live in. The app is currently available in 40 states.
Favor: Favor (formerly Pill Club) is an online service that can prescribe birth control and ship it for free right to your door. They can prescribe pills and the Annovera ring, as well as female condoms and emergency contraception. They also provide ongoing care via text or phone. Without insurance, birth control pills start as low as $9. With insurance, your cost will most likely be $0, but it depends on your plan and what type of prescription you get.
In-Person Clinics
Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood is a long-standing provider of family planning, and provides services for free or low-cost on a sliding scale based on your income and insurance status. Services include birth control, breast exams, cancer screening, infertility treatment, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and patient education. You can visit a clinic in person, but they also offer many of their services through telehealth as well.
Find a Planned Parenthood clinic near you here.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): These federally funded health providers provide care on a sliding scale. There are over 12,000 centers in the U.S. All FQHCs should provide family planning and contraceptive services but may not specialize in reproductive healthcare. If you are considering going to one of these centers, it’s probably a good idea to call and see what they offer onsite, as their resources can vary.
You can find a list of these centers near you using this locator tool.
Community health or non-profit clinics: There may also be other local clinics, some supported by government grants such as Title X, that are required to service low-income populations at low or no cost. Clinics funded by Title X receive specific discounts for family planning.
To find one of these clinics, try searching for “low-cost community health center” or “Title X clinic near me”.
The bottom line
Whether you’re insured or not, there are resources to help you get the birth control you need at an affordable cost. There’s a good chance it might even be free because of the ACA, so work with your healthcare provider to find the right lifestyle and financial fit.
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