This month, in a partnership with Planned Parenthood, the Chicago Sun-Times and actress Wendie Malick, Governor Blagojevich launched an aggressive awareness campaign designed to educate women on a new law that requires private health insurance providers to cover the cost of birth control.

For years, men have received insurance coverage for reproductive health services, including the coverage of the cost for Viagra, yet women have been required to pay out of pocket for prescription contraceptives. Now, for the first time in Illinois, women can share in some of the same insurance benefits as men.

What will the contraceptive coverage campaign be doing to increase awareness?

The Governor’s Office and supporting state agencies, are joined in their efforts to inform the public by numerous corporate and community partners:

• Actress Wendie Malick, a long-time women’s healthcare rights supporter and best known as Nina Van Horn in Just Shoot Me, has loaned her celebrity and voice to the campaign by recording radio advertisements that will run across the state for 4 weeks.
• Planned Parenthood has contributed $30,000 to help inform women about the new contraceptive mandate and has been instrumental in getting the word out through their distribution channels.
• The Chicago Sun-Times will run eight advertisements supporting this initiative.
• The Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nurses will feature the poster on their website, disseminate information to all of their members, contribute $1000 towards printing of the posters and place point of purchase displays in all of their offices.
• The state is working with the major insurance companies to mail detailed palm cards directly to their privately insured customers. In addition, the pharmacists associations and doctors’ organizations will distribute cards through mail and email directly to their members.
• The state will distribute over 10,000 posters to women’s organizations, members of the IL AFL-CIO, local health departments, state agencies offices, legislator offices, and more.
• The state will also place 3,000 posters/point of purchase displays in hundreds of pharmacies, doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and Planned Parenthood offices.

Do I have to do anything to get my insurance company to pay for my birth control?

If you are a state employee or have private health insurance, no. Since the signing of this law, Illinois state employees will now have their birth control covered under their group insurance plans. If you are not a state employee, and you are currently covered by a private insurer, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, your contraceptive will be covered as long as your choice of birth control is approved by the FDA. Mandated coverage includes: services and birth control pills , patch , implant , shot, IUD , and the diaphragm.

Some insurers are exempt—those companies that are self-insured, fall under the HealthCare Right of Conscience Act, or do not offer prescription drug benefits do not have to provide contraceptive coverage.

When will my insurance company begin covering the cost of my birth control?

Immediately. The law went into effect on January 1, 2004 but insurance companies were not required to begin covering contraceptives until their annual policy renewal. Renewal dates are different for each company, so while one company may have renewed in February 2004, thereby making women eligible for coverage, others may not have renewed until December 2004.

By January 2005, all companies will have renewed their policies, making this the ideal time to inform the pubic of their new rights under the law.

I think my insurance company is failing to properly cover my birth control. Is there anyone in Illinois that can help me?

Yes. The Illinois Department of Insurance exists for just such causes. Complaints regarding non-compliance by a health coverage provider can be directed to the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation -- Division of Insurance at 877/527-9431.

You can also try visiting the complaints portion of their website at http://www.ins.state.il.us/Complaints/Contact_Proper_Agency.htm.

But I don’t have insurance, is there anyway I can take advantage of this new law?

Individuals without health insurance can contact the Illinois Department of Insurance for more information regarding State and Federal insurance programs. You can contact the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation – Division of Insurance at 877-527-9431, or you can visit their website at www.idfpr.com.