The governor has signed into law a bill authored by a Conejo Valley legislator which will make it easier for women to get contraceptives.
SB 999 requires public and private health plans to cover the dispensing of birth control pills, patches, and rings for a period of up to a year. Currently, women have to get refills every 30 or 90 days. The new law allows doctors to issue up to 12 month long prescriptions, allowing them to be dispensed in a more convenient way.
The National Centers for Disease Control had recommended the 12 month option, with research showing making the pills easier to get reduces unintended pregnancies by 30%.
Democratic State Senator Fran Pavely of Agoura Hills, who authored the legislation, says the change will make women’s lives easier and reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies.