BOISE, Idaho — SB 1234 would allow for six-month prescriptions of birth control through insurance companies. Typically insurance companies do birth control prescriptions every one and three months.
Senator Melissa Wintrow, who introduced the bill, says it's meant to allow for fewer trips to doctors and pharmacies for people getting birth control.
Four different versions of this bill have been introduced into the legislature since 2018, all of which have failed. Supporters hope this year is different.
- Bill has the backing of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians.
- Opponents say it's not the government's role to regulate insurance companies.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Senate Bill 1234, which would allow six-month prescriptions for contraception through insurance companies, has the backing of some physicians across the state. One of them is Dr. Abby Davids.
She testified in support of the bill at its Senate Committee hearing.
So I sat down with her to speak about the bill.
"Why did you come to testify yesterday?" asked Idaho News 6 neighborhood reporter Brendyn Jones.
"As a family medicine doc it's really important to me to make sure my patients stay healthy," Davids responded.
Davids says along with preventing pregnancy, contraception can help with many different health issues.
"Things like painful periods, or irregular or heavy periods. Things like pelvic pain, things like premenstrual disorder, polycystic ovarian disorder, lots of other medical things, even acne can be treated by these types of medications," Davids said.
While reproductive health care can be a divisive topic in the state house, supporters say this bill isn't controversial.
But it has been rejected at different stages of the legislature four times in the last six years.
And it barely got out of the Commerce and Human Resources Committee in the Senate, passing 5-3.
"It's not the proper role of government to intercede and jump between a business and a customer and say 'here's how things are going to go'," Said Sen. Daniel D. Foreman of the 6th District during the committee hearing.
The three senators who voted to keep the bill in committee all made similar arguments, that it's not the place for government to regulate private business.
The other side, not buying that argument.
"This idea that we shouldn't regulate insurance, is probably news to the insurance companies in every state," said Sen. James D. Ruchti of the 29th District.
Senator Melissa Wintrow, who introduced the bill says it's simple.
"This is vital medication, we've been using a long time. It's safe and by the way, let's make it easier for women," said Wintrow. "If we're going to support women, this is a great simple bill to do."
