r/HealthInsurance • u/sweetbabycoconut • Jul 28 '25

Employer/COBRA Insurance Insurance doesn’t cover contraceptives because they said they’re a Christian-based organization

i use birth control to stop my periods and when i called my insurance to check for coverage this morning they said they don’t cover contraceptives for religious reasons

the estimate from my provider is around $2000 without insurance so just double-checking about alternative routes i can take given that information

insurance is from virginia mason hospital & they switched to bcbsil from first choice this year if that’s relevant

25 in wa with a $25 wage

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u/DressAggravating913 Jul 28 '25

Is this an employer plan (judging by the tag)? I don’t think BCBS would do that seeing their are a national carrier but depending on the type of plan you have, if it’s employer, some organizations may seek exemptions to the the ACA rule when offering plans to employees. Birth control is part of preventive care. I would talk to HR or whoever is in charge of that within your employer’s office.

In the meantime… Do you have any Community Health Centers near you? You might need to see a dr there but birth control out of pocket is a lot cheaper. I used to go to one a few years ago and would pay 9$ for a 3 month period. You can also appeal with the insurance as they are not following ACA rules.

Edit: wrong pontuaction

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u/jinxlover13 Jul 28 '25

They can claim a religious exemption for birth control, abortion, gender reassignment surgery, etc for self funded plans. However, sometimes the insurance company still has to cover an option (for example a cheap birth control) and then submits it to the federal govt for reimbursement, related to the ACA section 1557, which is something the current regime wants removed.

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u/Actual-Government96 Jul 28 '25

Where I am, the self-funded employer still gets to decide if they will allow the insurer to provide the benefit (outside if their $ and contract), which is absolutely bonkers.