House passes bill requiring insurance coverage of contraceptives

After just five minutes of debate, the Iowa House this morning endorsed the idea of forcing insurance policies with prescription drug benefits to cover contraceptives like “the pill.” Representative Mona Martin, a republican from Davenport, is a key supporter. She calls it a women’s health care bill that brings women equity with men.Martin says the furor over the male impotence drug Viagra, helped spur support for this bill. She says Viagra was covered after it was on the market for only two months, while the fight for contraceptives has gone on for more than 30 years.The bill passed the House on an 85 to 12 vote.The Senate bill was changed by the House, however, to ensure insurance coverage would not be allowed for drugs like R-U-4-86, which is known as the “morning after” pill as it causes a spontaneous abortion. Martin says Senators will accept the change.