Pennsylvanians on Medicaid will soon have better access to family planning options. The Wolf Administration announced Monday that it will make long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) options like the IUD and the implant, more available to women covered by Medicaid.
Beginning December 1, Medicaid will reimburse hospitals for the cost of the long-acting contraceptives inserted after a woman gives birth. Currently under Medicaid, hospitals received a bundled payment for labor and delivery services. Pennsylvania is implementing policies that now reimburse providers separately for the cost of the device when inserting an IUD or implants at the time of delivery, in addition to the bundled payments that hospitals receive for the delivery.
Family planning rates for clinics that provide or remove the devices will also being increased. According to the State Department of Human Services, half of unplanned pregnancies occur within two years after delivery. DHS says it’s more efficient to insert the contraceptives while a woman is at the hospital, after giving birth.
