Medicaid considers offering contraceptives after delivery

BEND, Ore. – Officials with Oregon’s Medicaid program are considering a policy that would reimburse providers for placing contraceptives immediately after women give birth or have abortions.

The Bulletin reported the Oregon Health Plan already covers intrauterine devices, contraceptives that providers place into uterus, and contraceptive implants but most providers don’t place the devices until visits weeks or months after deliveries, leaving a chance that women could become pregnant before that time.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent out a notice to states in April urging them to cover IUDs and implants immediately following births and Oregon officials said they were already considering the policy when the notice came out.

Officials have received dozens of emails of support for the proposed change, which the Health Evidence Review Commission could approve as early as October.