WASHINGTON, Dec 15, 2000 (LSN.ca) – The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled Wednesday that it contravenes federal law for employers to exclude contraceptives from their health insurance plans. CNN reports that the EEOC said that excluding contraceptives is a violation of the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which requires equal treatment of women “affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions,” in all aspects of employment, including fringe benefits. The commission also found that excluding contraceptives also amounts to sex discrimination because these prescriptions are available only for women.
While the ruling is specific to the two cases brought forward, insurers will likely regard the ruling as definitive since it would provide fodder for lawsuits. The one concession the EEOC made was that where insurers do not provide “preventative services” such as vaccinations, drugs to control blood pressure, weight loss medication, preventive dental care, and surgical sterilizations they may not be required to cover contraceptives.
See the CNN report at: https://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/12/14/contraceptives.ap/index.html