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Senate committee advances AB 50 to align Medi‑Cal coverage with over‑the‑counter birth control
Summary
Assemblywoman Rob Bonta presented AB 50 to allow Medi‑Cal beneficiaries to access FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter contraceptives without the prescription and administrative protocols currently required for reimbursement; committee moved the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Assemblywoman Rob Bonta presented AB 50, the Equity in Birth Control Act, to the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee on June 9. Bonta told the committee the bill would ensure Medi‑Cal enrollees can obtain reimbursement for FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter oral contraceptives without needing a prescription for coverage.
Shannon Olivieri Hovis of Essential Access Health, a bill sponsor, said federal Medicaid rules currently require a prescription for Medi‑Cal to cover an outpatient medication. That requirement means Medi‑Cal members seeking coverage for an FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter pill must complete the same screening, counseling and documentation procedures used for prescription contraceptives, she said. “About 1,500 pharmacies in California can do this, assuming the trained pharmacist is on shift,” Olivieri Hovis testified, “that leaves about 5,000 pharmacies that cannot.”
Dr. Emma Choo Murphy, an OB‑GYN at San Francisco General Hospital, said over‑the‑counter contraceptives expand access for patients who face time, travel and language barriers and that the FDA process shows these products are safe and effective.
Several advocacy groups and medical organizations provided “me‑too” support during the hearing, including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District IX and other sponsors listed on the record.
Senator Strickland moved the bill and the committee called the roll. The clerk reported the item had the votes needed to pass and left the item on call; the committee later recorded the measure as passing out of committee to the Senate Appropriations Committee with a 7‑0 supportive vote on the day’s tally.
AB 50 would instruct Medi‑Cal to treat FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter contraceptives the same as other over‑the‑counter medications for coverage purposes and would allow pharmacists to furnish or issue prescriptions for those medications without complying with the counseling protocols required for prescription‑only drugs. The bill does not change federal Medicaid law; instead it clarifies state Medi‑Cal reimbursement policy to align with private insurance coverage enacted by the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022, testimony said.
The committee advanced AB 50 to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
