A Free Lunch

I have great news for those of us who would like to keep our uteruses vacant for the time being.  This past week, the Institute of Medicine released a much-anticipated report defining contraceptives as "prevention," categorizing birth control along with such services as mammograms or childhood immunizations.  No shit, Sherloch, right?  But the awesome implication of this classification is that, if the federal government accepts the report's findings, birth control, IUDs, and birth control injections will now be offered by insurance companies without copays.  Free at last, free at last.

http://philip.greenspun.com/images/pcd0155/gay-parade-19

The IOM now recommends that birth control methods be made available free of charge in order to stem the high number of unintended pregnancies (and yes, abortions) that occur in the US each year.  And shockingly, according to a recent poll, about 71% of Americans agree with this suggestion.

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/daily-money/will-new-health-care-bill-mean-free-birth-control/1473/

Childhood immunizations are one of the primary intro economics examples of a positive externality:  protecting the majority against infection will lessen the overall population's risk of infection, making us all healthier as a result. Thus, immunizations are offered without copays and are considered to be worth the cost.  Preventing unwanted pregnancies, by comparison, is a positive externality in the same vein.  Fewer unwanted pregnancies spell lower Medicaid costs, better career prospects for women, and fewer kids with shitty childhoods.  According to a 2010 Norwegian study, free birth control greatly decreases the rate of unintended pregnancy, and halves the abortion rate.  If these projections hold true in America as well, then both the pro-life and pro-choice sides should have something to celebrate.  This, America, is compromise.

Now, let's not get too excited just yet:  we are already hearing from the Catholics, and I have no doubt that the chronically pugnacious Republicans will soon be chiming in.  But nevertheless, I am elated, and not only because I might soon be saving around sixty bucks a month.  First, maybe mainstream attitudes towards contraceptives are not as medieval as my Negative Nancy self had believed.  Second, this report forecasts a very positive and palpable shift in women's health.  No-cost birth control will not only save taxpayers an enormous amount in the long run, but will also produce a profoundly positive trickle up, down, and around effect.  Margaret Sanger is smiling.