Emergency Contraception: No Help if Women Still Can't Get It

By Jeanine Plant, Women's eNews. Posted December 5, 2006.

Although Plan B, the 'morning after pill,' became available without prescription in November, women still face high costs, age restrictions, and limited availability in some places.

Barr Laboratories began shipping Plan B to pharmacies nationwide on Nov. 6 on the non-prescription basis recently approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

That puts the pill within much easier reach.

But while access is now enhanced to the time-sensitive drug, barriers -- including some prices nearing $45 -- remain.

Because of its new non-prescription status, Carol Cox, a spokeswoman for Barr Labs, told Women's eNews that the distributor does not expect insurance companies to provide coverage for it and that Medicaid does not cover Plan B in all states.