Four congressional committee chairs penned a letter to HHS, the Labor Department and the Treasury Department to urge leaders to protect FDA-approved contraceptives under the ACA, which they say are being sidestepped by insurers and pharmacy benefit managers.
The Oct. 6 letter raises concerns that ACA health plans are making it increasingly difficult to approve an alternative contraceptive if a physician recommends it.
Insurers put up roadblocks by denying coverage, proposing alternative contraceptives outside of a physician's recommendation or denying name-brand coverage when no generic alternatives exist, according to the letter.
The lawmakers encouraged the department heads to investigate what they called "impermissible coverage denials" and issue enforcement accordingly.