Do I Need Insurance To Get A Prescription For Birth Control Online
No, if you dont have insurance, you can pay by credit card. Using Virtuwell costs $59 per visit. If you do have insurance, well bill your insurance company for you. There is no cost if Virtuwell cant prescribe birth control for you for any reason.
You will pick up and pay for your prescription at the pharmacy, just like if it had been prescribed to you during a typical clinic visit.
Pharmacies Now Can Offer Birth Control To Women Without A Prescription But Few Do
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A new law in California allows women to pick up birth control pills from pharmacies without a doctors prescription.
But more than a year after the law took effect, women say theyre still struggling to get the medicines, in part because they cant find pharmacies offering them.
A study released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. found that only 11% of pharmacies in the state are dispensing hormonal birth control to women without prescriptions. Pharmacists dont have to make use of the law, and some are reluctant to because theyre concerned about liability, adequate staffing and a lack of reimbursement for the service, the study found.
Also at play is a supply-demand problem, experts say: Pharmacists dont want to invest in providing the service if women dont want it, but women arent aware its an option and arent asking for it because pharmacies arent offering it.
Its hard to have demand for a service that doesnt exist, said UC Berkeley professor and study author Anu Manchikanti Gomez.
Typically, women have to make an annual appointment to see a gynecologist to get a prescription for birth control. But health advocates argue that the doctor visit requirement creates an unnecessary barrier to contraception.
Californias law doesnt make birth control over the counter. Instead, a pharmacist can provide hormonal birth control to a woman after administering a questionnaire about health issues that could raise red flags.
In The Meantime Heres A Guide On How To Obtain Birth Control Without A Doctor’s Prescription In The Coachella Valley:
1. Call the pharmacy you wish to visit and set up a time to go in.
2. Have $35 to $45 handy and a photo ID , since thats how much the screening typically costs. Some insurance companies will cover the cost of contraceptives but not the cost of the consultation.
3. Health screening: the first thing the pharmacist will have you do is fill out a questionnaire on your health history from the date of your last menstrual period to any health conditions, such as diabetes. Then, the pharmacist will take your blood pressure to determine if youre eligible for birth control.
4. If theres a birth control method you prefer maybe because youve used it in the past or simply because you’ve done your research, let the pharmacist know. If they dont have the medication in stock, they can usually place an order.
The following list is based on the Birth Control Pharmacies search feature and has been fact-checked by The Desert Sun. These are the pharmacies in the Coachella Valley that provide birth control without a doctors prescription:
Ralphs #00611425 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 327-4381
1751 N. Sunrise Way , Palm Springs, CA 92262 322-1131
40101 Monterey Ave., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 674-4738
74590 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 346-2573
78-271 State Hwy 111, La Quinta, CA 92253 564-2225
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If You Want To Start Seeing An Ob
To be clear: It absolutely *is* possible to get birth control if you dont have or dont want an OB-GYN.
However, the benefit of seeing an OB-GYN in person is that you can get care beyond birth control.
For example, you might also ask for an STI screening or Pap smear. Or, ask any prepregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, pain, or menstruation questions you have.
Most OB-GYNs will also perform an internal exam with your consent, which may allow them to notice things that you wouldnt even think to mention, Gersh says.
For example, its possible that you experience vaginal discharge that you didnt realize was unusual, or have internal scarring that could be the cause of pain during vaginal penetration.
If you have health insurance, the best place to begin your OB-GYN search is by looking at the healthcare professionals in your network.
Next, check the healthcare professionals website or call the main office to see whether they offer the things that are important to you. For example:
- OB-GYN of color on staff
Another option is to ask around.
Your friends and family may have an OB-GYN that they like that they can recommend you get in touch with, Gersh says.
You might also try asking your family doctor or primary physician about birth control. They have the ability to prescribe birth control, too, she adds.
How To Get Birth Control Pills
In order to get a prescription for birth control pills, you will need to talk to your healthcare provider about your medical history and get your blood pressure checked. Your practitioner may also require you to have a pelvic exam and a breast exam, but this is not a universal requirement.
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How Much Is Birth Control With Insurance
People with insurance are in luck. With insurance, birth control costs nothing. Thats right. The Obama administrations Affordable Care Act mandates that all health insurance plans cover womens birth control, including surgery, and not charge a copay for the doctors visits or the birth control method prescribed. Insurance does not have to cover every brand of medication or device, but at least one option in every category of birth control is covered except for mens condoms.
| The cost of birth control without insurance | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| $15 | Scan your SingleCare card to find the lowest price |
* According to Planned Parenthood birth control costs, which may not include the cost of a doctors visit or the insertion/removal of a device.
Where Can I Get A Prescription
- You can get a prescription for birth control from your health care provider, from a sexual health clinic, or from Planned Parenthood Torontos Health Services.
- Some walk-in clinics will also provide prescriptions for birth control.
- If you dont have OHIP it is still possible for you to get a prescription from Planned Parenthood Torontos Health Services.
| Useful Tip |
| Planned Parenthood Torontos Health Services offers TTC tokens to clients who need help with getting to and from the clinic. They also provide birth control at a reduced cost. Just ask at the front desk! |
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Do I Need Any Exam Before Getting Birth Control Pills
You should have pelvic exams and Pap tests based on your age and health history. But you dont need an exam or Pap test just to get a prescription for birth control pills.
Before you get birth control pills, your doctor should always do a basic medical exam and:
- Check your blood pressure.
- Ask if youve ever had blood clots.
- Ask if you smoke.
High blood pressure, blood clots, and smoking are risk factors. If you have a risk factor, you should consider other forms of birth control. Birth control pills may not be a good choice.
How Do I Pay For Birth Control
- If you have benefits from a drug plan that will cover some or all of the cost, you may choose to go to a drug store to fill a birth control prescription. If you are 24 or under with an Ontario health card, your birth control may be completely covered under OHIP+.
- Some sexual health clinics provide birth control at a lower cost than drug stores.
- Planned Parenthood Torontos Health Services offers free condoms as well as birth control options at a reduced rate.
- For more information about the cost of birth control, check the page for each method.
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Requesting A Pill Prescription Without A Pelvic Exam
You may be like many other people out thereyou want to use the pill, but you are not seeking a prescription because you’re afraid to have a pelvic exam and Pap smear. If that’s the case, you should know that research shows that birth control pills can be safely prescribed based on a careful review of your medical history and blood pressure measurement. For most people, no further exams are necessary.
Current guidelines created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that birth control pills can be safely prescribed without a pelvic exam.
If your healthcare provider insists that you must have a breast exam, pelvic exam, Pap test, or STI screening in order to give you your pill prescription, explain your concerns and/or fears, and request not to have these exams done. They might hesitate out of concern that you could have an undiagnosed medical issue if you don’t have these screening tests, or they might agree to prescribe the pill for you without the screening tests.
You can also call around and find a different medical professional who does not require these tests as a prerequisite for prescribing birth control pills. Planned Parenthood may be an option that doesn’t require a pelvic exam to get hormonal birth control.
Best For Teens: Twentyeight Health
- Price: from $16 per pack, with a $20 annual fee
Twentyeight Health offers over 100 brands of birth control. People can opt for pills, patches, rings, shots, or condoms. The platform also sells emergency contraception.
The company says that its services are suitable for people aged 1349 years. Customers need to fill out an online questionnaire before they can call or message Twentyeights doctors directly.
Shipping is free and discreet, and the company ships to 32 states. Delivery takes around 5 business days.
Twentyeight accepts insurance and is also available to those without insurance. Pricing varies, depending on coverage.
The pill starts at $16 per pack, and the patch starts at $170. There is a $20 annual fee for ongoing care.
Pros and cons
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Pelvic Exam Necessary For Contraception Rx
Pelvic exam necessary for contraception Rx?
“Clinicians at my family planning facility often refuse to give a birth control method if the patient is late for her annual exam,” says a respondent to the 2010 Contraceptive Technology Update Contraception Survey. Is this practice prevalent in the United States?
While some providers might continue to require a pelvic exam prior to providing hormonal contraception, results of a national survey indicate many providers are dropping such restrictions.1 In a poll of obstetrician-gynecologists , family medicine physicians, and advanced practice nurses specializing in obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health or family medicine, less than one third of OB/GYNs and exactly one-third of family medicine physicians said they always require a pelvic examination when prescribing oral contraception. Almost half of advanced practice nurses in primary care and some advanced practice nurses in reproductive health reported always requiring an exam.
Requiring a pelvic exam to access birth control is really a “tragic leftover from the past,” says Anita Nelson, MD, professor in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Knock down barriers
“You wonder why 50% of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended?” he observes. “This practice suggests one little part of the answer.”
References
Do You Need A Pelvic Exam To Get Birth Control
When you go to a free clinic to get birth control, do you have to be examined by a doctor before you can get it? Dariya*
Not always. Until recently, women expected to have a pelvic exam before a doctor would prescribe any kind of birth control. Now experts agree that a physical exam is not necessary before starting birth control.
There are specific reasons to have a pelvic exam, such as if you have:
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- abnormal vaginal discharge or abnormal bleeding
If these don’t apply to you, let the clinic or doctor’s office know that you don’t want an exam when you make your appointment.
*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
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Community Or Public Health Centers
Your community may have non-profit health clinics, public health centers, or family planning clinics providing discounted or free reproductive health services. For a nominal fee, usually $25 or less, you can be seen by a physician, prescribed an appropriate birth control method, and sometimes receive the contraceptive method you need, such as a shot, implant, or intrauterine device.
Clinics that focus on womens health, sexual health, or STIs , as well as Title X clinics, are the most reliable venues to find discounted or free birth control.
Best Variety Of Birth Control Options: Nurx
- Price: $15 for any birth control option without insurance
Nurx offers a range of services, tests, and birth control ordering options. It can help a person get a prescription at an additional cost.
With an approved insurance plan, a person may be able to get their birth control for free. Without insurance, a person pays $15 dollars for any of the birth control options.
Nurx provides the:
- insurance coverage may be available
- different options for birth control
- not available in all U.S. states
- customer care team may not be helpful, according to reviews
- initial consultation is not free
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Guidelines On How To Get The Pill
General medical guidelines and research suggest that hormonal contraception can be safely prescribed based on a careful medical history and blood pressure measurement.
Some people should not take the pill. It can increase your blood pressure, so you should have your blood pressure checked regularly for the first few months after you start using the pill. It can also increase the risk of blood clots for some people, especially smokers or people who have a medical condition that causes blood clotting abnormalities.
Breast exams, pelvic exams, Pap smears, and sexually transmitted infection screenings are important for detecting and preventing cancer and for family planning and reproductive health care. Even though these tests may be uncomfortable , they are an important part of your overall health care.
Routine STI screenings are recommended because people who use birth control pills are less likely to use internal or external condoms that protect against these infections.
These exams are essential for early detection of many diseasessome of which can be life-threatening. That being said, the information that healthcare providers get from these exams does not indicate whether a person can or cannot safely use birth control pills.
Birth Control No Exam
With Birth Control, No Exam you can get birth control pills, Depo Provera, the Ortho Evra Patch, an implant, and NuvaRing without a pelvic exam for up to one year.
Planned Parenthood strongly encourages patients to receive regular pelvic exams for early detection of cancers and sexually transmitted infections. However, a pelvic exam will not help determine whether you can safely use hormonal contraception like birth control pills. With careful screening of your medical history and blood pressure, we can determine if hormonal contraception is right for youwithout a pelvic exam!
How it works
- Make an appointment with a clinician. No exam required!
- At your visit, we will have you complete a medical history form and sign consents for services.
- Have your blood pressure and weight checked.
- A clinician will then determine if birth control pills, the Ortho Evra patch, NuvaRing, an implant, or Depo Provera injections for 1 year are right for you. Other methods may require an exam.
- If you are interested in other birth control options, such as an IUD or a permanent birth control method, we would be happy to discuss those options with you at this appointment. Many times we can do same-day insertions for IUDs.
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When You Need Tests To Get Birth Control Pillsand When You Dont
Before you get birth control pills, your doctor may want you to have a pelvic exam with a Pap test. Your doctor should get a complete medical history before giving you a prescription for birth control pills. But you usually dont need a Pap test and pelvic exam, especially if you are a teen. The tests can even be harmful. Heres why:
If You Have Health Insurance
The Affordable Care Act mandates that most health insurance carriers must cover at least one or more methods of birth control approved by the Food and Drug Administration .
Now, some plans will cover specific birth control brands and not others. You can work with your insurance or healthcare professional to figure out which birth control options are covered.
Important: Not all telehealth providers take insurance. Make sure you check out their FAQ page to learn more before making an online appointment.
If you need a refresher, Medicaid is a U.S. healthcare provider that has offered health insurance to lower-income households since 1965.
Long before the ACA, Medicaid offered free birth control to its users and it still does today.
However, Medicaid doesnt cover *all* FDA-approved birth control methods.
For more information about what birth control options Medicaid does cover, check out the Contraception in Medicaid online guide.
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