President Barack Obama’s government has dropped its opposition to a court decision that allows the Plan B emergency contraceptive to be bought over-the-counter by women of any age. Proponents had argued the pill was safe and a useful safety net against unwanted pregnancy.
The FDA had been making plans to allow TEVA Pharmaceuticals to sell its Plan B contraceptive in front of the pharmacy counter to women of any age. But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius intervened at the last minute to prevent it.
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Human Services, which largely writes the regulations; oversees notifying hospitals and providers about what is changing; provides insurers with fair warning of new regulations and requirements; and heads up the national campaign to inform the public. In a controversial […]
Yesterday, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services told us: “For a lot of people who either don’t have affordable insurance coverage through their workplaces or have been in and out of the market, what is going to roll out starting October 1 with open enrollment is really, really good news.” But is it […]
In a move that pits the Obama administration firmly against women’s reproductive health advocates, the Justice Department filed a notice to appeal a judge’s decision to allow girls under 15 years of age to have over-the-counter access to the morning after pill. The administration has long held the stance that the drug cannot be sold […]
Heath and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius rejected a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to make the “morning after” birth control pill widely available over the counter on Wednesday. The emergency contraceptive, called Plan B One-Step, was available to women over 17, but would have been available to women 16 and under had the decision […]