Healthcare reform: new benefits go into effect Wednesday

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Starting on Wednesday, insurance companies in the United States will be required to offer certain contraception to women for free as well as making other procedures more accessible.

Insurance companies will now be required to cover all FDA-approved forms of contraception as well as covering procedures such as pap smears, pelvic exams, breast-feeding supplies and annual preventive care.

The Department of Health and Human services estimates 47-million women are in health care plans that will benefit from the changes.

The law takes effect on Wednesday, but may take some time to kick in for some as it will go into effect at the start of a new insurance plan year. Many employer-sponsored plans will roll over with the calendar year. For those plans, there will be co-pays for contraceptives until 2013.

The changes may also have an impact on the type of contraceptives women choose. Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are considered one of the most effective forms of contraception but can cost over $100 with co-pays. Under the new law, IUDs would be free.

While patients won't have co-pays for contraceptive devices, pharmaceutical companies will be sending the bill to insurance companies.

One research group estimates adding contraceptive coverage would cost an individual an extra $21 in health insurance spending each year.