Ontario NDP Promises Free Prescription Birth Control & Plan B If Elected

Anyone who uses birth control may be interested in hearing that Ontario's NDP leader Andrea Horwath promises to make it free if her party is elected this June.

"For decades, people have paid a price for family planning," said Horwath in a press release. "Just imagine what it’s like for people trying to cover the sky-high cost of living, sky-high rents, and having to shell out $30 a month, every month for years on end, for birth control."

The NDP leader tweeted on April 21 saying, "Contraception is health and a human right. No one should have to pay $30/month, or go without because they can’t afford it."

This potential move to provide people with free birth control would include all prescription contraception under OHIP, such as "Plan B, the pill, intrauterine devices (IUD), implants, shots, patches or rings."

This means birth control users may save a good chunk of change monthly on prescriptions and during other occasions where emergency contraceptive is needed if the Ontario NDP party comes into power.

Horwath says making birth control free will remove any cost barriers that might limit an individual's ability to make decisions about their reproductive health. She says that the change could be implemented within just weeks of the election.

A spokesperson from the Ontario Ministry of Health told Narcity that "Our government provides funding to public health units to support sexual health clinics that provide free contraceptives based on the need of their local population."

OHIP+ currently covers birth control for individuals 24 years old or younger who are not covered by a private plan.

Additionally, "Ontarians with a valid OHIP card may be eligible to receive coverage through the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program if they qualify under one of the eligibility streams," they added.

The Ontario general election will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

This story has been updated.