Prescription Birth Control Is Going To Be Free In BC & Here's Everything You Need To Know
B.C. is the first in Canada to do it!
Birth control pills.
B.C. just became the first jurisdiction in Canada to make prescription contraception free, and it's starting soon.
As of April 1, you'll be able to get your birth control for free in B.C., if it's prescription. The new program was announced with the release of the 2023 B.C. budget on February 28.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy announced that the program will be coming next month, to provide people with prescription contraception options.
Conroy said that "prescription birth control is a necessary health care, not a luxury. It's a vital resource for equity and equality."
A new release from the government said that the 2023 budget "dedicates $119 million over three years to remove this cost and give people more choices about their own sexual and reproductive health."
Budget 2023 takes action on the issues that matter most
The new program will fully cover "prescription contraception options, including most oral hormone pills, contraceptive injections, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, subdermal implants and Plan B (also known as the morning-after pill)."
The government said someone who spends $25 for hormonal birth control a month could save up to $10,000 in their life with this program.
How to get free birth control in B.C.?
If you have a prescription for a birth control that is covered under the new plan, you will get it for free as of April 1 in B.C.
What birth controls are free?
Most contraceptive injections, oral hormone pills, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, subdermal implants and Plan B will be free in B.C. starting April 1.
