POLICY ANALYSIS - CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE Assignment

POLICY ANALYSIS - CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE - Assignment Example I have reviewed actuarial studies, empirical evidence, and public programmatic efforts regarding contraceptive coverage in order to determine the cost to the consumer, to employers, and general costs incurred within the healthcare system. Annually, it is known that public funding for contraceptive coverage aids in the prevention of almost two million unplanned pregnancies, including approximately 400,000 teen pregnancies (Bertko et.al, 2012). Therefore, 860,000 unintended births, 810,000 abortions, and 270,000 miscarriages are prevented annually; also, those who receive public funding are typically eligible for Medicaid prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services (Bertko et.al, 2012). As a result, for every dollar spent for public funding of birth control, there is a cost savings of four dollars because unplanned births do not occur (Bertko et.al, 2012). In comparison of 15 different types of contraception, it was determined that the copper-T IUD offered the most cost savings over a five-year period, at $14,122 (Trussell et.al, 1995). Oral contraceptives during the same period cost $1,784 and saved $12,879 per person, while also preventing 4.1 unplanned pregnancies (Trussell et.al, 1995). Although contraceptive coverage costs $100-600 annually, the risk of pregnancy drops from 85 percent to 9 percent with birth control pills and under one percent for patients who use the IUD or hormone implant (Liebman, 2014). Over a two-year period, contraceptive methods yield cost savings in the range of $5,907 - $9,936 (Sonnenberg et.al, 2004). At the same time, the cost of payout for a vaginal delivery is $18,329 and $27,866 for a C-section (Liebman, 2014). It is also anticipated that if employers do not provide contraceptive coverage, they will end up paying an additional 15-17 percent due to the costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth (Awhonn, 2009). In 2013, women who had prescriptions for birth control pills saved an