Governor hopeful wants no-cost birth control

Health insurers would cover pills, devices

TALLAHASSEE — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said Thursday he’ll push for a state law to require health insurers to cover birth control pills and devices.

Federal law already includes that requirement under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, but Republicans in Congress are crafting legislation to repeal the law and replace it with their own version, which likely will include exemptions to such mandates.

National media outlets reported last month that President Donald Trump’s administration was considering a religious or moral exemption to the birth control mandate for employers that critics say would allow anyone to drop contraception coverage. Gillum’s plan would require all policies covering prescriptions to include coverage of any birth control pill or device approved by the Food and Drug Administration and ban insurers from charging co-pays and fees.

It would allow religious organizations to receive an exemption, but women could still receive no-cost access to birth control directly from an insurer, as under current Obamacare rules, according to a release from his campaign.

“President Trump wants to turn back the clock and take essential health care away from women,” Gillum said in a statement. “As Governor, I’m going to stand with women and ensure that neither the government nor their employer, stand between a woman and her doctor in making the critical health decisions that affect her life. This is an essential part of providing better quality care and economic security and stability to more Floridians.”

Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, is in a threeway Democratic primary race with former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee and Winter Park businessman Chris King, but as election day is 18 months away, other major candidates could still jump into the race. Orlando trial attorney John Morgan has said he’s considering a run and so has Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is the only major Republican candidate who’s officially announced he’s running, but others considering joining the race include state Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater, House Speaker Richard Corcoran of Land O’Lakes and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis of Ponte Vedra Beach.

The proposal is the latest from the Gillum campaign that simultaneously bashes Trump’s health care policies to roll back Obamacare. He released proposals last month to push for state laws requiring coverage for pre-existing conditions, another Obamacare mandate.

The proposals, however, would be difficult to pass through the Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans.