Biden unveils plans for free over-the-counter contraception

Washington: US President Joe Biden on Monday announced plans to expand access to contraceptive products, including free over-the-counter birth control, just two weeks before elections where reproductive rights are a key issue.

"This new action would help ensure that millions of women with private health insurance can access the no-cost contraception they need," Biden said in a statement.

The proposed rule would widen coverage of contraception without cost for 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance, the White House said.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris described the proposal in a statement as the "largest expansion of contraception coverage in more than a decade".

The proposal must go through a 60-day public comment period before it is finalized.

The current US health care law requires most insurance plans to cover contraception at no cost, but allows them to require a prescription.

The proposal would extend coverage to over-the-counter products including emergency contraceptives.

In the wake of a 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, Democrats have positioned themselves as the party of reproductive rights, with polls indicating that a majority of Americans support access to abortion.