By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports 

The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill by one vote that would require insurers to expand contraception coverage, allowing women to get six months of birth control pills at once.  

In a 35-34 vote, SB 1234 passed the House on Monday after narrowly passing the Senate last month. It now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature to become law. 

Rep. Jack Nelson, R-Jerome, sponsored the bill in the House, clarifying that patients would still need a prescription from a physician for birth control. A physician could also write a prescription for less than six months if they felt uncomfortable prescribing that amount. 

This is at least the fifth year that Democrats have attempted to bring a bill extending the amount of birth control that women in Idaho can obtain at one pharmacy visit.  

Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, opposed the bill, saying birth control is not always safe, sometimes causing heart issues or blood clots. She argued unless they were doing this for all medications, the legislature should not extend the amount of birth control allocated at once. 

“I don’t feel comfortable giving six months and then finding out that maybe they had a reaction and now they have 5 months sitting there, and they’re gonna go get another prescription for another sixth months,” Healey said. “What did they do with that first five months? Give it away? Give it to someone else because they need birth control?”  

Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, supported the bill.  

McCann said she thought it would particularly help women living in rural areas. 

“We are allowing our ladies to have this form of birth control at their disposal,” McCann said. 

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