Association Between Oregon’s 12-Month Contraceptive Supply Policy and Quantity of Contraceptives Dispensed

IMPORTANCE: Eighteen states, including Oregon, have passed legislation requiring insurers to cover dispensation of a 12-month supply of short-acting, hormonal contraception. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Oregon’s 2016 12-month supply law was associated with an increase in contraceptive supply received. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study of hormonal contraceptive users using Oregon’s All Payer All Claims database examined the quantity of contraceptive supply dispensed 3 years before and 3 years after the 2016 policy change. We also assessed changes among patients attributed to Title X clinics. EXPOSURES: Legislation requiring insurers in Oregon to cover a 12-month supply of contraception to continuing users. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Receipt of a 12-month supply of hormonal contraception RESULTS: This cohort study of insured users (mean [SD] age, 27.4 [2.1] years) of short-acting hormonal contraception included 639 053 contraceptive prescriptions. Results indicated that more than 80% of prescriptions for contraceptives cover 3 months or fewer. Most women in the study population used the oral contraceptive pill, lived in a metropolitan area, and were privately insured. We did not observe a significant association between the passage of the 12-month supply policy and receipt of a 12-month supply (aOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.74-1.38). Receipt of a 12-month supply was more common for Medicaid recipients than the privately insured (aOR, 9.40; 95% CI, 6.62-13.34). We did find a shift from 1 month to 2 to 3 months supply being dispensed. The policy change was associated with a small, overall increase in quantity dispensed (0.27 months supply; 95% CI, 0.15 to –0.38). Title X clinics prescribed 3 months more of contraceptive supply than non–Title X clinics (3.03 months supply; 95% CI, 2.64-3.41). However, the policy change was not associated with increased contraceptive supply dispensed at Title X clinics. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study of insured users of short-acting hormonal contraception, the passage of a 12-month contraceptive supply policy was not associated with an increase in contraceptive supply dispensed.