Birth Control Options: As Cozy and Customizable as Your Latest Netflix Binge
As someone who self-identifies as an introvert, I find no greater joy than the dependability of Netflix on a Friday night. It’s always ready and waiting to provide me with a wide range of options to meet my unique needs and desires for a cozy night in. Is it spooky season? There are thousands of options to devour alongside the snack sized Halloween candy I will similarly be indulging in. Did I have a bad week? There’s simply no problem that The Great British Bake Off or re-watching New Girl for the 500th time cannot solve.
Just like choosing bingeable content, your birth control should make you feel like it meets the needs and desires that are uniquely you during all seasons. Whether it’s the warm and fuzzies you get thinking of the reminder-free arm implant that supports your child-free lifestyle, the euphoria you experience from having less painful or disruptive periods as a result of your daily pill, or the confidence and strengthen you feel knowing you’re protecting yourself and your partner from STIs or HIV through routine condom use, there are a growing range of birth control options available, allowing people to find a method uniquely suited to their lifestyle and needs.
What’s even better is that in Illinois in addition to having a range of methods to choose from, there are more ways than ever to access your birth control of choice for free.
Access Your Birth Control For Free in Illinois
- Private (aka commercial) insurance: This is insurance available from your job or your parent or partner’s job if you’re under their plan. Many private plans will cover a wide range of birth control options at no cost to you. There are some religiously affiliated employers who may not cover birth control. If you’re not sure if your plan covers your method, call the number on the back of your insurance card to ask if your birth control method is covered and how much you should expect to pay out of pocket.
- Illinois Adult Medicaid: Also known as Aetna Better Health, Blue Cross Community Health, CountyCare, Humana MMAI, Meridian, or Molina, Illinois Medicaid will fully cover all birth control methods at no cost to you. People 19 years old or older that are U.S. citizens or qualifying immigrants, with a family income of less than 213% of the Federal Poverty Level can apply online, over, the phone or in person with an application assistor. Learn more about eligibility or where to apply for Adult Medicaid or if you’re under 19 you can learn more about the Illinois All Kids Medicaid Program.
- Illinois Family Planning Medicaid: If you don’t qualify for Adult Medicaid, you may still qualify for the Family Planning Medicaid Program. The Family Planning Medicaid Program is open to people of any age or gender who live in Illinois and earn less than $3,754 a month. It doesn’t matter how much anyone else in your family makes; it’s only based on your income. The Family Planning Medicaid Program will cover all birth control methods and emergency contraception, STI testing and treatment, PEP or PrEP for HIV prevention, and other reproductive health vaccines, cancer screenings, and services. You can learn more online about if you’re eligible and how to apply. This program is even open to people who have private insurance that they can’t or don’t want to use because of cost or confidentiality concerns, like if you have a religious employer that doesn’t cover your birth control or you’re on a family plan and don’t want a bill sent home.
If you don’t fall under any of these options, there are still many great available options to access low or no-cost birth control. ICAN! partnering clinics are committed to providing your birth control of choice regardless of ability to pay and will never turn you away or charge you late fees or interest if you can’t pay in full. You’ll likely be placed on a Sliding Fee Discount Scale which means you pay based on what you earn and can afford. ICAN! providers are also committed to treating you with respect and giving you all the facts you need to make the birth control decision that’s best for you. What’s even better is that many of ICAN!’s partnering clinics also offer primary care and mental health services so you can schedule your next annual exam or counseling session during your visit.
We know you need options, and we’re here to provide them! If you need help getting started, drop us a live chat, schedule a time to connect with a member of our team, or explore all the birth control options available to meet your unique needs and desires by taking our Birth Control Quiz.
