Will My Health Insurance Plan Cover My Flexi-T Copper IUD?

If you are looking  for the best birth control on the market, then the IUD is a great choice. IUDs come in two formats: hormonal and copper. The copper IUD offers protection from pregnancy but without the side effects associated with hormone use, like headaches and bloating.

The real question for many considering contraception is what health insurance will cover. Flexi-T is the copper IUD Canada women often turn to, but coverage depends on several factors. So what more should you know about the copper IUD?

IUD stands for intrauterine device. Your healthcare provider inserts a Y-shaped device into the uterus to offer you long-term birth control.

How the device works depends on the type of IUD you get. Flexi-T is a copper IUD that offers some of the best birth control protection on the market. It is also long-lasting. This IUD can give you protection for up to five years.

Copper IUDs like Flexi-T also have very few side effects. That is what makes them stand out as a form of birth control. Some experience cramping during the first few months after getting the IUD, but not what you expect from birth control.

This is because a copper IUD does not include any hormones that affect the balance in your body. Copper is the active ingredient in a Flexi-T IUD. Copper acts as a natural spermicide. It repeals the sperm and keeps it from entering the uterus. Without sperm, there can be no fertilized egg that leads to pregnancy.

You will also continue to have periods with a copper IUD. The device doesn't have an impact on ovulation. That means it is effective immediately because you don’t have to wait for the next complete cycle to begin.

Copper IUDs also make effective emergency birth control. You are protected even if you had unprotected sex up to five days before the IUD insertion.

Hormonal IUDs work differently than copper ones. They rely on synthetic hormones that prevent ovulation. The copper IUD works to keep sperm out of the uterus. Hormonal ones have no impact on the sperm. Instead, they keep the egg out of the uterus by preventing ovulation.

That disrupts your natural hormonal balance, which is why many experience side effects with hormonal birth control. They can cause weight gain, headaches, and bloating.

The first step in getting an IUD is to contact your healthcare provider. They are the ones that prescribe birth control. An IUD also requires an appointment to get the device inserted. When you make the appointment, they will ask about your insurance options and verify your coverage for the IUD.

Health insurance can be tricky, and not all policies are the same. The office can tell you how much the IUD will cost you in out-of-pocket expenses. It may be free or cost very little, although you may have to pay it upfront. The pill and the IUD are covered by some benefits plans — including but not limited to  Sun Life, Great-West Life, Blue Cross  and Morneau Shepell, but this is  depending on the specific financial arrangement with employers. It depends on the policy, but non-oral birth control like Flexi-T copper IUD can be reimbursed. Keep in mind that the healthcare provider must charge the customary amount.

Before going to your IUD appointment, call the office and ask what they found out from your insurance. You can also contact the insurance company directly and verify what they cover for the appointment.

OHIP+ offers prescription coverage for more than 5,000 drugs at no cost if you are under the age of 24 and not covered by private insurance. That doesn’t mean they will cover a copper IUD, though. It is essential to contact them and get up-to-date information, as it changes often. There is much debate about birth control, and the laws vary periodically. The cost of a copper IUD is generally affordable if they won’t cover it.

If you have private insurance, then you don’t qualify for OHIP+. However, if you have other insurance, you can apply for coverage of the Flexi-T through them.

British Columbia is soon to become the first jurisdiction in Canada to make prescription birth control free to its residents. In British Columbia, residents can receive a copper IUD for free through the government health plan. However, there may be additional fees for consultation and insertion procedures if the IUD is obtained through a private clinic or doctor's office. The availability of free copper IUDs in British Columbia is an important step towards improving access to effective and long-lasting birth control options for all residents.

There is no clear answer to that question because many variables affect coverage. There have also been many changes to the laws that affect birth control options. For many, the answer will be yes, though.

In April 2018, the Public Service Health Care Plan, which is one of Canada's largest private health care plans, expanded its coverage to pay for birth control for public service employees. To quality, a physician or qualified provider must prescribe your copper IUD. A pharmacy or doctor must also dispense it. Before getting the IUD, the healthcare office will need to get the exact device approved by Health Canada.

The short answer is to check before you get the procedure done. Check to see if you have the coverage and if the device is approved. Also, ask about your payment responsibility for the Flexi-T and IUD cost in Canada in general.

Find out more about the Flexi-T today by visiting our website today.