Section 10123.196.
Cal. Insurance Code - INS § 10123.196.
in effect(a)
An individual or group policy of disability insurance issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2015, inclusive, that provides coverage for hospital, medical, or surgical expenses, shall provide coverage for the following, under the same terms and conditions as applicable to all benefits:
(1)
A disability insurance policy that provides coverage for outpatient prescription drug benefits shall include coverage for a variety of federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription contraceptive methods, as designated by the insurer. If an insured’s health care provider determines that none of the methods designated by
the disability insurer is medically appropriate for the insured’s medical or personal history, the insurer shall, in the alternative, provide coverage for some other FDA-approved prescription contraceptive method prescribed by the patient’s health care provider.
(2)
Coverage with respect to an insured under this subdivision shall be identical for an insured’s covered spouse and covered nonspouse dependents.
(b)
(1)
A group or individual policy of disability insurance, except for a specialized health insurance policy, that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2016, shall provide coverage for all of the following services and contraceptive methods for all policyholders and insureds:
(A)
(i)
Except as provided in clause (ii) and in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (2), all FDA-approved, contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products, including all FDA-approved, contraceptive drugs, devices, and products available over the counter, as prescribed by the insured’s provider.
(ii)
For any policy described in paragraph (1) that is issued,
amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2024, both of the following conditions shall apply:
(I)
A prescription shall not be required to trigger coverage of over-the-counter FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and products.
(II)
Point-of-sale coverage for over-the-counter FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and products shall be provided at in-network pharmacies without cost sharing or medical management restrictions.
(B)
Voluntary tubal ligation and other similar sterilization procedures.
(C)
Clinical services related to the provision or use of contraception, including consultations, examinations, procedures, device
insertion, ultrasound, anesthesia, patient education, referrals, and counseling.
(D)
Followup services related to the drugs, devices, products, and procedures covered under this subdivision, including, but not limited to, management of side effects, counseling for continued adherence, and device removal.
(2)
(A)
Except for a grandfathered health plan, a disability insurer subject to this subdivision shall not impose a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on the coverage provided pursuant to this subdivision.
(B)
If the FDA has approved one or more therapeutic
equivalents, as that term is defined by the FDA, of a contraceptive drug, device, or product, a disability insurer is not required to cover all of those therapeutically equivalent versions in accordance with this subdivision, as long as at least one is covered without cost sharing in accordance with this subdivision. If there is no therapeutically equivalent generic substitute available in the market, an insurer shall provide coverage without cost sharing for the original, brand name contraceptive.
(C)
If a covered therapeutic equivalent of a drug, device, or product is deemed medically inadvisable by the insured’s provider, a disability insurer shall
defer to the determination and judgment of the provider and provide coverage for the alternative prescribed contraceptive drug, device, product, or service without imposing any cost-sharing requirements. Medical inadvisability may include considerations such as severity of side effects, differences in permanence or reversibility of contraceptives, and ability to adhere to the appropriate use of the drug or item, as determined by the provider. The department may promulgate regulations establishing an easily accessible, transparent, and sufficiently expedient process that is not unduly burdensome, including timeframes, for an insured, an insured’s designee, or an insured’s provider to request coverage of an alternative prescribed contraceptive. A request for coverage under this subparagraph that is submitted by an insured, an insured’s designee, or a provider shall be approved by
the disability insurer in compliance with the time limits in Section 10123.191.
(3)
Except as otherwise authorized under this section, an insurer shall not infringe upon an insured’s choice of contraceptive drug, device, or product and shall not impose any restrictions or delays on the coverage required under this subdivision, including prior authorization, step therapy, or other utilization control techniques.
(4)
Coverage with respect to an insured under this subdivision shall be identical for an insured’s covered spouse and covered nonspouse dependents.
(c)
This section shall not be construed to deny or restrict in any way any existing right or benefit provided under law or by contract.
(d)
This section shall not be construed to require an individual or group disability insurance policy to cover experimental or investigational treatments.
(e)
(1)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a religious employer may request a disability insurance policy without coverage for contraceptive methods that are contrary to the religious employer’s religious tenets. If so requested, a disability insurance policy shall be provided without coverage for contraceptive methods. The exclusion from coverage under this provision shall not apply to a contraceptive drug, device, procedure, or other product that is used for purposes other than contraception.
(2)
For purposes of this
section, a “religious employer” is an entity for which each of the following is true:
(A)
The inculcation of religious values is the purpose of the entity.
(B)
The entity primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the entity.
(C)
The entity serves primarily persons who share the religious tenets of the entity.
(D)
The entity is a nonprofit organization pursuant to Section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(f)
(1)
A group or individual policy of disability insurance, except for a specialized health insurance policy,
that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2017, shall cover up to a 12-month supply of FDA-approved, self-administered hormonal contraceptives when dispensed or furnished at one time for an insured by a provider, pharmacist, or at a location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies.
(2)
This subdivision shall not be construed to require a policy to cover contraceptives provided by an
out-of-network provider, pharmacy, or location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies, except as may be otherwise authorized by state or federal law or by the insurer’s policies governing out-of-network coverage.
(3)
This subdivision shall not be construed to require a provider to prescribe, furnish, or dispense 12 months of self-administered hormonal contraceptives at one time.
(4)
An insurer subject to this subdivision shall not impose utilization controls or other forms of medical management limiting the supply of FDA-approved, self-administered hormonal contraceptives that may be dispensed or furnished by a provider or pharmacist, or at a location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies to an amount that is less
than a 12-month supply, and shall not require an insured to make any formal request for such coverage other than a pharmacy claim.
(g)
This section shall not be construed to exclude coverage for contraceptive supplies as prescribed by a provider, acting within the provider’s scope of practice, for reasons other than contraceptive purposes, such as decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer or eliminating symptoms of menopause, or for contraception that is necessary to preserve the life or health of an insured.
(h)
This section only applies to disability insurance policies or contracts that are defined as health benefit plans pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 10198.6, except that for accident only, specified disease, or hospital indemnity coverage, coverage for benefits under
this section applies to the extent that the benefits are covered under the general terms and conditions that apply to all other benefits under the policy or contract. This section shall not be construed as imposing a new benefit mandate on accident only, specified disease, or hospital indemnity insurance.
(i)
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)
“Grandfathered health plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 1251 of PPACA.
(2)
“PPACA” means the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), and any rules, regulations, or guidance issued thereunder.
(3)
With respect to policies of disability insurance issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2016, “health care provider” means an individual who is certified or licensed to furnish family planning services within their scope of practice pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code, including a pharmacist authorized pursuant to Section 4052 or 4052.3 of the Business and Professions Code, or an initiative act referred to in that division, or Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code.
(4)
For purposes of this section, “over-the-counter FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and products” and “over-the-counter birth control methods” are limited to those included as essential health
benefits pursuant to Section 10112.27.
References
referencesCal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 500.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 1797.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 10123.191.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 6033.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 10198.6.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 1251.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 4052.
referencesCal. Insurance Code - INS § 10112.27.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026