Manitoba will be introducing universal birth control coverage this fall.
The government announced Thursday it will cover prescription birth control starting Oct. 1, 2024.
“Prescription birth control is a right, not a luxury,” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a news release. “Money should never be a barrier to accessing reproductive health-care.”
The province said the Manitoba Pharmacare Program will cover the full cost of roughly 60 commonly used birth control methods, including the pill and intrauterine devices. Prescriptions are available at walk-in clinics, hospitals or at regular doctor offices.
Free birth control was announced in the provincial budget earlier this year. Asagwara said the new plan could save someone as much as $10,000 over their lifetime if they’re paying $25 a month for oral hormonal pills.
Those who don’t have coverage from another provincial or federal program can present their health card at a pharmacy to obtain free coverage.