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What is Covered by OHIP+: Birth Control Edition

OHIP+ provides more than 4,400 drug products at no cost for anyone age 24 years or younger who is not covered by a private plan.

It can be confusing to figure out what specific birth control options are covered by OHIP+. Not all brands of the same product may be covered. For the brands that are covered, there may be a restriction on the number of pills for each brand that can be covered. For instance, Brand X with 21 pills may be covered while the same brand with 28 pills might not be covered.

This post is a list of the hormonal birth control options and brands for those that are definitely covered, those that are not covered and those that are accessible under certain circumstances. We hope you find this list useful!

Definitely Covered 

These are birth control methods that are definitely covered under OHIP+.

Most combined oral contraceptive pills (aka birth control pills or The Pill):

Alysena 21, Alysena 28
Aviane 21, Aviane 28
Brevicon 21, Brevicon 28
Brevicon 1/35 21, Brevicon 1/35 28
Cyclen 21, Cyclen 28
Freya 21, Freya 28
Jencycla 28
Linessa 21, Linessa 28
Loestrin 1.5/30 21, Loestrin 1.5/30 28
Lutera 21, Lutera 28
Minestrin 1/20 21, Minestrin 1/20 28
Mirvala 21, Mirvala 28
Movisse 28
Mya 28
Ovima 21, Ovima 28
Synphasic 21, Synphasic 28
Tri-Cyclen 21, Tri-Cyclen 28
Tricira Lo 21, Tricira Lo 28
Triquilar 21, Triquilar 28
Yasmin 21, Yasmin 28

Zamine 21, Zamine 28

Emergency Contraceptive Pills: Contingency 1, Plan B (made by Paladin Labs Inc.)
Backup Plan Onestep
Other methods: Depo-Provera injection
Kyleena (LNG IUS 12) IUD
Mirena IUDNexplanon (implant)

Not Covered

These are birth control methods that are not covered under OHIP+.

Newer oral contraceptive pills:

Cyestra-35 21
Dermulen 30 21, Dermulen 30 28
Diane-35 21
Esme 21, Esme 28
Indayo 91
Lo Loestrin Fe
Next Choice late pill – 2 tablets
Novo-Cyproterone/Ethinyl Estradiol 21
Ortho 0.5/35 21, Ortho 0.5/35 28
Ortho 1/35 21, Ortho 1/35 28
Ortho 7/7/7 21, Ortho 7/7/7 28
Reclipsen 21, Reclipsen 28
Seasonale 91

Tri-Cyclen Lo 21, Tri-Cyclen Lo 28

Contraceptive patches: Evra
Intrauterine devices (IUDs): Copper IUD
Jaydess (LNG IUS 8) IUD
Other methods: Nuvaring (contraceptive ring)

It’s Complicated

These are birth control methods that are covered under OHIP+ in some circumstances.

Some oral contraceptive pills: Alesse 21, Alesse 28
Apri 21, Apri 28
Marvelon 21, Marvelon 28
Micronor 28
Min-Ovral 21, Min-Ovral 28
Plan B (made by Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products)
Portia 21, Portia 28
Visanne
Yaz 28

 

Many of the oral contraceptives on the list above have generic counterparts that are covered by OHIP+ and are cheaper. Branded oral contraceptives cost more to cover. However, if your doctor has a specific health reason (e.g. allergies or other negative reactions) for prescribing one of the oral contraceptives on this list, you can get it covered by OHIP+. You should talk to your health care provider about these specific circumstances and whether or not you qualify.

If you and your health care practitioner decide on a birth control option that is not on any of these lists, you can check on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary/Comparative Drug Index [Link] or the Check Medication Coverage page on the Ontario.ca website [Link], or you can check with your local Ontario pharmacist to see if they are able to cover it.

Alternatively, you can apply for the Exceptional Access Program (EAP) if you:

For more information about EAP, visit their website: ontario.ca/page/applying-exceptional-access-program

Once a person turns 25 they are no longer eligible to be covered for medications. However, depending on the circumstances, they can be eligible for subsidized medications. Anyone who may be turning 25 soon should speak to their doctors to come up with a plan for the future.

Resources

If you have questions about this topic, feel free to contact one of our peer educators. [Link]

Last Updated: August 2022

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