The law allows registered nurses to dispense hormonal contraceptives, including the pill. By allowing RNs to deliver such care—which is within their skills and training—doctors and nurse practitioners may be freed up to focus on more complex patient visits. Thus, the law promises both to increase women’s access to reliable contraceptives and reduce the costs of delivering that care.
Good move, especially considering this fact:
A public dollar invested in contraception saves roughly $4 in Medicaid expenditures—or $5.1 billion in 2008.
I wish people spent more time examining the nationwide economic ramifications of social policy.