(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration has issued new rules to strengthen access to contraception on the eve of the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, directing agencies to consider avenues to expand and protect availability under federal programs.

The Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services have been told to consider sending new guidance to private health insurance companies to ensure government-approved contraceptives are available without cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act. 

Though most health plans are required to offer coverage of birth control with no out-of-pocket cost to patients, some have evaded that requirement through the exceptions introduced under the Trump administration. 

The executive action also instructs HHS to find ways to improve coverage of family-planning and contraceptives under Medicaid, Medicare and other federally-funded health care entities.

Since the Supreme Court, in last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, revoked federal protections for the right to an abortion, laws on access to the procedure have been left up to states. With many states enacting restrictions, the administration has steadily rolled out a stream of executive actions designed to advance protections of privacy and reproductive rights. 

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No date was set in the most recent order for agencies to report back on their findings or changes.

“While contraception cannot replace the need for abortion services or fill the gap left by the loss of a constitutional right — the right to choose— it’s an important part of helping ensure that women can make decisions about their own health, lives and families,” Jen Klein, White House Gender Policy Council director, told reporters on a call that detailing the administration’s actions.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will address a gathering of major abortion-rights groups including Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood and Naral Pro-choice America. Those organizations will officially endorse Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Abortion is expected to be a significant factor in the 2024 election, as it was in the 2022 midterms. Harris, who has taken a lead on the issue, will deliver a speech at an abortion-rights rally on Saturday in North Carolina.

While conservatives have tried to severely limit or even abolish abortions since the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision, the Biden administration has made a priority of expanding access to contraceptives. 

The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced a five-year partnership with Upstream, a nonprofit organization that provides training and resources to health centers across the US to improve contraceptive care. 

The administration first proposed the rule to expand access to birth control coverage in January. 

The latest efforts to expand access occur as the US Food and Drug Administration is about to make a major decision on whether to approve an oral contraceptive for over-the-counter use. 

Last year, 59 members of Congress urged FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to review applications for over-the-counter birth control pills without delay, given the “immense barriers” faced by people seeking contraceptives.

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