Why the "counseling" aspect of NFP should be covered

Insurance companies might object that NFP should not be covered because they do not cover educational follow-ups. "Preventive" programs that emphasize sex ed only include a few classes, at most. Even for cases of diabetes, only an initial consultation with a dietician will be covered, not biannual or monthly consultations. Besides, artificial birth control requires only an initial consultation and rudimentary instruction, if that. Why pay for years of regular counseling?

But the analogies to diabetes and sex-ed do not hold. Creighton is not a "product" that you "use" after basic training. It is an ongoing practice of observation in consultation with a trained professional. As the Centers for Disease Control point out, the "counseling" aspect is essential to the method (see previous post).

Even though NFP counseling is repetitive, so are prescriptions. NFP counseling should be compared to the cost of artificial birth control prescriptions, not to the norms of health education programs.

And when you put NFP counseling and the Pill head-to-head on price, NFP wins.

How much counseling? That depends on the stage of life. Premarital and post-marital counseling will likely happen monthly as the woman (or couple) learns the system. Postpartum counseling is often monthly as the woman tries to prepare for the return of ovulation and understand a new pattern of cycles. But many women will only need a yearly consultation if all goes well, just like the annual "well visit" to the OB/GYN that most insurance plans cover. (Though some women with complicating conditions, such as continuous mucus, will need more frequent consultations.)

Monthly consultations with an experienced, licensed Creighton practitioner could cost $800/yr. A single annual consultation--which is all most women will eventually need--costs around $70. The price of artificial contraception varies, but the cheapest, generic Pill runs $9/mo. ($108/year), while some brand-name versions cost $90/mo. ($1080/yr.). (Source: http://theweek.com/article/index/225451/the-cost-of-birth-control-by-the-numbers).

The bottom line: even the most expensive method of NFP is cheaper than artificial contraception. And insurance companies like the bottom line!

*Need to do another post on the CDC's and WHO's comparison of NFP to artificial contraception on side effects and long-term health risks.