This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)–The White House issued new directives Monday, mandating that health insurance companies provide options for birth control without co-pays or other out-of-pocket expenses.

The rules also apply to routine immunizations, breast cancer screenings, and mammograms, according to a new statement.

The joint statement from the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury says that insurance companies “must cover without cost sharing at least one form of contraception in each of the methods that the FDA has identified for women in its current Birth Control Guide.”

There are 18 such forms of covered contraception, including monthly pills, IUDs, and even sterilization surgery.

You can read the full statement online at http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/Downloads/aca_implementation_faqs26.pdf.