>In all this discussion there is something that I cannot grasp. What stops the individual to go buy the prescription pills (or whatever else is not covered by the employer's insurance)? Or better yet, what stops the individual to go and buy a complimentary insurance that covers their needs?

Cost, generally. A quick search says $20-$50 per month for birth control pills. That should be affordable for most, but I can imagine that it's a stretch for some people.

As for insurance, that can be wildly expensive, surely more than the pills themselves.

The real question to me, though, is why, if you're already paying for health insurance that is supposed to cover your health needs, this would be omitted. As others have hinted, there's a fair amount of history of policies that cover ED drugs, but not birth control pills.

Tamar