A change in policy should make it easier for low-income Texas women to protect themselves against mosquitoes and the threat of the Zika virus.
It is imperative to make insect repellent as easily and widely available as possible ~ Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Charles Smith
Normally they are just pests. This summer, mosquitoes seem more sinister with the looming threat of the Zika virus that could creep into Texas soon.
Texas Health and Human Services had announced recently that women on Medicaid could see their physician and get a prescription for two free cans of mosquito repellent monthly at their pharmacy. Today, the process has been streamlined. Now pregnant women of any age and all women between 10 and 45 on Medicaid can go directly to the pharmacy to pick up the spray. No doctor’s visit is required.
"This is another step in our comprehensive plan to protect Texas women and their unborn children from the Zika virus," said Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Charles Smith. "For this benefit to be truly effective, it is imperative to make insect repellent as easily and widely available as possible."
Texas is the first state to enact this kind of standing order to combat the threat of Zika for women, since the disease can cause devastating birth defects.
