Dr. Susan Ernst, chief of the Gynecology Clinic at UHS, said that while there are many forms of generic pills that work well, switching birth control brands can have other unintended consequences: unpleasant side effects like nausea, mood swings or irregular periods. There is concern among medical professionals that some women, facing far higher costs, will choose not to take birth control at all or will switch to less reliable over-the-counter methods like condoms.

"The fear is that there's a small number of people where the price of the pill is expensive enough that they're forgoing contraception," Winfield said. But he said he hasn't seen any cases of unwanted pregnancy due to the higher cost of birth control.