Planned Parenthood launched a new mobile app this month that allows Hawaii residents to video-chat with a medical provider to get a prescription for birth control that can be sent directly to their homes.

The pilot program is meant to increase access to contraceptives, particularly for those living in rural areas. The nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health services nationwide already started the service in Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Minnesota.

“This is a relatively new pilot. The first reaction by people is, ‘Is that really legal?’” said Chris Charbonneau, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great North and the Hawaiian Islands, based in Seattle. “People have expected this kind of thing to be a hassle for so long that they can’t quite believe it could be this easy. It just takes the barriers down for people to get this important business done in their health and pay less of a price for it in their day-to-day life.”

Planned Parenthood, which serves between 12,000 and 15,000 patients annually at health centers on Oahu and Maui, has hired nurse practitioners licensed in Hawaii to prescribe the contraceptives, as well as medication for urinary track infections. The average time for a face-to-face conversation with a provider is about 20 minutes.

Under the federal Affordable Care Act, most contraception is available with no copay or deductible. Birth control is free through the Hawaii Medical Service Association and the University Health Alliance, and $25 per visit for the uninsured. Planned Parenthood said it is working to add more insurers to the program.

“Innovative programs like this one that has been produced by Planned Parenthood to expand access to safe birth control should be commended,” said state Sen. Josh Green (D, Naa­lehu-Kailua-Kona), who is an emergency room doctor on the Big Island. “I know that this will safely and sensibly improve the lives of young women across Hawaii.”

The Planned Parenthood Care app is available from Apple, Google and Android stores. Patients must provide medical and insurance or credit card information before starting a conversation with a nurse practitioner. The clinician will then review and ask questions about a patient’s medical history before prescribing birth control. Patients can pick up prescriptions at a Planned Parenthood center or local pharmacy, or have it shipped within days.

“One of the things we wanted to do is figure out how we can meet people where they are and not have to make them walk into our centers,” Charbonneau said. “We believe it can help people get contraceptives and other services they need with less travel and hassles, and I think it will appeal to people who are afraid to work with the medical system. For some people it’s very natural to go to a doctor, and for other people it causes a lot of stress and trepidation.”