"UHS hikes birth control prices
By Victoria Whitford
Princetonian Staff Writer
The cost of birth control pills offered at University Health Services has skyrocketed in recent months, raising fears that women may switch to less effective methods or stop using contraception altogether. Students and health professionals are concerned this development could increase the risk of unplanned pregnancies.
Due to changes in federal legislation, Princeton no longer qualifies for reduced pricing for contraceptive pills and injections, the University announced this week. Prices have climbed from a $6 monthly flat rate to as much as $45 for some brand-name drugs, which students will have to buy from pharmacies.
"As the price goes up, women will make decisions about using expensive birth control or relying on other methods such as condoms, which may not be as reliable," said Dr. Peter Johnsen of University Health Services (UHS). "This involves tough choices for some women."
"We're all upset about this legislation," UHS coordinator of women's and men's health Olga Hernandez added. "We're worried that women will stop using birth control."
Several students said they were concerned at the rising prices. "I think the cost is an issue. I'm a broke college kid and every penny is put to use," one senior said. Several women interviewed for this article were granted anonymity in order to protect their medical privacy.
Arielle Lutwick GS, who worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago before coming to Princeton, said UHS informed her several months ago during a regular visit to the clinic that her preferred contraceptive method, the popular NuvaRing, would no longer be available there.
"Students don't have a lot of money, and the number of months I have to pay for this before I get new health insurance will be a strain on my budget," she said.
UHS officials added they are trying to cushion the price hikes for students. "If they have insurance we will work with them to get the best price possible," Hernandez said.
UHS ordered a stock of brand-name drugs soon after learning of the upcoming change, and some students took advantage of this by buying multiple packs of pills at the lower price. Once those supplies run out, the University will only offer generic contraceptives, at a price of $15-$25 a month. But generic drugs may not suit everyone, and switching drugs can cause unpleasant side effects.
Students who want to remain with a preferred brand will have to obtain a prescription from UHS. The University's student health insurance policy specifically excludes contraception, so if women are not covered by their parents' health plans, they must pay full price at the pharmacy. Costs can range from $27 a month for oral contraceptives like Desogen and Lo-Ovral to as high as $45 a month for NuvaRing.
UHS also offers the three-shot human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for $402. Some insurance companies cover the cost of the vaccine, though the Student Health Plan does not.
But some students are reluctant to admit to their parents that they are sexually active in order to benefit from family insurance policies. "I first started using birth control when I came to college. I did it without telling my parents. There was a huge fallout when they found out about it," a senior said. "In a lot of families, this isn't something you can discuss."
Legal wrangle
The soaring cost of contraception is due to a complex provision in the Federal Deficit Reduction Act, a law passed in 2005 which came into effect in January of this year. The legislation requires drug companies to offer providers of Medicaid and other safety-net healthcare services the lowest price possible for prescription drugs.
For years, pharmaceutical companies have offered steep discounts to student health centers for contraceptive pills in order to build brand loyalty among young women and reap future profits. But under the terms of the act, the drug companies would have to offer Medicaid providers the same deal, so they have hiked the price for university clinics.
Reproductive health experts said legislators did not appear to have understood the repercussions. "Even the Bush Administration is not that Machiavellian. It's an unintended consequence," said James Trussel, a reproductive health expert who is also director of Princeton's Office of Population Research.
Some students were not so sure. "I was a little bit surprised and disappointed. This seems to be catering towards a certain morality-based view of what should be a medical issue," one undergraduate said.
The American College Health Association has been campaigning for university health centers to be exempted from the Federal Deficit Reduction Act along with family planning clinics. According to Congressional Quarterly, a provision to do just this was added last month to the proposed Iraq Supplemental Bill, which allocates funds for the war in Iraq.
But the provision was removed, apparently due to complaints from antiabortion groups and from Congressmen opposed to pork-barrel amendments. A spokesman for Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who chairs the Defense Appropriations Committee, did not return requests for comment.
The costs of unintended pregnancy
Medics urged students to continue using birth control despite the rising prices. "The obvious equation is that if you're sexually active and not using birth control, you run the risk of becoming pregnant," Johnsen said.
According to a 2006 survey by the American College Health Association, about 38 percent of female undergraduates use oral contraceptives, eight percent have taken emergency contraception, commonly known as the morning-after pill, and 1.5 percent get pregnant unintentionally. One percent of women also said that unplanned pregnancy led to problems with their academic work.
UHS officials would not say how many Princeton women use contraceptives or have become unintentionally pregnant.
Sara Viola '08, of Princeton Pro-Choice Vox, said she felt the University should include contraception in its health insurance plan. "My understanding is their hands are tied [with this legislation], but I think they have a responsibility to fix the problem," she said. "We're preparing for careers and grad school and the last thing we should have to worry about is unintended pregnancy."
Recent research estimates the direct medical costs of unintended pregnancies in the United States at $5 billion a year, whereas direct medical cost savings due to contraceptive use amount to $19 billion a year, Trussel said in an email.
"Both Medicaid and the private health insurance industry are likely to spend significantly more for unintended pregnancies than they would have spent on contraceptive coverage," he said.
"From a policy perspective, I think it's outrageous," Lutwick said. "The cost of unintended pregnancy and abortion far outweighs the cost of contraception, so the idea that this [legislation] is really going to do much the fix the federal deficit is laughable."
Courtesy of:
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/arc...ws/17978.shtml
I must say that totally sucks.
I went to go refill a prescription for my BC (nuvaring) and it would have cost $36.00 for one when I was paying $15.00 per month otherwise.
Fortunately for me I have insurance and my co-pay is $10.00 so I actually did save money because of this bill. But it still makes me think of the other girls out there who don't have insurance, what about them? Oh and another thing, my parents don't know I'm on BC and if they did they would probably flip their lids and go into cardiac arrest, so I'm curious if this will show up on my insurance or not and what will happen if they do find out. So life should become interesting if they do...
Thoughts l