Law hikes birth control prices on campus

Stephanie Damon-Moore Guest Writer

Are birth control prices out of control? A preliminary study by the Feminist Majority Foundation found that the price of prescription birth control pills at college health centers across America has increased by an average of 145 percent over the last six months. Similarly, the cost of the patch is up by 105 percent. The price of the birth control ring has increased by 189 percent. Why is the cost of prescription birth control on college campuses going from $8-$10 per month to as much as $30-$40 per month?

The answer lies in legislation passed in 2005 called the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), a federal effort to cut Medicaid costs. Before the law was passed, drug companies were able to offer lower prices to college campus health centers than to Medicaid customers because of the “nominal price exemption,” which included college campuses, charitable organizations and low-income clinics. Since the DRA was enacted in February 2006, organizations paying lower prices have been required to pay at least as much as Medicaid pays for prescription drugs, causing a price increase.

The ramifications of the DRA are staggering considering that 35 percent of sexually active students use birth control pills, according to a recent survey by the American College Health Association (ACHA). Its effects are becoming apparent as health center birth control stockpiles diminish and colleges and universities are forced to buy medicines at higher prices.

The DRA not only affects colleges such as Vassar, but all higher education institutions in the United States.

“The issue isn’t people in small, liberal arts schools,” said Feminist Alliance Co-President Abra Sussman ’09. “It’s the vastly greater number of students in community colleges and public universities.”

Students everywhere, accustomed to budgeting $10 a month for prescription birth control, are now scrambling to pay up to three times that amount. At Vassar, where according to the Financial Aid Web site 60 percent of students receive some form of financial aid, is in no way above this obstacle.

While many students rely on their parents for money, they may not want to ask mom and dad to purchase birth control. Many women are now faced with the awkward decision of whether to ask that their contraception be paid for on their parents’ insurance. Students who don’t feel comfortable asking for birth control or whose parents refuse to pay for it feel the weight of these price increases most acutely.

“For students who aren’t covered by their parents, this could mean choosing between groceries for a week or birth control,” said Treasurer of Campus Health Organization for Information, Counseling, and Education (CHOICE) Betsy Wieand ’08.

But the Baldwin Women’s Health Center is prepared to do what it can to help. Although prices have increased at Vassar in step with other college clinics across the nation, Baldwin is combating the problem by stocking generic birth control as an alternative to brand-name versions.

“One thing we’ve always tried to do is give the students the lowest possible prices for birth control,” said Dr. Irena Balawajder, Director of Health Services and Women’s Health Physician. “Although the price of brand-name pills is around $32, we can offer generic pills for $10 to $15.”

Balawajder and Anne Dadarria, Family Nurse Practitioner at the Women’s Health Center, said that the difference between generic and brand- name pills is negligible.

Another repercussion of the legislation at Vassar concerns the Nuva-Ring. Now $32 (up from $10) the price increase has motivated many of the Ring’s users to switch to other, less expensive methods. Dadarria reminded students to “be aware of their pharmacy benefits for birth control and in general.” Benefits from health insurance companies could make even brand-name birth control affordable at local pharmacies.

If Baldwin does not have what you need, the Poughkeepsie Planned Parenthood is a short bus or cab ride away. At Planned Parenthood, prices are comparable to Vassar’s—about $32 for the Nuva-Ring and $24-$44 for pills. Only brand-name pills are available.

However, those prices aren’t fixed. Planned Parenthood determines prices on a sliding scale and they are flexible for those who have difficulty paying higher prices. Planned Parenthood even has a student organization, Vox, which acts as a voice for the organization here at Vassar.

CHOICE spends between $1,500 and $1,800 per year on safe-sex supplies.

“While people may be struggling with oral contraception, they can always get other birth control supplies from CHOICE,” said CHOICE President Jinà Ashline ’08.

Male and female condoms, dental dams and lubricant are all available in free, packages delivered confidentially to your campus mailbox.

The ACHA has challenged the legislation that hiked prices, and supports a proposal to put college health centers back on the exemption list, though for now the change will continue to wring students’ pockets.

However, with alternatives available through Planned Parenthood, Baldwin and CHOICE, as well as more generic oral contraceptives entering the market, health officials and student officers emphasize that safe sex won’t go away anytime soon.