Students who purchase birth control pills at the University Health Center are in for a shock this semester as some popular methods have quintupled in price.
The change stems from a federal law called The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 which prohibits pharmaceutical companies from selling contraceptives to university health centers at a discounted price. As a result, the health center can't afford to continue offering birth control at reduced prices.
The health center had an excess of available birth control clinic packs, which has helped absorb price increases since the legislation went into effect in 2006. But this semester students will feel the effects as the clinic packs run out.
The price of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, one of the most popular birth control methods, will increase from $10 to $55. NuvaRing, another popular choice, will leap from $10 to $44. Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and NuvaRing are the No. 1 and No. 4 choices by students, respectively. The Health Center sold 2,463 packs of Ortho Tri-Cyclen and 1,137 of NuvaRing this past semester.
The price jumps create a challenge for students, especially those who are uninsured or who do not want to put birth control prescriptions on their parents' insurance plans.
Two female students interviewed for this story who asked not to be named for privacy reasons said the high price of birth control sent them scrambling for alternatives.
"I went through so much trouble trying to change [my prescription,]" one student said. "Insurance was being a pain in the ass, so now I take a generic one."
"It's been expensive," said another student, who also switched to a generic brand. "I changed mine, and now it's only like ten bucks."
Alli Matson, coordinator of sexual health programs at the health center, urged students to take advantage of the lower-cost generics.
She said generic versions of birth control have the same effect and are usually cheaper. Lesser-known brands such as Apri and Camila will retain a $20 price tag for the semester.
Uninsured students can also apply for patient assistance programs. The programs, which are designed to help pay for prescription drugs, can be especially helpful in the transition period between when students may be dropped from their parents' plans and before they can afford health insurance plans of their own, Matson said.
The increase is not only an issue for uninsured students but also for students who do not want to add birth control to their parents' insurance plans. Some students choose to pay cash because they don't want their parents to know they are taking birth control, Matson said.
Still, Matson said she expects students to adapt easily.
"I put my faith in students to not stop [birth control] altogether," said Matson. "There are over 100 methods of birth control available, and we like to be able to accommodate as best we can."
morrowdbk@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this article!
Log in to be able to post comments.