Spring Break
Birth control prices are out of control
HOLLY HAYMAN
Guest Opinion
Issue date: 5/8/08 Section: Opinion
There is a crisis occurring on college campuses throughout Idaho and the rest of the country. Unfortunately it is going virtually unnoticed, except to the millions of college women and low-income women it is directly affecting. As many of us have experienced, this phenomenon has included BSU's policy on birth control pricing.
For nearly 30 years, federal laws have been in place to help safety net providers, including college health clinics, buy birth control at affordable prices, then pass on their savings to college and low-income women. But in 2006, Congress changed this long-standing law - putting affordable contraception out of reach for millions of women. For example, women on college campuses typically pay between $5 and $10 a month for birth control. Now, because of the change in the law, college women are paying upwards of $40 and $50 a month. That translates into an additional $500 out of their pockets each year, a costly expense for women already on tight budgets.
How did this happen? The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), passed by Congress in 2006 included a provision that adversely affects the ability of university health centers and other safety net family planning providers to purchase contraceptives at a discounted or nominal price. By most accounts, it was an inadvertent outcome of a complicated change in the law. However, nothing has been done to fix it, and millions of college women and low-income are being penalized.
Congress has known about this pricing change and its devastating effects all year, yet has dragged its feet on fixing it. The solution will cost taxpayers nothing, and would simply clarify that college health clinics and other safety net providers are eligible to purchase nominally priced birth control.
Birth control is essential to family planning and reproductive health care policies. Access to affordable birth control depends on three factors. The first consists of community and college health clinics that offer a safety net for high-quality, affordable family planning. The second consists of responsible drug companies that provide cost-effective birth control to safety net providers. And the third and equally vital element is Congress, when it establishes laws and policies that protect women's reproductive health as a public health priority.
So far, Congress has failed to fulfill its responsibility, opening the door to potentially devastating consequences. Without affordable birth control, the rate of unintended pregnancies could increase. Affordable birth control is more than good public policy, access to reproductive control for all people is a fundamental human right, and Congress should act quickly to fix this problem. Last week, the ASBSU Senate voted unanimously in favor of Senate Resolution 1, calling on Congress to restore affordable birth control on college campuses. ASBSU recognized this issue as one important to all students. We urge Idaho's Congressional delegation to demonstrate leadership as ASBSU has done, and ensure that affordable birth control is resolved immediately. To become involved in this issue and make your voice heard write your Senators and Representatives, or contact the Organization for Gender Equality and Education at ogeebsu@googlegroups.com.
Holly Hayman is a representative for the Organization for Gender Equality
and Education.
For nearly 30 years, federal laws have been in place to help safety net providers, including college health clinics, buy birth control at affordable prices, then pass on their savings to college and low-income women. But in 2006, Congress changed this long-standing law - putting affordable contraception out of reach for millions of women. For example, women on college campuses typically pay between $5 and $10 a month for birth control. Now, because of the change in the law, college women are paying upwards of $40 and $50 a month. That translates into an additional $500 out of their pockets each year, a costly expense for women already on tight budgets.
How did this happen? The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), passed by Congress in 2006 included a provision that adversely affects the ability of university health centers and other safety net family planning providers to purchase contraceptives at a discounted or nominal price. By most accounts, it was an inadvertent outcome of a complicated change in the law. However, nothing has been done to fix it, and millions of college women and low-income are being penalized.
Congress has known about this pricing change and its devastating effects all year, yet has dragged its feet on fixing it. The solution will cost taxpayers nothing, and would simply clarify that college health clinics and other safety net providers are eligible to purchase nominally priced birth control.
Birth control is essential to family planning and reproductive health care policies. Access to affordable birth control depends on three factors. The first consists of community and college health clinics that offer a safety net for high-quality, affordable family planning. The second consists of responsible drug companies that provide cost-effective birth control to safety net providers. And the third and equally vital element is Congress, when it establishes laws and policies that protect women's reproductive health as a public health priority.
So far, Congress has failed to fulfill its responsibility, opening the door to potentially devastating consequences. Without affordable birth control, the rate of unintended pregnancies could increase. Affordable birth control is more than good public policy, access to reproductive control for all people is a fundamental human right, and Congress should act quickly to fix this problem. Last week, the ASBSU Senate voted unanimously in favor of Senate Resolution 1, calling on Congress to restore affordable birth control on college campuses. ASBSU recognized this issue as one important to all students. We urge Idaho's Congressional delegation to demonstrate leadership as ASBSU has done, and ensure that affordable birth control is resolved immediately. To become involved in this issue and make your voice heard write your Senators and Representatives, or contact the Organization for Gender Equality and Education at ogeebsu@googlegroups.com.
Holly Hayman is a representative for the Organization for Gender Equality
and Education.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
concerned
posted 5/08/08 @ 12:57 PM MST
Try looking into the BSU Campus Student Health insurance that you all pay. They do not cover Birth Control, among a long list of other things that are in the fine print, but yet they make it part of your fee. (Continued…)
Brian
posted 5/09/08 @ 10:59 AM MST
Here is an idea, keep your pants on!
Laurie A. Kayler
posted 5/15/08 @ 12:47 PM MST
Regarding Holly Hayman's May 8 editorial, I agree there's a crisis among the young people of this country, but it isn't about the price of contraception. (Continued…)
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