The Review

Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Mike DeVoll Birth control prices could increase fourfold on campus in the next year.

For the typical college student money does not come easy. Accompanying a full load of classes, some students are forced to work long nights to help pay off their expensive college lifestyle. Recently, with the drastic increase in prices for birth control, college students are left looking for answers on how to stay safe without emptying their pockets.

Hugh Jessop, executive director of health services at Indiana University, said prices for birth control pills have seen drastic increases at university student centers across the country. The increase is a result of the Medicaid rebate law that ends an incentive for drug companies to provide discounts to colleges.

"It's very unfortunate this is happening because students are affected in the pocketbook," Jessop said. "For students on tight budgets and working one or two jobs it has a significant impact."

The federal law dealing with Medicare and Medicaid - the main federal health insurance for the poor - no longer exempts health centers, he said. As a result, some pharmaceutical companies are no longer offering discounts to university health centers like they have for the past 30 years.

A spokeswoman for the American College Health Association who wished to remain anonymous said federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services should have included health centers on the exemptions list. The ACHA is currently reviewing the proposal in an attempt to revise the bill.

Approximately 39 percent of undergraduate women use oral contraceptives, according to recent survey done by the ACHA. Due to the increase in costs of birth control, the spokeswoman for the ACHA does not think the percentage of females who use birth control will cease to do so.

Sophomore Nicole, who wished to withhold her last name, said prices of certain brands of birth control pills have doubled and even tripled.

"It's unfortunate the prices went up because it was very convenient buying the pills right on campus," Nicole said. "Now I'm going to have to look elsewhere to try and save money."

Jessop said he does not think students will stop using oral contraceptives because of the increase in price. Birth control at the Indiana University Health Center has jumped from $10 to $40 per month.

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