The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 changed the status of college health centers across the nation so they no longer qualify for deep discounts on birth control.
Starting this year, it will affect which forms of birth control are available from the pharmacy at the University Health Center, Pharmacy Manager Gregg Wendland said. Mostly the health center has to switch from brand-name medications to generic ones, “which are just as good,” Wendland said.
Some of the birth controls that were affected include Desogen, Mircette, NuvaRing, and Ortho-TriCyclen Lo. While the health center is able to offer generic versions of Desogen and Mircette, NuvaRing is still under patent and has no generic version.
The changes may affect which medications a student may obtain using the Family Planning Expansion Project, which pays for a year’s worth of birth control and annual exams for those who qualify.
Patricia Gregg, who works in billing for the health center said, “We do see an impact in losing the contracts.”
Wendland said the price for the NuvaRing went from $10 a month to $35. For students qualifying for FPEP, NuvaRing will continue to be offered as long as there are no more increases in price.
“We really struggled to keep the NuvaRing on the FPEP program,” Wendland said. “As it is, we’re barely breaking even on the NuvaRing” through the FPEP program.
FPEP is a reimbursement program that has limits on the amount it will repay.
Ortho-TriCyclen Lo will continue to be offered at the discount rate, for now.
Wendland said he knew the price would increase, so he ordered the medication at the discounted rate, and said he is “still sitting on quite a few.”
For those students not covered by FPEP, there will be an increase in cost for the brand-name birth controls.
“When generics are available, hopefully it’s not catastrophic,” Wendland said.
Despite efforts on the part of the American College Health Association to change the effect of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, health centers at colleges across the nation remain ineligible for discounted contraceptives.
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