Contraceptives proposal ignites student debate

Sparking debate among student groups, a recent federal proposal suggests requiring insurers to provide free contraceptives in a move that could impact Student Health Services’ operations, according to Women’s Health Administrative Chief Deborah Mathis.

Last week, officials in President Barack Obama’s administration sought to group the provision of free contraceptives into preventative health services for which, by law, insurers cannot charge.

Currently, SHS sells oral contraceptives, both brand and generic, for $15. Products are bought directly from pharmaceutical companies or wholesalers in large quantities and at a discount, which allows SHS to pass lower prices to students.

Mathis explained that there would be many challenges if this policy were implemented, and it is not clear what impact the measure would have on the cost of the student insurance plan or what other benefits might be affected.

“However, it certainly has potential to increase accessibility and affordability of contraceptives for many women,” Mathis wrote in an e-mail.

College sophomore and Penn Democrats President Isabel Friedman agreed. “This issue is particularly important to women at Penn because it would mean the difference between having access to all contraceptive practices available to you or not,” Friedman said.

However, others took issue with the proposed policy.

“Although I don’t think I speak for every pro-life person, I think Obama’s push to require insurers to provide free contraceptives to all not only oversteps the bounds of government but mistakenly implies that birth control is preventative care and pregnancy is a disease,” College junior and Penn for Life Co-President Teresa Hamill said.

Hamill explained that if the proposed policy were enacted, it would violate the “conscience rights of medical professionals.”

“As a Catholic, I believe that contraceptives should not be used, and I would not want to force any one else with the same belief to provide them,” Hamill added.

Anticipating opposition from the Catholic Church, Friedman emphasized the importance of the separation of church and state and the need to protect women’s First Amendment rights.

If the healthcare law were to be extended, this may also have an impact on individual privacy.

Normally, when a pharmacy dispenses prescription drugs to a patient, a claim is submitted to the insurance carrier who may send an “explanation of benefits” to the policyholder, usually a student’s parent, detailing all medications paid for by the insurer.

Since SHS sells contraceptives directly to the student and does not submit charges to an insurance company, student privacy is protected, Mathis explained. Charges posted to the student’s bursar bill are noted only as “Student Health Assessment,” whether they are contraceptives or crutches.

However, if all women were to have access to free contraceptives, SHS would need to write prescriptions for those students who want to take advantage of “free” contraceptive products, Mathis said.

Students would then be subject to an Explanation of Benefits potentially being sent to parents, which “may be an issue for many students,“ she added.

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