UHS to raise birth control prices soon

The price increase is in response to the depletion of discretionary funds that UHS has used to subsidize oral contraceptives for all students and their dependents.

The two brands of birth control pills at UHS currently cost $6 per pack. After March 31, a pack of Lo-Ovral will cost $14 and a pack of Aviane will cost $17. Students will not be allowed to purchase more than five packs of either brand from UHS at the current subsidized price before the end of March.

In 2007, when UHS began to subsidize birth control, changes in the Federal Deficit Reduction Act caused pharmaceutical companies to raise the rates at which they offered oral contraceptives to institutions of higher education. UHS, however, was able to continue selling generic birth control pills at a discounted rate using discretionary funding.

“The discretionary funding that supported the UHS subsidy of oral contraceptives was only intended to be temporary,” University spokeswoman Emily Aronson said.

She explained that the University had hoped pharmaceutical companies would revert to the lower prices offered before 2007 and therefore did not permanently allocate funds for this purpose.

Aronson added that after almost three years of independently subsidizing the cost of birth control for students, the University is no longer in a financial position to do so.

“The University is in a mode of cost savings,” she said, “and the discretionary funding that supported the subsidy is no longer available.”

Aronson noted that the University recognizes that “changes may cause financial difficulties for some students.” She said these students can contact UHS regarding special-needs funding intended for students who have trouble paying for unmet health needs.

UHS does not expect student habits to change drastically in response to the increased cost of oral contraception, Aronson added.

“We anticipate that students will adjust to the changes and there will be continuity for most students in purchasing pills as they would have previously,” she said.

The more expensive birth control pills at UHS will still cost about half that of a single pack of the same brands of oral contraceptives at CVS Pharmacy on Nassau Street. One pack of Aviane, purchased without a prescription health insurance plan, costs $29.09, $12 more than UHS will begin to charge in April. A pack of Lo-Ovral costs $29.39, about $15 more than at UHS.

Some students, such as Andrea Francis ’11, are not bothered by the price hikes at UHS.

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“I think it’s totally fine because it was super, super cheap before,” she said. “I don’t have prescription insurance so this is still an extreme discount for me.”

Aronson noted, however, that some students have contacted UHS directly “with questions about how their prescription needs may be affected by the changes.”

“I was really outraged in the beginning, but I actually went to McCosh today for a checkup and happened to ask the lady about the policy,” Aparajita Das ’12 said.

Das noted that UHS explained the background of the situation and the relationship between the University, pharmaceutical companies and the federal government.

“After finding out the government and University policies ... I am a little more understanding of the situation and understand why it was such a drastic rise,” she said.

Das added, however, that she is still dissatisfied with the situation.

“It is frustrating that even students on financial aid need to suffer such a deep cut in the pocket for something that for many can be considered a necessity,” she said.

Correction: Due to inaccurate information provided by UHS, a previous version of this article misstated the number of students who have purchased oral contraceptives on campus in the past year.