Legislation hurts birth control users

Two years ago or so, Congress devised the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. It was meant to reduce the government's spending, primarily by cutting funding for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Bush finally signed the Act in February, but it didn't take effect until this January.

Personally, I tend to be against any reduction of money allocated to helping those in lower income brackets, especially when this money is used for medical care. I mean how many billions of dollars have gone to funding war in Iraq? But luckily for you, that's not the point of this editorial.

I'm not going to go on an überpolitical rant about how this country's government could better spend (or save) their dollars. Instead I will touch on a part of this act that is most likely to directly impact college students.

In the past, drug companies have basically given away their products to college clinics knowing that, through government incentives, they would recoup much of this cost. Through this act the government is essentially penalizing pharmaceutical companies for offering their products to low-cost health centers. In doing so, the Act makes it highly improbable that any college health center will receive drugs at discounted prices. Now that the government-funded incentives have been removed, drug companies see no reason to continue offering their products at little or no cost. Though the Act eliminates the incentives for all types of medication, the prices of oral contraceptives, or birth control pills (BCPs), have undergone the most drastic increases.

The drug companies' decision to discontinue offering greatly discounted drugs to college campuses is very short-sighted. We all know that college students tend to live on a budget. Often a very tight budget. (Think of those friends who, despite all odds, have thus far consumed only ramen noodles and Dr Thunder soda since stepping on campus and have miraculously avoided any vitamin deficiency-related complications, at least thus far). Students like these may not be from low-income families, but their parents are likely not paying for much more than the basic room and board fees associated with a dorm. Their funds are limited, and the increase is likely to really hurt them.

One can see how increased drug costs could easily dissuade potential BCP users. Instead of purchasing the pricier pills they will likely choose condoms or other less costly alternatives (pull & pray, cycle beads and coat hangers, to name a few). I mean do you really thinkRamen Noodle Girl is going to fork out another 20 bucks a month to stay on the same pill? That's like six weeks worth of dinner! And even if she could, would she?

Those currently on the pill will likely switch to the less expensive generic forms (when available), and in an ironic twist, the drug companies, in their attempt to be spending-savvy, will lose more money.

By drastically increasing the out-of-pocket expense for oral contraceptives, drug companies are alienating customers who would likely purchase the products for years to come. Because college is the first time that many women go on the pill, it is during this time that they are most likely to find the pill that best suits their body chemistry and then stay with that brand until they're ready to pop out some pups. The pharmaceutical companies seem to be short-sighted in their assessment of the situation, calculating only the immediate costs associated with providing reduced-cost pills to students.

If, instead, major drug companies would look into the long-term financial implications of providing their products at lower prices, they would likely find that the cost of providing these women with low-cost pills during college would create loyal customers who would continue to use their drug after graduation. Loyal paying customers.

There is a rumor circulating that the Centers for Medicaid Services are considering revising the law to exempt college health centers. I think such a move would be mutually beneficial for both the pharmaceutical companies and college females, and I hope to see it go into effect.