Reducing Cost Of Birth Control For College Women 'Victory For Common Sense,' NYT Editorial Says

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 17 Mar 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The fiscal year 2009 omnibus spending bill (H.R. 1105) President Obama signed into law last week includes "a welcome provision designed to make affordable birth control available to millions of women across the country," a New York Times editorial states, noting that the provision "is not a subsidy and will impose no burden on taxpayers." The provision restores a "limited exemption from Medicaid pricing rules that was in effect for nearly 20 years" and allows drug companies to supply contraceptives to college health centers, Planned Parenthood offices and other family planning clinics "at an extreme discount that could be passed on to patients," according to the editorial. The editorial continues that the exemption was eliminated as the result of a "technical drafting error" in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act and, "until now, efforts to correct the mistake went nowhere, owing to Republican opposition." According to the editorial, "Washington's dawdling" in making the correction "has had a stark effect," pushing the monthly cost of brand-name birth control from $5 to $40 or $50 on some college campuses.

The editorial cites comments from Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), who noted that the fix will reduce a financial burden for college and low-income women as well as help to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. It continues, "This victory for common sense follows a string of positive steps already taken by President Obama to dismantle his predecessor's assault on women's reproductive health and freedom." For example, Obama "has lifted the odious gag rule that former President George W. Bush imposed on international family planning groups and moved to rescind an 11th-hour Bush regulation aimed at hindering women's access to abortion, contraceptives and the information necessary to make decisions about their own health." The editorial concludes, "There is much more to be done, but the shift in momentum is refreshing" (New York Times, 3/14).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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