UC Student Health Insurance Plan to cover birth control at no added cost
By Katherine Hafner
Feb. 2, 2012 12:51 a.m.
Clarification: The original version of this article was unclear. The 1 percent cost does not reflect the net increase for the plan fee, only the single change “”mdash; the net increase numbers are still being discussed. The decision itself was made by the UC-SHIP Advisory Committee, which consists of student and administrative representatives from across the UC.
The University of California is in the process of voluntarily covering contraceptive services for women at no added cost starting August 2012, in line with a recent federal ruling.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in a statement Jan. 20 that most health insurance plans will be required to follow this contraceptive services policy.
Although the new rule does not extend to the UC Student Health Insurance Plan, the university will opt to follow it for the convenience of students, said Heather Pineda, director of UC SHIP. This decision was made by the UC-SHIP Advisory Committee, which consists of student and administrative representatives from across the UC.
Once the changes go into effect, women will not have to waive their right to birth control options because of expensive co-payments or deductibles, or because their insurance plan does not include contraceptive services, according to the statement.
The ruling will give women access to all Food and Drug Administration-approved preventive and contraceptive services without co-pays, co-insurance or deductibles.
Non-profit, religious-affiliated organizations have an extra year to comply with the ruling, according to the statement.
The UC’s current SHIP is self-funded and is not required to follow the new federal rules. Students under the SHIP currently pay a co-pay for birth control services ““ the number one category of prescription pharmaceuticals used on UC campuses, Pineda said.
The UC, however, has chosen to comply in an attempt to provide students with the same benefits that would otherwise be offered in the open market or under their parents’ plans, Pineda said.
Mina Lim, a fourth-year mathematics/economics student, said she doesn’t currently use birth control, but is impressed that the UC is voluntarily complying with the federal ruling.
“Women have that right, and I feel it would be beneficial to students,” Lim said.
Matt Purpura, a first-year psychobiology student, said he thinks the benefits of contraceptives on campus warrant a 1 percent increase in premium rates of UC SHIP, but taxpayers’ money should not go toward birth control on normal federal plans.
“I don’t think the government has the place to step in and require health insurance to include contraceptives, but on a college campus, I guess it’s OK,” he said.
Changes in the UC plan will need to be approved by an executive committee before they can be implemented, Pineda said.
The proposed benefits and premium rates for the 2012-2013 academic year will be sent to a committee for final approval later this month, she said.
Pineda said she expects the changes to be passed.
“(The UC is) committed to keeping SHIP compliant with the president’s federal health care regulations,” Pineda said.
“We want to offer the strongest benefit plan to students at the most affordable rate.”
If the changes are approved, the cost of the program for students will increase by less than 1 percent. This 1 percent increase does not reflect the net increase for the plan fee, only the single change.
