President Barack Obama's proposed health care plan - if it isn't shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court - would force companies across the country to cover birth control among their employee health care plans. For women at Ball State, this could mean better coverage, but it could come at a higher price.
"Students become frustrated because they can't get what they need," Medical Director Kent Bullis said. "On the downside, it could make it more difficult to afford."
Diana Jones, a nurse practitioner at the Ball State Women's Center, said she estimates 90 percent of Ball State women use birth control, which at the Amelia T. Wood Health Center ranges from $8 to $90.
Freshman social work major Renee Osmeyer said she spends $20 per month on birth control pills for health purposes.
"For me, the cost deduction doesn't matter," Osmeyer said. "But it would be more beneficial to those who can't afford it."
However, the insurance mandate also brings up other issues relating to the availability of contraceptives and women's services.
"Some insurance companies state you have to get your medications through your primary care physician [family doctor], which would not include the Health Center," Jones said. "That would definitely pose major problems for those females needing hormonal regulation."
Bullis said some universities have health insurance requirements for every student. He said he doesn't believe this mandate will directly affect students at the Health Center because any services are covered by tuition and not by individual insurers. Pharmaceuticals, which can be paid for with insurance, are provided by IU Health Ball Memorial physicians - a separate entity.
Bullis said the pharmacy at the Health Center has lost money in the past two years by covering any added cost relating to the health care services it provides. Under the Affordable Care Act, it wouldn't have any losses because students would pay the difference.
The Affordable Care Act, sometimes known as "Obamacare," was ruled unconstitutional in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, Fla., in August, and is now being challenged by the U.S. Supreme Court.
THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE
Obama's Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010. It's been amended since then and is now being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it has received criticism and praise from all sides of the political spectrum. Some people argue it's unnecessary and just an added financial burden for healthy college students.
Under the umbrella of the Affordable Care Act, there is a separate debate. The Department of Health and Human Services' mandate, effective as of August 1, states that all health plans will be required to provide costless contraceptive services, devices and preventative women's health services.
Total spending on health care in the U.S. has reached an all-time high of 18.2 percent of gross domestic product, or $2.71 trillion, according to the National Coalition on Health Care.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported the Affordable Care Act is largely focused on making preventive medical care more available. However, there is growing controversy encircling the health care bill.
"Requiring people to pay for health insurance is forcing people to buy something," Bullis said. "The government doesn't force us to buy cars, TVs and other goods, so why this? The question is, does the federal government have the power to do that?"
In the midst of the debate, Jones said she believes there is a large misunderstanding of birth control.
"The name 'birth control' gives it a bad connotation," Jones said. "It should be called the 'menstrual and hormonal regulation pill,' because it helps with those issues as well."
Jones said there are a number of things the pill treats, such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, menstrual issues, hormonal imbalances, premenstrual symptoms, ovarian cysts and the best way to prevent potentially harmful pregnancies that could be cancerous. Jones also cites that after being on the pill for five years, it decreases the risk for ovarian and uterine cancer.
TOO FAR?
Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania has taken the idea of accessibility to the next step by having a contraceptive vending machine in the campus health center. Bullis said this might be a possibility for Ball State in the future, but at this time it is not even lawful.
"Right now, it would not be feasible because Indiana State Law requires that Plan B is dispensed by a pharmacist," Bullis said. "And I don't know any pharmacists who want to live in a vending machine."
THE VATICAN DIVIDE
Yet the largest outcry of this debate is one of religious freedom. Catholicism is inherently against the use of synthetic contraceptives, and according to the 2010 American Hospital Association Annual Survey, 12.6 percent of hospitals in the nation are Catholic institutions. This could be an issue, as many Catholic institutions are ready to fight the mandate based on religious conscience.
Dr. Casey Riesling, who practices family medicine at St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis, said she sees dire consequences ahead.
"Shutting down is in the realm of possibilities. Our hospital values its Catholic identity," Riesling said. "This would be bad because there is already a shortage of health care facilities in the U.S. It's awful to think about, but I can't see us backing down either."
Catholics believe in Natural Family Planning within marriage, in which a woman tracks her fertility through her internal temperature and other bodily signs to chart when she is at her most or least fertile. Nurse Kathryn Niswonger, who teaches Natural Family Planning at The Kolbe Center in Indianapolis, and has also used it for three years, said the effectiveness of this method is 96.8 percent. Synthetic contraceptives aren't in the picture.
"Contraception is not preventative medicine," Riesling said. "They all work to prevent pregnancy, in which motherhood shouldn't be looked at as a disease."
Ambria Martin, a member of the Catholic Student Union, said she is against birth control for religious reasons and health risks that she sees in oral contraceptives. The National Cancer Institute recognizes that while oral contraceptives do reduce some cancer risks, it can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Niswonger also said high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes are among the side effects of synthetic birth control. At a very young age, Niswonger started using the pill to treat endometriosis.
"I was on many birth control pills for three years before they found the underlying disease. Looking back on my medical history, putting me on birth control pills was just putting a Band-Aid over the underlying problem," Niswonger said.
Jones, who had previously worked at a Catholic hospital, was not allowed to prescribe hormonal contraceptives as a means of birth control. Jones gives a model on how she treats patients as a health care professional.
"My main concern is the patient," she said. "The first question I ask is, 'what is her needs?' The second question I ask [is], 'what are the risks involved?' And the third is, 'does this go against her religious beliefs?'"
In the birth control controversy as a whole, Martin said she believes putting a mandate on something that is inherently against the beliefs of the Catholics on their institutions should be a concern in the wider picture.
"If the government is forcing this, what will they do next?" Martin said. "If the government is infringing on anyone's beliefs, it should be an issue to everyone."
Read More
History of: ‘The Legend of Zelda’ franchise
By Sam Jasionowski / YesterdayWith The Legend of Zelda’s franchise reaching its 39th anniversary, the stories that build up the franchise are chalked full of in-game history that make each game an important addition to the entire timeline.
Artist of the Month: QUIN
By Amira Alquraishy / 4 days agoQUIN allows us to take a ride through a new realm of R&B and soul with her very own coined term genre called “fantasy soul.” With themes of self-expression, love, and being born again, she will guide you to create your own lane and stay true to yourself.
Gov. Mike Braun signs new executive orders days into office
By Staff Reports / January 15, 2025Braun cuts back on DEI policies at the state level, mandates a return to work and removes degree requirements from some job applications.
