Even use of “the pill” is rationalized as not only insurable, but the co-payment unaffordable- are we responsible for any health care related costs?

There is a push to have birth control pills included under the preventive health provisions of PPACA so there is 100 percent coverage. We are told the burden of $40 per month is too much for people to handle so instead all policy holders may be required to share the cost.

Here is a story from the Kaiser Health News outlining the debate.

What is says in part is that:

“One of the reasons for unintended pregnancies is the cost of contraception, say experts. Even if a health plan covers contraceptive services, women often face hefty co-payments, ranging from $20 to $50 per month for birth control pills to several hundred dollars for a longer-acting method such as an intrauterine device.

“For young women, $40 or $50 is a lot of money,” says Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. According to Richards, it’s not uncommon for young women to come to a Planned Parenthood clinic and buy three months’ worth of pills rather than a year’s worth, because that’s all they can afford.”

I bet that young women has the $60 plus to pay her cell phone bill each month and the money to pay for unlimited texting.

$40 is a lot of money, but what they really mean is $40 spent on something we perceive as health care is a lot of money to spend yourself. The rationale that paying for contraception is a good investment because it saves thousands of dollars that would be spent on a birth is equally absurd. Are we to believe that because someone else is not paying for for a woman’s monthly pill the automatic result is an unwanted pregnancy? If so, we have come to a sad state indeed.

“Range of Yaz Birth Control Costs

The retail cost of Yaz birth control pills without insurance is $49.99 per pack (A pack of Yaz, which contains 24 active pills and 4 placebos, lasts 28 days – just under a month).

Depending on women’s insurance plans and pharmaceutical retailers, the cost of Yaz birth control can range from $35 for 3 packs to around $109 for 3 packs.
Schools’ health centers, as well as non-profit organizations, may provide Yaz birth control for free (or minimal cost) for women with significant (and provable) financial limitations.”

“Many employers support covering contraception because it ultimately saves them money: Even the priciest birth control is a lot cheaper than the $8,000-to-$11,000 price tag for an employee’s prenatal and maternity care. “We don’t think there’s any benefit to cost-sharing on contraceptives,” says Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents large employers.”

Where do we draw the line of personal responsibility and choice? Perhaps in today’s environment we don’t, perhaps when it comes to health care we have no responsibility and what we really want is a system that requires none.

Let’s hope that we don’t expect health care to be affordable as well. Sorry, I forgot we already solved that problem. As long as someone else pays; everything is affordable.

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