Proposal may add contraceptives to faculty health benefits
A proposal which would cover prescribed contraceptives, such as birth control pills for faculty members, is a few steps away from approval, said Vance Grange, chair of the Budget and Faculty Welfare Committee (BFWC).
Four female faculty members presented the plan to the committee and it reads, “Resolved: The Faculty Senate recommends the addition of prescribed contraceptives and associated medical consultations to the health plan of Utah State University.”
Currently, contraceptives are only covered for medical reasons, Frank Brown, senior benefits administrator, said.
The proposal needs to be approved by the USU Benefits Committee and President Kermit L. Hall before it will be implemented.
The university is sending the wrong message to women by not covering contraceptives, said Kathryn Fitzgerald, director of undergraduate studies in the English department. Fitzgerald is one of the faculty members concerned about the issue.
“If the university is to recruit high-quality women faculty, it needs to demonstrate that it supports women’s concerns,” she said.
Fitzgerald said the decision not to cover contraceptives led some faculty members to be concerned about issues of equality between men and women.
“The problems of health particular to women should be covered as well as are men’s problems. Viagra is covered by the university’s plan, while contraceptives are not,” she said.
Grange said the main concern is the cost.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield projections suggest covering prescribed contraceptives would increase the cost of the health plan by 1.25 to 1.35 percent. This translates to an approximate $216,000 increase, Grange said. Several people thought these estimates overstated the cost, he said.
Grange said the cost of contraceptives is increasing and this makes the decision difficult.
However, there are some advantages to the proposal. Proponents of the plan have suggested USU may run into problems if they don’t adopt the proposal and others argue the cost of unplanned pregnancies exceed the cost of the contraceptives.
This same type of coverage is being included in health plans all over the country, Grange said.
Supporters of the proposal say, “the university may be subject to lawsuits” if the plan is not adopted, he said.
“There are many people who say the costs of delivering a baby and the attending costs are significant,” Grange said.
Some faculty members are hopeful, as the proposal was suggested last year and was not approved by the BFWC.
“President Hall seems to be open to recommendations,” Grange said.
Brown said he believes President Hall supports the plan and the university could benefit from the adoption of it.
“The president indicated in his address that this is something that needs to be done,” Brown said.
Fitzgerald said, “I think the outcome will be positive, and I hope the change is made immediately rather than waiting until the new fiscal year begins.”