As many MSM outlets have been reporting, a technical “glitch” in the Federal Deficit Reduction Act recently disqualified many university health centers and family planning clinics (that treat the working poor) from receiving “charitable” discounts on contraceptives from pharmaceutical companies. The result is that the price of birth control pills went from about $3/month to about $50/month, which of course meant that most clinics stopped offering them for free.
Many people are arguing that these college students and low-income women should wear condoms or get birth control at the pharmacy or not have sex at all if it means that we hard-working tax-payers have to subsidize their contraceptives. What’s important, though, is that this “discount” did not come from increased taxes. In fact, it cost NOTHING to tax payers as it was essentially mandated that pharmaceutical companies offer discounted rates to clinics, which in turn trickled down (did I really just say that?) to health care consumers.
So, if you think that’s fucked up, you should support the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act that Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) introduced in early November. It would basically reverse the technical glitch and restore the low-cost for contraceptives. Simple, bi-partisan, pro-prevention and at no cost to tax-payers? There’s really no reason not to support this bill. If you live in Pennsylvania, click here to contact your legislators.
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