For decades, Congress has allowed college health centers and safety net health care providers like Planned Parenthood to purchase birth control at discounted prices from pharmaceutical companies-at no cost to the Federal government. Due to recent legislation, these discounts have been eliminated and prices have risen dramatically, leaving millions of women without access to affordable birth control!

What's the problem?

Due to a simple legislative error in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (implemented in January 2007) college health centers and many safety net health care providers were cut out of the nominal drug pricing discount program.

Who is affected?

• More than 3 million college students and hundreds of thousands of low-income women have lost access to affordable birth control.
• Health centers at 1,370 colleges and universities nationwide have had to raise prices, eliminate or change their contraceptive services. At Virginia Tech, methods of contraception have nearly tripled , going from $15 to $42. George Mason University's health center had to change their contraceptive offerings, leading to additional follow up appointments and other costs.
• Approximately 200 Planned Parenthood health centers and another 200 family planning or community health centers have lost their ability to purchase low cost contraception. These pricing changes might also force health centers to cut back on other services, such as prenatal care and cervical cancer testing and treatment. Six out of nine Planned Parenthood health centers in Virginia have had to raise prices.

What's the solution?

Congress can fix this at no cost by passing the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act (SR 2347/ HR 4054). These bills already have over 180 bipartisan cosponsors.