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American Morning

Pill to Be Covered by George Washington University

Aired August 30, 2002 - 08:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: George Washington University making health care history. It has now agreed to cover birth control pills and other prescription contraceptives on its student health plan. The decision followed a complaint by a student there.
And our medical correspondent, Dr. Gupta here this morning, in our "House Call" to talk about this -- good morning to you.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

HEMMER: Set it up for us. What was the issue here?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it is not really making history because this has been seen before, where they actually cover the pill, oral contraceptives, under student health care plans.

What happened here, Bill, George Washington University -- actually, a law student there said that it was maybe a form of sexual discrimination that that particular school wasn't covering the pill. The pill, the most commonly take oral contraceptive, 80 percent of women have taken it since 1945, obviously to prevent births. Also, it is a good protectant against ovarian cancer, 40 to 50 percent of the time. A lot of women have taken this pill, a lot of college age women, 64 percent. Here's what some of them had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's expensive, and if you have college insurance and it covers it, it just makes it easier for everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me, it really matter much one way or the other. If the college health center is supposed to be a health center that covers all parts of human health, well then, fine, it seems like a perfectly logical thing to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't necessarily agree with birth control, but if it can eliminate unwanted pregnancy, I'm all for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: 2001, there was a federal mandate that said all employers have to cover pills that actually are designed to prevent illness. This particular ruling now was taking that mandate from 2001 and applying it to student health, saying you know what, the pill also prevents illness, prevents ovarian cancer, 40 to 50 percent of the time, therefore they should use it. HEMMER: Take the argument out of Washington, D.C. and GW. Take it nationwide. What's the likely impact, either on students, or institutions? Have you been able to gauge that?

GUPTA: Well, you know, one thing -- it is important to remember that for -- most students are actually covered when they go to college, 20 to 24, most insurance plans under their parents, students are still covered 50 percent of the time. Twenty percent of the time, they are covered just by the student health care plan. That is small number of people. Thirty percent of college-age students, Bill, are not covered by insurance. This may have an impact on them, if they do sign up for the student health care plans. It is a contentious issue, to some extent. You know, certainly at schools that have a more religious base to them, they will be arguing this. There is no exemptions for any schools, including religious-based schools. So it will be an interesting issue to sort of follow.

HEMMER: Talk about contentious, take a look at this picture we found. There's a gentleman here in the U.S. who apparently took a nail gun, a construction worker, and that nail went right along his brain. As a neurosurgeon, you look at that, and you think what, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Well, it is interesting, you look at the front shots of the X-rays, the side shots of the X-rays, that clearly is in the brain. One of the pictures you saw with all the squiggly lines in there, those are blood vessels. This thing sort of skirted by all those vessels. You see the after picture, so that is a good sign. The guy looks like he did well from all that. But obviously, that can be a pretty dangerous thing. The biggest concern with that, obviously is hitting one of those major blood vessels or one of the nerves that controls...

HEMMER: The brain is your life. You operate, once or twice a week, you are an operating neurosurgeon. How is it that this guy, he told reporters that he never knew the nail went into his head. He continued to work and never even felt it. How is that possible?

GUPTA: Well, that's kind of surprising. I don't know how he could never feel that. I'm sure there's a good answer to that. But you can have things actually go through the front of your face and not actually hit the brain, which is sort of the interesting because you get the front shot and you see it looks like it's in the brain. When you look at it from the side, it is actually just going through the face. In his particular case, no question, that one was in the brain.

HEMMER: Very good. Thank you, Sanjay, have a good weekend.

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