Free Birth Control Question… I Really Need Help Please?
Posted by admin | Posted in Insurance Review | Posted on 09-12-2009-05-2008
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Hello, I am 18 years old and I am engaged. Well, to be honest, both me and my fiance enjoy sex, of course. No sex is not an option, but we know we aren’t ready for having a baby. We could deal with that if it came at us, but we would rather it didn’t right now, so we both want for me to go on birth control. I looked up on yellowpages.com where my local free clinic is and went to their website. It said these are the guidlines for the free plan:
“Do I qualify for SelectPlan for Women?
You likely qualify if you:
are between the ages of 18 and 44 years old
are a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident
are a resident of Pennsylvania
have no health insurance that covers family planning services
are not pregnant
meet income requirements”
Now my issue is this: I meet all of the guidlines for getting free birth control through this plan, except for the fact that I DO have health insurance. Through my parents. I live on my own, with just two roommates, who cannot be considered family and therefore don’t count as household income….my parents just still have me under their insurance plan because I am in college. My real issue is that my parents and I have never been close. This is one reason why I cannot openly speak to them about me having sex and wanting birth control. it is not me being naive or just acting like a dumb teenager, it’s the fact that they do not agree with it. They are very old-fashioned and their way of thinking is that un-married people should not be having sex, and if they are, they should not be able to be on birth control. So even if I would talk openly with them, they would not set up an appointment for me to go, and thus, the insurance would be useless.
I WANTED TO KNOW, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE FREE CLINIC CAN TELL THAT I AM STILL UNDER MY PARENTS INSURANCE PLAN, AND THUS NOT LET ME GET THE B/C FOR FREE AND/OR SEND SOME KIND OF CHECK IN THE MAIL TO MY PARENTS? IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THEY CAN LOOK UP THROUGH MY INFORMATION (NAME, S.S. NUMBER, ETC) THAT I AM STILL INSURED???? HAS ANYONE GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS IN THIS SAME SITUATION?
Once again, my parents cannot know because they will not agree with me having sex before marriage and they do not believe in birth control if you are only taking it so that you can have sex before marriage. So they cannot know about me going to this clinic. As I said before, I need to get birth control so that I can have safe sex. Me and my fiance are not ready to have child yet, and thus, just want to have safe sex without the chance of me becoming pregnant.
ALSO, IF YOU THINK THAT I WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS WITHOUT ANY INSURANCE BECOMING UNCOVERED, CAN YOU REVIEW THIS WEBSITE QUICKLY FOR ME AND TELL ME IF, BY WHAT THEY SAY, THEY ARE OFFERING COMPLETELY FREE BIRTH CONTROL AS LONG AS I QUALIFY?? Because that’s what I got out of it.
Here is the website: http://www.mfhs.org/selectplan.asp
Also, does anyone know from experience of going to a free clinic… if you make an appointment to get birth control, what do they do at your appointment? Are you examined at all? And if so, what do they examine/what do they do? Or do you just fill out a patient form, talk to a doctor and get educated, and then they give it to you?
Do they hand you the birth control on the spot, or do they give you a prescription….and is that prescription free when you get it filled..??? Please just explain to me what really happens. Thanks a lot.
Sorry this is so long, i hope some of you can take the time to help me, this is very important!!! And I would appreciate it greatly!!
THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!!!!
Get as much resource as you can maybe is one option,however it could be quite time consuming,here http://www.healthinsurance-onlinetips.info/health-insurance-for-free.htm is one resource i have had good experience.
Ok, to go along with what someone already said, most colleges do have programs where you can just go to the clinic on campus and get free birth control. In general, no matter where you get your birth control from, you will need a pelvic exam before they will give it to you, and generally have to take a urine pregnancy test as well.
If you’ve never had a pelvic exam, it’s nothing to worry about at all. It’s not a woman’s favorite thing in the world, but it’s over pretty quickly. They’ll usually do a pap smear to test for any abnormalities, and usually for gonorrhea and chlamydia. They may or may not do a quick breast exam. Usually if it makes you more comfortable you can request a female doctor, but if not they will have a female nurse sit in on the exam either way. Feel free to take your fiancee with you, it does help for some people.
Even if you do need to use your insurance and see your family doctor, or anything like that, there is complete confidentiality involved so your parents do not have to find out.
I started on birth control when I was sixteen, and how I went about doing it was going to the local Planned Parenthood clinic. I set up an appointment, got an exam, and got my pills the very same day. They will educate you on the different types of contraceptives and help you choose the one that’s right for you. At the time I was on my parents insurance as well, however at planned parenthood it doesn’t matter if you have insurance or not. At the time I went, the pills were not free, but they are very low cost. I paid about 20 dollars for a one month supply, and I think it’s cheaper if you go 3 months at a time.
So although it’s not free, it’s a very affordable option, even for a student. The initial appointment may be free I don’t remember, if not it cost only about 15-20 dollars.
I would definitely not count on the free clinic not verifying that you have insurance. It’s generally not that hard for them to verify it so they probably will. Again though, I’m not sure about that one.
Good luck!
I noticed that you’re in PA… that’s where I’ve lived all my life.
I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t be eligible for the Select plan through the state. You can try, but I seriously doubt that you’d meet the income requirements since you’re in college. They’ll go by your parents income.
Planned Parenthood stops being free once you turn 18. They do, however, go by a sliding scale according to YOUR OWN income. I went thru them when I was your age for my birth control (my parents were the same way as yours) and I think that the most I ever paid for a pack of BC pills was 20 bucks. You’ll have to have an exam (that’s the pricey part.. but probably not more than 100) and some testing but after you’re all clear they will give you the pills right there in the office.
I know it’s a little expensive, but it’s really the only way to go about it if you don’t want your parents to see what you’re up to on their explanation of benefits from the insurance company. AND it’s way cheaper than having a baby! Maybe your bf can chip in to help pay for it since he will be reaping the benefits once you’re protected (wink wink)
you say your in college …why don’t you just go to the health services there and tell them you want it but i highly doubt its free though but ull payy a fraction of the price of what it reallie costs.
(First off, to be honest, I skimmed parts of your post, so if I get something off from what you’re asking, I apologize. I’ve had a long day, haha.)
Main problem is not wanting the parental units to know, right? Really, the easiest thing is to get some from your doctor. You can call and make the appointment yourself. And when it comes to birth control and things of the like, doctors are under doctor-patient secrecy whatever. Generally, it’s safer to get it from your doctor anyway. Also, that way you can get a different type if the one you have doesn’t get along well with your body.
There is no way for them to know if you have insurance unless you have given them info before. They will do a pelvic exam, probably a pregnancy test. I work in the pharmacy that has a Family Planning Clinic and we give out 6 months of pills free the first time to make sure you can tolerate them. After that, you get 12 months for free. We also offer condoms for free. I would suggest taking some. Some antibiotics interact with birth control, and you can get pregnant. So you would need to use extra precautions for the month you took the antibiotics, until you get your period. My daughter is the product of them not telling me about the interaction. If they ask questions about income, say as little as possible. They do not even need to know you are a full time student.
Your parents won’t find out unless they see your pills. The clinic is not allowed to give out any info.
You sound like you are well informed, and I commend you on that. I have read so many of these that it is scary.
I do have to say your clinic may be different, but most of them have the same rules. You might do an internet search for low income community health centers and your city and state.
Good Luck!
Why are you stressing?
It shouldn’t be that hard.
You don’t have to go to the clinic, you can
schedule and appointment with your
personal doctor and get it that way.
You’re 18 and can go on your own legally now
and your parents don’t have to know.
Easy. I did, and no one in my family knows
besides my mom and sisters.
But just walk in and ask them, or if its
mandatory to make an appointment,
then make one. No sweat. They will talk
to you and let you know. Most likely
they will administer it to you. Better yet,
call them and ask so you don’t have to waste
a trip.
Good luck sweetie!
You should get them under your parents plan and not worry about using the free clinic. I am sure the rules of doctor-patient confidentiality are the same everywhere. Birth Control Pills are prescribed for more than just preventing pregnancies. Your doctor cannot tell your parents what you are being treated for. I know one gal who is on them to control her wild mood swings, and another to control the length of her period. Make up some medical condition and tell your parents you are being treated for that. I know some doctors will give you samples of drugs. I remember my doctor doing this for me when I was on them.