Infertility victims could gain
help from insurance with bills
VICTIMS from page 1
balance her hormones, she dis
covered her tubes were blocked
because of endometriosis.
Because she had used hor
monal drugs, the insurance com
pany denied Schenk’s insurance
claim.
At the end of a two-year legal
fight, Schenk’s insurance compa
ny finally decided to pay the cost
of her surgery but wouldn’t cover
the cost of her hormonal drugs.
Schenk’s use of the fertility
and hormonal drugs resulted in
the birth of her two children.
But Schenk continues to need
four hormone shots a month, at a
cost of $47, to help her body func
tion normally because of her hor
monal imbalance.
None of the costs of the shots
are covered by insurance because
the hormone is associated with
fertility.
mese diseases iaite a pnysi
cal and emotional toll on
women," Schenk said.
"Having the added stress of
fighting with an insurance com
pany to pay for the medical treat
ment is not only unnecessary but
wrong."
Paul Hayes, a gynecologist,
said the issue of whether insur
ance companies cover reproduc
tive health care discriminated
against women.
If a male had a problem with
his reproductive organs, insur
ance companies would cover it
with no questions asked, Hayes
said.
If a woman has a problem
with her reproductive organs, the
coverage by insurance compa
nies is questioned because the
woman may want to become
pregnant he said.
Randy Boldt, a lobbyist for
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Insurance Company of Nebraska,
said the codes insurance compa
nies use to decide whether claims
are rejected or denied weren’t set
by insurance companies but by
foe medical profession.
“We cover foe diagnosis and
treatment of disease,” Boldt said.
Tim Ranney, vice president of
Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said
diseases like endometriosis were
not covered when die sole reason
for the treatment was infertility.
"If we do make a mistake,
there is an extensive appeals
process in place,” Ranney said.
Foley, die senator who intro
duced the bill, said insurance
companies’ written policies con
tain exclusions about covering
diseases that might enhance one’s
fertility.
“They use it as an excuse not
to treat the disease,” Foley said.
“No matter what the commit
tee does, the issue isn’t going to go
away,” Foley said. “And women
are going to come back in even
greater numbers until the prob
lem is fixed.”
In a related issue, testimony
was heard on a bill that would
require health insurance compa
nies to pay for contraceptives.
Omaha Sen. Deb Suttle
thought it was unfair that some
insurance companies pay for
Viagra for men but not birth con
trol pills for women.
A_J__a._i:_
ruuicu w 1 ui a ictuu luimg
addressing the issue, Suttle is
aiming to outlaw the practice in
Nebraska.
“It’s an equity issue,” she said
Monday before the Banking,
Commerce and Insurance
Committee, which heard testi
mony on her bill, LB319, to
require insurers to pay for contra
ceptives.
The committee killed a simi
lar proposal by Suttle in 1999. She
hopes the bill has a better chance
this time because of an Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission ruling in December.
The commission ruled in
favor of two women who said
their health insurance compa
nies, which cover the male impo
tence drug Viagra, also should
cover birth control pills for
women.
The commission said exclud
ing contraceptives was a violation
of the 1978 Pregnancy
Discrimination Act, which
requires equal treatment of
women “affected by pregnancy,
childbirth or related medical con
ditions,” in all aspects of employ
ment, including fringe benefits.
The commission also found
that excluding contraceptives
also amounts to sexual discrimi
nation because these prescrip
tions are available only for
women.
In 1998, Maryland became
the first state to pass legislation
specifically requiring private
insurers to provide comprehen
sive coverage for contraceptives if
they covered the cost of prescrip
tion drugs.
Since then, 12 other states
have passed laws requiring hill
contraceptive coverage and as
many as 23 states are considering
such bills.
Insurance companies argue
that they are willing to cover con
traceptives if employers - who
pay a large portion of workers’
insurance premiums - are willing
to pay for it
The Associated Press con
tributed to this report
I Tired of run-off elections? I
SO ARE WE...I
>.
I This year, vote once. I
Vote ONE Party.!
We’ll bring you:
nline Professor Evaluations
1ASUN Fundraising
Legislation in the DN
We’re last on the ballot, but we’re your #1 choice!”
ASUN Student Government Elections, February 28th, 2001
* 1* *
ASUN election has surprising irregularities
ASUNfrom page 2
No one is running for senate
in the colleges of general studies,
continuing studies, dentistry, law,
nursing and public affairs and
community service.
No candidates have their
names in the hat for advisory
board positions in the depart
ments of art and art history,
music, theater arts and dance,
general studies and family and
consumer sciences.
No one filed to run for any of
the Teachers College advisory
board seats.
Beyke said it was the first time
in a long time that no one filed for
the residence hall or greek living
unit seat on the Committee for
Fees Allocation, the body that
I
decides how student fees are
spent
“I don’t know what that says,”
she said.
Although the senate and advi
sory board candidates are of
fewer numbers than usual, the
number of presidential candi
dates have increased compared
to past years.
Most of the time, two candi
dates run for president, Beyke
said.
ASUN President Joel Schafer
said he thought this year’s five
candidates represented a broader
variety than last year's hopefuls.
Last year, Schafer said, the
candidates agreed on several
issues but differed in how to
approach the issues.
But this year, the candidates
seem more different ideologically
For example, Andy Mixan, N<
Bull presidential candidate, sai(
he didn’t want ASUN to ge
involved in political issues.
On the other hand, Angeh
Clements, NUForce presidents
candidate, pushed for ASUN’i
involvement in several politica
issues, such as lobbying for a leg
islative bill that would includi
sexual orientation under thi
state's nondiscrimination act
But no matter who’s elected
Schafer said he was confident hi
or she would do a good job a:
president
“Some (of the candidates) wil
have an easier time adjusting, bu
any of them will have to put ii
time and effort to understanc
everything,” he said.
The Majority of NU
Students _
Develop and
Implement Dead Week
Policy Changes
did not
\vote in
*actual statistics this tima—NO BULL. We are the
party that gives you a reason to vote this year
Vote NO BULL on Wednesday!
NO BULL
, >-< „ MIXAN-WESTERING-HARDY
Feel free to direct all
questions/comments toe student government elections February 28, 2001
amixan@ zhuskers. com PAID F0R BY TREASURER MICHELLE SCHRAGE
THIS IS CLYDE'S ASS
I