New birth control fee in store

A recent change to state contract and Medicaid guidelines permits health departments to receive reimbursement for the expense of providing birth control pills.

As a result, the Onslow County Health Department will charge a maximum of $5 per pack for birth control. Previously, birth control was included in several services the department offered and was not a separate fee. Birth control fees are also part of the department's sliding scale, so some patients may qualify for free birth control pills.

"(Patients) can still come here and get quality care ... and dirt cheap birth control," said Brenda Brown, management support director at the department. "It's an excellent deal to come here to get birth control pills."

And the department would like people to know that services offered at the Onslow County Health Department aren't just for the economically disadvantaged.

"You can't make too much to come here ... We don't turn anybody away," said Saundra Bragg, processing unit supervisor in billing at the department.

Even those with insurance are eligible for services at the health department.

The department charges patients using a sliding fee scale mandated by the state and based on a patient's household income. As a result, services are free for some patients.

For those who are required to pay, fees can be paid on an interest-free payment plan.

"Nobody is turned away for inability to pay at time of service," said Brown.

The department's Women's Health Program is no exception.

The program provides various services from family planning to prenatal wcare. The program sees about 75 family planning patients and 25 new prenatal patients a week.

The family planning program provides young adult women with a family planning class where they learn about birth control methods, a physical examination and consultation to help decide which metwhod of birth control suits their needs, said Carol Dudley, women's health nurse manager.

An important element of the family planning program is education. The education focuses on subjects like helping to prevent both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease, said Leslie Brandon, public health nursing supervisor.

An initial prenatal visit includes a physical and lab work. Patients are then seen about every two or three weeks for follow-up appointments with a nurse practitioner until they can get signed up for Medicaid and are able see an obstetrician.

"We're trying to ensure that those that are pregnant have a successful pregnancy," Brandon said.

There is also no residency requirement to participate in the family planning program. Women from other cities and counties are able to come to the Onslow County Health Department to take advantage of this service.

Through the women's health program women who have a form of permanent sterilization can receive gynecological physicals which include a pap smear, pelvic exam and breast exam for a flat rate. Women's health also offers a colposcopy program where women who have had an abnormal pap smear can receive a colposcopy from area physicians who volunteer their time, said Jackalyn Mitchell, nurse practitioner with the women's health program.

The Women's Health Program and the health department as a whole are equal opportunity.

"We offer our services to everyone in the community," Dudley said.

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment.