I am a legal adult, college student, and live with my parents during the summer. I come from a very strict family, and one of those rules is no sex, no birth control, no nothing.
Well, I wanted birth control. And after a year of being sexually active behind my parents' backs I decided I wanted birth control pills. Several of my friends suggested going to Planned Parenthood to get very cheap and sometimes free pills. So, I finally gave in, told my parents I was going out to lunch with a friend, and went to my appointment which I made online a week before.
I grabbed 35$ from the ATM assuming that would be enough to cover the costs of some pills. I could not use my insurance on this visit since not only do my parents not let me carry my insurance card, but they would see on the insurance statement that I had gone to PP. I also could not use my debit card because my parents check my bank statements.
At my appointment, I filled out all my forms, then was called back. One of the first questions I was asked was "How are you supported?" I do not have a job currently and live with my parents. I pay for my college education on my own, I largely buy all of my own food at my house, and borrow my parent's car. I could probably support myself if I moved out, but I would be estranging myself from my family and yada yada. Yes, I know that my parents technically "support" and have raised me. I don't need to be lectured on that, and that is not the point of this report.
Anyways, the lady told me that since I lived at home and was supported by my parents, I would be charged based on their incomes. My parents make a ton of money. I told her the numbers, and she told me that I would have to pay full price for the visit and pills. That amounted to 150$ for the visit and 45$ per pack of birth control pills. My jaw dropped. I did not have 200$ to spend. Nobody has 200$ to just throw around. Eventually she decides to be "nice" considering my situation and says it's going to be 30$ for the visit, and 8$ per pack of pills. Even then, I only came with 35$ in cash. So I ended up having to pay with my 35$ in cash and 3 dollars charged onto my debit card, which now my parents are going to see.
The next time I go to PP, I would have to show that I have no income and that I am not supported by my parents or else I will end up shelling out 200$. I cannot afford to go to PP again.
The point of this report is to tell other older teens who can't use insurance for whatever reason but live with their rich parents that PP will NOT be cheap. This is an assumption that is clearly wrong, at least in the state of Ohio. Find somewhere else to get your birth control.
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