Brown and White Vol. 117 no. 24

              By DANA GIALLONARDO
For some Lehigh students who cannot afford health insurance themselves or for those who do not fall un­der the coverage of their parents’ policy, Lehigh offers a brokered health insurance plan under the company University Health Plans, or UHP.
This plan, which works in conjunction with and is specifically tailored to the needs and practices of the Health Center, offers general medical expense benefits and coverage as stated by the Lehigh plan brochure.
While the plan does offer up to $400 coverage for elective abortions, it does not cover birth control pre­scriptions. Dr. Susan Kitei, director of the Health and Wellness Center, said UHP does not consider birth control prescriptions medically necessary. UHP does, however, cover the expenses for routine gynecological examinations and pap smears.
Dorothea Lyons, an account executive for Univer­sity Health Plans Inc., said although Lehigh’s particular policy does not allow the coverage of birth control, it is allowed to be covered if used for a covered medical condition, such as an irregular menstrual cycle. If the birth control is used as a contraceptive, then it will not be covered, she said.
According to Lyons, the exclusion for birth control has been part of the plan ever since UHP started servic­ing the plan as the school’s broker.
“Often times when a switch in plan-carriers occurs, the new plan is based on and is sometimes an exact copy of the previous plan, unless there is a request for new benefits, new exclusions or other changes,” Lyons said. Lyons had no information about the plan that Le­high used prior to UHP.
UHP, which serves more than 75 universities nation­wide, tailors each health plan differently, Lyons said.
“Some may be very similar to others. Some may be polar opposites and the same goes for price. Some schools’ plans cover birth control, some don’t. Some plans don’t cover prescriptions at all,” she said.
“I honestly don’t know if a decision will be made in a future policy year renewal to add a benefit for birth control that’s not being used for another covered medi­cal purpose,” she said.
Kitei said the Health Center does not provide stu­dents with birth control prescriptions with the excep­tion of the Depo-Provera injection, a single injection of hormones that is meant to prevent pregnancy and lasts for three months, and the Plan B emergency contracep­tive pill.
Kitei also said the Health Center does not have a full service pharmacy, but they do order and stock some
Birth control not covered under school health plan
See HEALTH PLAN Page 3
Lehigh receives $8M from stimulus package
By JESSICA MORGAN
Lehigh was chosen to receive more than $8 million in federal stimulus mon­ey from the National Science Founda­tion to fund research projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Lehigh was the only private entity in the top 10 local recipients and was awarded more money than the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem or Easton, according to an article in The Morning Call.
According to Lehigh’s Office of Re­search and Sponsored Programs’ list of Recovery Awards found on its Web site, a total of 17 research projects received funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The combined funds the separate projects received totaled $8,064,757 in federal grants for Lehigh.
Bruce Koel, professor, researcher and associate provost for Research and Graduate Studies, said although a bulk of the funds from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act went to stimulate the economy, the act did set aside funds amounting to around $22 billion specifi­cally for research and development.
The National Science Foundation was included in the stimulus package, Koel said. Lehigh’s 17 grants were awarded by the National Science Foun­dation, according to the Office of Re­search and Sponsored Programs’ list.
Koel said Lehigh uses about $50 million for research annually, which is funded in part by grants. He also said Lehigh, along with other universi­ties, had to apply for the funds, and the application process was highly competitive.
“Lehigh did a good job of competing for those funds,” Koel said.
See STIMULUS Page 3
Vol. 117 No. 24
Friday, December 4, 2009
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Women’s basketball trips the Explorers
Page 16
ONLINE
The after-effects
of Lehigh-Laf
www.thebrownandwhite.com
The man
behind the mic
Page 7
LIFESTYLE
B&W photo by CHRISTOPHER CHEW
Carl Hancock Rux speaks in Diamond Theater on Wednesday night about how race and ethnicity influence his art. Rux mixed poetry, acting and music in a performance with his band of musicians and singers Thursday night. He is an award-winning singer/songwriter, poet, playwright and writer.
An artistic blend
By ASHLEY SKIBICKI
Lehigh was ranked among the nation’s top 50 best-valued private schools for 2009-10 in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.
With Lehigh coming in at No. 27, above nearby Lafayette and Muhlenberg colleges, the ranking is a positive reflection of the universi­ty’s achievements, J. Leon Washington, dean of admissions and financial aid, said.
“The ranking shows that Lehigh’s continu­ing commitment and unwavering effort to provide students with an optimal educational experience are being recognized nationally,” Washington said. “This recognition will help us continue to attract top students from around the world.”
Washington believes the ranking can pro­vide some guidance to students and parents as they evaluate colleges and universities that may be of interest to them.
However, he said it is important for stu­dents to remember that a ranking is only one piece of data and cannot capture the excite­ment and vitality that make an institution spe­cial for prospective students.
“Students should always go beyond the rankings and do a comprehensive investiga­tion of those institutions that appeal to them,” Washington advised.
Students who have already chosen Lehigh seem to be focus their opinions financial fig­ures rather than the latest ranking.
“It is hard for me to believe Lehigh is a financial deal because it is so expensive, but I really do not have any true comparisons,” Risa Zeller, ’11, said. “I believe I am receiving a quality education here, but I do not know if cheaper schools have equal, or possibly higher standards. It is hard to put a price on educa­See
VALUE Page 6
Lehigh ranks 27 on best-valued colleges list