Considering the Center for Disease control estimates that between 56 to 78 percent of college student 18-24 are sexually active at any given time, it’s easy to assume the females in that number consider birth control a necessity.

In a controversial move, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in a statement Jan. 20 that most health insurance plans will be required to follow a new contraceptive services policy.

Once the changes go into effect, women will not have to waive their right to birth control options because of expensive co-payments or deductibles, or because their insurance plan does not include contraceptive services, according to the statement.

The ruling will give women access to all Food and Drug Administration-approved preventive and contraceptive services without co-pays, co-insurance or deductibles.

Because of this, the University of California is now in the process of voluntarily covering contraceptive services for women at no added cost starting August 2012, in line with a recent federal ruling.

Although the new rule does not extend to the UC Student Health Insurance Plan, the university will opt to follow it for the convenience of students, Heather Pineda, director of UC SHIP, told the Daily Bruin.

The UC’s current SHIP is self-funded and is not required to follow the new federal rules. Students under the SHIP currently pay a co-pay for birth control services – the number one category of prescription pharmaceuticals used on UC campuses, Pineda said.

Non-profit, religious-affiliated organizations have an extra year to comply with the ruling, according to the statement. This has caused a few heads to spin at long standing religious school like Notre Dame, who basically refuse to comply.

The UC, however, has chosen to comply in an attempt to provide students with the same benefits that would otherwise be offered in the open market or under their parents’ plans, Pineda said.

The changes in the UC plan will need to be approved by an executive committee before they can be implemented, however.

The proposed benefits and premium rates for the 2012-2013 academic year will be sent to a committee for final approval later this month, she said. The changes are expected to pass.

If the changes are approved, the cost of the program for students will increase by less than 1 percent.