HRL Runs Drive for Abortion Refund

Harvard Right to Life (HRL) began a drive on Monday to encourage students to request a small but symbolic refund for the portion of their University Health Services (UHS) fee used to fund abortions.

HRL placed cards in freshman mailboxes informing them of the $1 refund and tabled at upper-class dining halls this week.

This marks the seventh year that HRL has publicized the refund policy since 1998, when Daniel H. Choi ’94 found the provision about abortion in the UHS handbook and decided to let others know about it.

The refund—based upon the combined cost of all abortions divided by the number of people paying health fees—is down from $1.09 last year, according to UHS Director David S. Rosenthal.

HRL President Catherine C. Roche ’06 stressed the symbolism of the gesture, despite the small size of the refund. “I don’t feel that people should have to spend their hard earned money on something that they oppose,” she said.

“The main point of the project is to give people a choice as to how they spend their money and let them know we have a right to make this choice.”

Since no abortions are performed on campus, the UHS fee subsidizes—and has subsidized for the past 20 years— those performed off-site, according to Rosenthal. He said he did not know the average number of abortions subsidized annually by UHS, which serves about 20,000 people. The cost of an abortion can range from $350-$575, according to the Planned Parenthood website.

But Rosenthal recognized that those morally opposed are well within their right not to pay.

“We respect the women’s right to make the decision but we understand that there are some who disagree, and we respect them as well,” Rosenthal said.

Roche said she is concerned that most students do not realize that $1 of the health services fee on their termbill this year goes to abortion subsidies.

“Without us students wouldn’t know about the option,” Roche said of HRL’s campaign to publicize the refund.

Rosenthal disagreed, stating that the refund option is “made very clear in information to students.”

As recently as last year, HRL argued that this fee should be made optional initially. Rosenthal and Roche, however, said that giving students options about what medical services to pay for on their termbill is not a feasible solution.

Students for Choice Political Chair Jessica R. Rosenfeld ’07 stressed that HRL has a right to carry out this drive, but expressed dismay at the possibility of changing the policy regarding abortion fees.

“I think that what this comes down to is socio-economics. This is going to take money away from people who want to take advantage of the service and are eligible for financial assistance,” she said.