Fee increases for Health Service and Student Insurance took up the majority of Wednesday night’s Student Senate meeting as both groups are looking for an $8 increase.

The Health Service fee would increase from $82.90 to $90.90 per semester.

Lynette Drake, EIU Health Service medical director, said that costs are rising overall yearly.

Certain drugs have been doubling in prices, as well.

Information passed out to Student Senate members showed that allergy medication Allegra-D increased by 119 percent and that the sleep aid Sonata increased by 108 percent.

Oral contraceptive prices will be going up even higher as prescription drug companies are ending discounts, Drake said.

In the information given to the senate, Eastern pharmacist Jeri Doti said that one company that produced contraceptives increased their price by more than 1,000 percent and a generic brand was still 600 percent higher than the price Eastern has been paying.

Right now, it costs $20 per month for oral contraceptives.

The proposal also includes a provision that would require that students who enroll in nine credit hours pay the full fee.

Students who are now enrolled in less than 12 credit hours pay $6.91 per credit hour, the current per-credit-hour rate.

With the proposed increase, students who enroll in less than nine hours would pay $10.10 per credit hour.

Senate member Kent Ohms asked how many students were enrolled in nine credit hours.

There were 567 students enrolled for 9 to11 credit hours, Drake said.

The 1,200 continuing education students don’t have to pay the fee, she added.

Drake also pointed out that there would be increases to prescription co-pays and services, as well.

Health Service is projected to be about $289,000 in debt at the end of this fiscal year and that is projected to increase to about $435,000 next year.

With the increase in service prices and the proposed fee increase, $206,000 in revenue would be generated, lowering the overall debt to about $106,000.

Student Insurance is also looking for an $8 increase. The proposal would raise the fee to $109.95.

Heddins, Eastern’s medical insurance specialist, said that the increase would keep the program ahead of the increasing healthcare costs.

A couple of students spoke in support of the increase.

“It serves as a great supplementary,” said graduate student Amanda Terrell.

She used the plan a lot and has saved $3,000 on it, she said.

Sophomore Tiara Fulton said that she had a large bill after having kidney stones and the insurance program paid for half of it.

“I don’t know what I would have done,” she said.

Both fee-increase proposals were tabled until next week.

Student Senate Speaker Jeff Lange said that he expects the senate members to research and ask questions on the proposals before next week’s meeting.

In other business, the proposed $1 per credit hour increase to the textbook rental fee was approved, 27-1 with 2 abstentions.

This increase will raise the fee to $8.95 per credit hour.