Starting Monday, the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness
Center will start charging clinic fees for services that were
previously free to students without the university’s Student
Health Insurance Plan.
SHIP is an insurance plan offered by UCLA to meet the UC’s
systemwide requirement that requires medical health insurance for
all undergraduate students. It is also available to the
university’s graduate students.
The mandate to raise fees is a result of the California budget
crisis, caused by the poor economy and the UC system’s budget
reduction, said Michelle Pearson, director of ancillary services at
the Ashe Center.
The UC Office of the President has allowed each of the nine UC
campuses to cut budgets in any area except academics.
Instead of reducing or eliminating services for students, fees
will be charged in order to continue ongoing services.
Only those without SHIP insurance will be affected by this new
fee increase.
Students automatically pay $178 each quarter to enroll for SHIP
when they pay registration fees. They may opt to use their own
insurance instead.
Before the budget cuts, primary care, labs and the men’s
and women’s clinics did not charge students without SHIP for
their services. However, those without SHIP now will be charged $10
per visit.
Other services such as specialty clinics and X-rays warranted a
small fee before the budget cuts. The fees have now increased by as
much as $25.
Out of the 36,000 UCLA undergraduates, about 25,000 students do
not waive SHIP. Around 50 to 60 percent of those 25,000 students
utilize the insurance at the Ashe Center or medical center.
Pearson said students can buy SHIP to avoid the new fees.
“Students (who have SHIP) do not have to pay for health
visits,” she said. “There are no (co-payments) and
(SHIP offers) minimal prescription costs.”
Some students with SHIP appreciate not having to pay extra for
certain services.
Tiffany Ciderman, a first-year history student, has SHIP,
although she had private insurance from her family.
“I don’t have to hassle with filling out paperwork
or getting billed extra while I have SHIP insurance here on
campus,” Tiffany said.
Those with private insurance have mixed feelings about the
increase.
Monica Moreno, a third-year political science student, said she
waived the insurance because there was no point in having double
coverage.
“I already have a doctor at home and don’t even use
the Ashe center,” she said.
Rosanna Gonzalez, a second-year life science student, has
private insurance and sometimes uses the Ashe Center.
She does not like the idea of having to pay extra fees for not
having the university’s insurance plan.
“Services like (those offered at) the women’s clinic
were free before, and now I have to pay to see a doctor,”
Gonzalez said.