Ashe Center to charge for services
Fiscal crisis brings new fees for privately insured students
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.
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