By

A new student health program, which tacks on up to $100 in fees onto undergraduate students’ bills each semester, provides increased access to university health care services. The program went into effect at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester, and was approved by the University of Louisville Board of Trustees.

Effective this semester, all undergraduates enrolled in at least 6.5 credit hours who do not have outside health insurance policies are required to pay a Benjamin each for primary care provided by U of L physicians, emergency stabilization and after-hours care, expanded mental health care and a variety of health education services.

Undergrads who already have their own health insurance can log onto ULINK and enter their coverage information to reduce the required fee to $35 per semester. The reduced fee is credited to a student’s account with the university, and can be used dollar-for-dollar to cover co-payments and some prescription charges at U of L student health facilities.

The health insurance information entered online is stored in each student’s records, and is verified periodically by the university. The online waiver form only needs to be completed once unless a student’s policy information changes.

For students enrolled in less than 6.5 credit hours, the fee schedule is prorated according to course load.

Health Sciences students and most international students have long been required to have at least some sort of health insurance, and in some cases participation in U of L-provided health care programs is required.

Some students are relieved that the university finally moved forward with the program, especially since students who aren’t from Louisville are far from their normal doctors and office visits may be impractical.

“Some students are glad because they had no coverage of any kind [before the new health care program was implemented,]” said Student Government Association Academic Vice President Ashley Howarth, a senior biochemistry major.

The move also brought the university up to speed with other institutions like the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University, which already offered varying healthcare programs for their students.

At UK, for example, students must participate in a mandatory health coverage program; and at NKU, an optional student health program is available. Programs vary at other schools across the region, but the majority of schools in Kentucky offer some sort of student health benefits which range from voluntary to mandatory programs.

“It really worries me that we haven’t had that kind of access for students on this campus,” said university Provost Shirley Willihnganz before the measure was passed last spring.

Still, despite the expanded access to health coverage, not everyone is happy with the program. Many students say they were ill-informed about the details of the plan, and some said they didn’t even know it existed.

Sophomore business major Kartik Kamat said he wasn’t even sure of what type of coverage the new fee provides. “Some students have insurance already. If that’s the case,” he said, “what is this extra fee going toward?”

Others complain that it is unfair to expect students who already have outside health insurance plans to pay even the $35 fee.

“Not everyone uses the health facility, so why make them pay an extra fee on top of rising tuition?” asked Guy Sizemore, a sophomore pre-medical student.

Howarth said that even for students with other health insurance, there are benefits of having access to on-campus health care. “What happens if you don’t pay the fee and you do get sick and you can’t be seen by anyone?” she asked.

Students like these are looking for answers to their concerns from the university and from the Student Government Association.

But this year’s SGA executive officers say the answer to students’ problems isn’t to pick sides.

“We’re dealing with the cards that we were dealt,” said SGA Services Vice President Justin Tooley, a junior political science major.

Tooley said it’s important for students to realize that this year’s administration wasn’t in office when the decision to implement the health fee was made late last school year.

“We have a health fee and we have to work with it,” Tooley said. “SGA should make things as student-friendly as possible, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Tooley said that he is working on organizing a student health services advisory committee to take a closer look at how the issue is affecting the student body.

Still, Tooley said he recognizes that students may not be aware of the changes simply because of the task of informing such a large group of people about the details of the new program, especially things like registering their health insurance information on ULINK. “How do you tell 16,000 undergrads that you have to do something you’ve never done before?” he asked.

Newspaper ads and postings on ULINK, among other efforts made by the university, tried to inform students about the changes. However, it’s proved difficult for those to be fully effective, students said, since many of them don’t log onto ULINK or read the school newspaper on a regular basis.

Besides students not being completely informed about the health fee and coverage changes, Tooley said a shortage of staff is the other problem affecting students and the school’s health services offices most.

“Personnel is the main problem,” he said, explaining that more staff is needed to handle many of the operation’s business issues. “Billing is a nightmare.”

Dr. Phillip F. Bressoud, the director of U of L student health services, said that the health center is also planning to hire an additional physician and nurse practitioner to alleviate the staff shortages. He said the Belknap Campus student health services office has been without a provider – which means patients cannot be seen for care – about one or two half-days each month so far this semester because of the shortage.

Until the issues that are troubling both U of L students and health services staff are resolved, Howarth encouraged effective communication to keep things running smoothly. “If students have questions, ask them,” she said. “Don’t just wonder around feeling lost.”