By Jennifer Vargas
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Graduate Students Association took on the directors of
student health at a Wednesday meeting out of frustration over the
unavailability of appointments and untimely referrals to another
provider when students’ medical needs cannot be met under
their university health insurance plan.
Students are also finding it difficult to set appointments that
are not scheduled weeks or months in advance.
“I had bronchitis, and I went in at 10:15 a.m. during the
third week of January. All the appointments had to be made one
month in advance,” said Marie Fox, a mathematics and physical
science graduate student. She had to return three days later for a
walk-in appointment, she said.
Ed Weismeier and Al Setton, directors of student health, said
they would need to talk with more students to find the source of
the problems.
“During the busy time of the year, we issue between 200
and 300 referrals per month, the majority of which to our knowledge
go through without a hitch,” Setton stated in an e-mail.
“We will need to review the process to identify where the
hang-ups occur and why they occur. It is unclear whether the
difficulties reside in Ashe, the Medical Center, the insurance
process or all of the above,” he continued.
GSHIP, the mandatory insurance plan for graduate students who
would otherwise be uninsured, costs $720 per year. It includes
“core” medical services which includes coverage of
mental health, dental and vision.
Graduate student and GSA representative Jonathan Katz said it is
difficult to find a doctor willing to work with SHIP, and the
online catalog of doctors is out of date.
Katz said he knew of someone who broke their nose and had to
wait for an appointment a month later. Now that person might have
to have cosmetic surgery, Katz said.
Weismeier responded: “A lot of noses do not have to be
straight.”
Despite the arguing at the meeting, Weismeier and Setton said
some changes have been made to accommodate students.
The Ashe Center has extended its hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday
through Friday in addition to hiring two more clinicians. They are
also looking for another full-time clinician.
“If you are not happy, we are not happy,” Weismeier
said.
GSHIP and USHIP benefits can be found at www.studenthealth.ucla.edu.