2008 Woodie Awards
Health Center increase fees
Derek Lactaoen
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: News
The Humboldt State University Student Health Center began increasing student fees on Jan. 17.
Because of an insufficient budget and an increase in health center visits, students will see a hike in fees on some of the services that they receive.
Dr. Rebecca Stauffer, HSU health center director, says that these "augmented" services are optional ones that the health center is not required to provide, but does.
Treating broken bones, asthma testing and providing large amounts of wound care supplies are all augmented services for which the health center must raise fees.
"We're still trying to keep our fees reasonable, but we have to recoup some money," Stauffer said. "Our main goal is to preserve these services so that they're here for people who need them."
The rise in medical fees is caused by several problems in the health center. First, the budget allotted to the health center is insufficient to the point that the costs of running the Student Health Center are increasing faster than the budget increases.
"If you take what it costs to run this place, and divide it by the number of visits, last year, the cost per visit was $140, which is more than [student] fees for the whole semester," Stauffer said.
Additionally, with this year's rise in the overall student population at HSU, the health center is facing a 25 percent increase in the number of patients it sees. Because of these two issues students will see new or increased fees on some of the services, including physicals.
A scuba physical will now cost $120 and a travel physical could cost up to $75.
Other common conditions that will see fee increases are blood drawing, splints and casts, immunizations, and no-show fees.
Stauffer says that no-show fees will start at $20 and increase by $10 for each no-show up until the third time. These no-shows, according to Stauffer, are one of the biggest wastes of resources for the health center, and eliminating them will help to save money and time for the nurses and physicians of the health center.
Because of an insufficient budget and an increase in health center visits, students will see a hike in fees on some of the services that they receive.
Dr. Rebecca Stauffer, HSU health center director, says that these "augmented" services are optional ones that the health center is not required to provide, but does.
Treating broken bones, asthma testing and providing large amounts of wound care supplies are all augmented services for which the health center must raise fees.
"We're still trying to keep our fees reasonable, but we have to recoup some money," Stauffer said. "Our main goal is to preserve these services so that they're here for people who need them."
The rise in medical fees is caused by several problems in the health center. First, the budget allotted to the health center is insufficient to the point that the costs of running the Student Health Center are increasing faster than the budget increases.
"If you take what it costs to run this place, and divide it by the number of visits, last year, the cost per visit was $140, which is more than [student] fees for the whole semester," Stauffer said.
Additionally, with this year's rise in the overall student population at HSU, the health center is facing a 25 percent increase in the number of patients it sees. Because of these two issues students will see new or increased fees on some of the services, including physicals.
A scuba physical will now cost $120 and a travel physical could cost up to $75.
Other common conditions that will see fee increases are blood drawing, splints and casts, immunizations, and no-show fees.
Stauffer says that no-show fees will start at $20 and increase by $10 for each no-show up until the third time. These no-shows, according to Stauffer, are one of the biggest wastes of resources for the health center, and eliminating them will help to save money and time for the nurses and physicians of the health center.
Be the first to comment on this story