Facts and Figures
 
With the support of University Health Services, our student Health Fee Advisory Committee has compiled the following statistics, facts, and figures about health care on the Berkeley campus. These represent a sample of the data we used to develop the Safeguard Student Health Care Referendum proposal.
 

Trends at Tang: 2000-2004

Changes at UHS since the budget cuts (2001-02 through 2003-04)
 

  • $2.3 million in funding from student Registration Fees lost
  • Reduction in urgent care hours (lost 5-6 hours per week)
  • Approx. 30 full time staff members cut from UHS - Tang Center
  • 13 clinical positions (health care professionals) cut
  • 185 fewer appointments per week in the medical clinics
  • 24 hr. advice nurse discontinued and replaced by after hours referral line
  • Two-fold increase in appointment wait time in the medical clinics
  • Longer wait time (by 2 weeks) for women's health & routine physical visits
  • 35 fewer hours of appointments each week in counseling and psychological services
  • Fewer on-campus counseling appointments per student (from 8 visits in 2000 to 3-5 visits in 2004)
  • More referrals to off-campus mental health providers (approx. 1/3 of students referred off campus)
  • Up to 20% increase in user fees for Rx, x-ray, lab tests, minor surgery
  • Inability to staff appointments line (x2-2000) to meet student demand

    Source: UHS Public Information Officer, dfinch@uhs.berkeley.edu

    Berkeley Student Health Care Survey (Oct 2004)

    Paying for Health Care
    In a Fall 2004 student survey at UC Berkeley, students were asked how they prefer to pay for their on-campus health services:

    51% prefer to pay a flat health fee once per semester for unlimited access
    27% prefer to use health insurance to pay (even if it means cost increases)
    22% prefer to pay a $10-20 co-payment (out of pocket) for every visit to Tang

    Delaying Care
    Students were asked if they might delay seeking help for an urgent health concern if they were required to pay a $10-20 co-payment ("visit fee") for their medical or urgent care visit.

    18% would certainly be delayed or deterred from seeking health care.
    49% would possibly be delayed or deterred from seeking help.
    33% would not be delayed or deterred from seeking health care.

    Top barriers to accessing on-campus health care
     
    1696 (63.2%) Difficulty Scheduling an Appointment (or Long Wait)
    1596 (59.5%) High Cost / Too Expensive
    1123 (41.8%) Complicated Paperwork / Insurance Hassles
    1080 (40.2%) Having to Pay Fees Each Time You Visit

    Source: Student Health Advisory Committee Fall 2004 Health Care Survey, 2684 respondents

    Health Care Utilization at Tang
     
    Total UCB Student Visits by Clinic
    Summer 2003 to Spring 2004

    Clinic Visits # of Visits
    Urgent Care 11,630
    Primary Care 35,047
    Mental Health Care 13,343
    Specialty Medical Care 9,602
    Preventive Health 5,061
    Physical Therapy7,318
    Total 82,001

    Medical Services # of Visits
    Lab Tests65,629
    Pharmacy Prescriptions55,832
    Radiology Films (X-ray)4,031
    Total 125,492

    Other Services # of Visits
    Outreach contacts22,155

    Source: UHS Administration, May 2003-2004.

    Source: Data in table above.

    Top Diagnoses at the Tang Center
    Summer 2003 to Spring 2004

    Source: Estimate based on data from UHS Administration, 2003-2004.

    Other UC Campuses

    Across the UC system, an estimated 25% of all academic withdrawals are for medical or health-related concerns.

    Source: UC Regents Item, January 2005

    Cost of Health Care at Other UCs
     
    Campus
         		Healthcare Costs and Fees
    Berkeley
    		 Health fee: None
    Visit fees: None
    Handling fees: None
    Other fees: Fees for some specialty visits & other services
    Davis
    		 Health fee: $41/quarter (since 1994)
    Visit fees: $10/visit and $15/urgent care visit
    Handling fees: $10/lab, $20/xray
    Other fees:$20/specialty visit, $50/physical, other specialty fees
    Irvine
    		 Health fee: None
    Visit fees: $40/visit (for primary care, walk in, womens health)
    Handling fees: Some fees for emergency care
    Other fees: $75/visit for ESL students, $45/visit for specialties
    Los Angeles
    		 Health fee: Built into the SHIP fee; rate varies by year
    Visit fees: $10/visit; $20/visit specialty; $10/visit psychology
    (Fees pre-paid for SHIP students & included in FinAid)
    Handling fees: $10/lab, $25/x-ray for non-SHIP students
    Other fees: $75/physical
    Merced
    		 Health fee: $50/semester
    Riverside
    		 Health fee: $30/enrollee ($10/quarter) built into SHIP
    Visit fees: $20/visit same-day; $10/visit other for non-SHIP
    Handling fees: $20/visit vision;
    Other fees:
    San Diego
    		 Health fee: None
    Visit fees: $10/visit urgent care
    Handling fees: $10/lab, $10/x-ray for non-SHIP
    Other fees: $10/visit for first aid, gynecology, specialty, sports med, PT, nutrition) for non-SHIP.
    San Francisco
    		 Health fee: None
    Visit fees: None
    Handling fees: None
    Other fees: Fees for some specialty visits & other services
    Santa Barbara
    		 Health fee: $30/quarter ($32/quarter Grad) built into SHIP
    Visit fees: $36/visit
    Handling fees: $15/lab, $20/x-ray
    Other fees: Pre-paid package available for $200/year or $75/quarter (buys unlimited use with no user or visit fees)
    Santa Cruz
    		 Health Fee: $20/quarter + $7/quarter (mandatory)
    Visit fees: None
    Handling fees: Handling fee for labs.
    Other fees: Some fees for service for non-SHIP students

    Source: Student Health Center web sites for UC campuses, Jan 2005.

    National Health Care Trends
     
    Coming soon.

    Source: Mercer Consulting


     

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