[GSAUCR] Important information on 2009-10 GSHIP

[President GSAUCR]

Fellow Graduate Students,

I want to inform all of you about some important developments
regarding our health care for next year.

Over the last few months the GSA’s Graduate Student Health Insurance
Program (GSHIP) committee was able to negotiate a very good proposed
plan for 2009-10 that would have included many of the benefits that
those who took the survey in January identified as important. Included
in our proposed plan would have been:

-additional five visits to chiropractors and/or physical therapists;
-and increased prescription drug coverage from $7,500 to $10,000 annually;
-new state mandated additions to all health plans (free HIV testing,
no coverage exclusions for injuries sustained while under the
influence of any substance);
- coverage of the $10 co-pay the health center will begin charging
next year. The committee found this of the utmost importance, and in
case you were unaware, the Campus Health Center will begin charging a
$10 co-pay for each visit next year. Whether this will be covered by
our insurance - or paid out of pocket - has yet to be seen.

However, this proposal was rejected by the University administration;
specifically, Executive Vice Chancellor Rabenstein informed us the
costs were too high. The cost had been $613 per graduate student per
quarter. Although the carrier (Nationwide) is now able to offer the
exact same plan at $607.50 per graduate student per quarter, the
administration has informed us that they can pay no more than $603 per
graduate student per quarter for GSHIP in 2009-10.

It is important to note is that $607.50 results in an increase of just
over 2% from this year’s plan. However, the UC budgets for an 8-9%
increase in medical costs due to inflation annually, something that
did not occur this year. Thus, even with the small increase over what
the University deems acceptable, the plan submitted saves the
university a net 6-7% for 2009-2010.

We understand the UC is facing unprecedented budget constraints, but
making up the shortfalls by sacrificing the quality and accessibility
of graduate student healthcare is unfair. Health insurance is no
trivial matter, and we feel we have the right to the best possible
coverage the University can reasonably provide.

What can you do?

If you go check your (physical) mailbox will more than likely find a
form letter expressing discontent at the facts outlined above. If you
feel as strongly as we do about the University’s rejection of our
healthcare proposal, we ask that you sign it and put it in intercampus
mail to the GSA office so that we may take these letters to an
upcoming meeting with the administration to show our discontent. If
you haven’t received the letter yet, it will very likely be there in
the next day or two, or you can stop by the GSA Office in HUB 203 to
pick one up.

If this matter has a specific impact on you and you would like to
express your concerns individually in a letter, please feel free to do
so. You may also send an e-mail to Executive Vice Chancellor
Rabenstien directly at dallas.rabenstein at ucr.edu

As I have already said, despite the current budget difficulties,
providing quality health care without excessive out of pocket fees
should remain one of the University's highest commitments to its
graduate students. I appreciate your support and hope you will take a
few minutes to express your discontent that the administration does
not appear to share this view.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

--Gary Coyne

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President
Graduate Student Association
University of California Riverside
www.gsa.ucr.edu
Office: (951) 827-3740
Fax: (951) 827-6358