SUBJECT:

Student Health and Well-being Services – Important Information You Need

Dear Student,
Student Health and Well-being has several initiatives, programs and services we want to call to your attention.

Medical Home
At Student Health Services (SHS) we provide you with a real "Medical Home", complete with personalized care from your own primary care provider and group team. You will be able to schedule visits by calling your primary care group directly, and will have access to prompt care by a skilled provider.

UC SHIP
The Best Health Insurance Option You Can Find: Enrollment in the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) is automatic for all registered students as part of the registration process. Students who are already covered by other insurance may be eligible to apply for a Health Fee Waiver. Those students who do not submit a waiver by the waiver deadline are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP. The cost for the UC SHIP is $544 per quarter for undergraduate students or $1,067 for graduate students. This incredible plan provides generous benefits to covered students such as access to Student Health Services (SHS) with zero out-of-pocket for most services, including primary care visits, routine immunizations and lab tests. SHIP benefits for 2014-2015 have changed. For services outside of SHS but within the UC Health System’s network of specialists and facilities, there is no annual deductible and the plan offers 90-100% coverage after low copays. For more information about plan benefits, fees, referral requirements, waiver procedure and waiver deadlines, please visit: http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/ucshiphowtouse.shtml

UCSHIP Health Waiver
A new Health Fee Waiver must be submitted each new academic year. So even if you waived SHIP last year and your insurance has not changed, you still need to do a Health Fee Waiver again for 2014-2015. The waiver criteria has changed for 2014-2015. The deadline to waive UCSHIP without a late fee is September 26, 2014 and the late waiver deadline ends on October 3, 2014 ($50 late fee applies).

Planning on waiving SHIP?
Consider enrolling in our Reduced Access Fee for Tritons (RAFT). It is the most cost effective way for students who waive UC SHIP to take advantage of convenient on campus medical care at SHS during the academic year (fall, winter and spring only). For $50 per quarter, RAFT provides prepaid access to scheduled visits, in-house labs and x-ray services at SHS. All registered students have access to SHS regardless of whether they have UC SHIP or not, but RAFT gives students who waive UC SHIP the peace of mind that they can be seen at SHS for many of their primary care needs right on campus without the worry of high costs. Students who waive UC SHIP but do not purchase RAFT will be required to pay the full cost of all services at SHS. Please visit http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/raft.shtml for more information.

IMMUNIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS
It is highly recommended that all students are up to date on the basic childhood vaccines before starting college. This past year there have been outbreaks of measles, mumps, pertussis, and meningitis on college campuses in California. Vaccination against Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap), Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Human Papillomavirus, Meningitis, and Varicella are advised. Students are recommended to follow-up with their primary care providers prior to entry of school to have a full review of their immunization record. For more information regarding childhood vaccinations and vaccines recommended for the college aged student: http://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/college/index.html

MENINGITIS: The CDC recently updated recommendations to include a booster shot to protect from infection. While meningococcal meningitis is rare, it is very serious and can be fatal, and we strongly recommend immunization. If you were vaccinated once before age 16 and are currently 21 or younger, we strongly recommend that you receive a booster. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6003a3.htm?s_cid=mm6003a3_w

PERTUSSIS: Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, recently made resurgence across the U.S., and can be fatal for infants who become infected. To prevent yourself and others from contracting this serious illness, we strongly urge you to receive the Tdap vaccine before coming to campus this fall.

FLU: Student Health Services will be offering multiple flu vaccination clinics this fall. Flu shots are free to students with SHIP, and will be provided at low cost to students with other insurance. Visit our website at http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu for updates regarding flu-shot clinic dates.

TB Screening-It's Required!

All incoming students are expected to complete the online tuberculosis screening questions via TritonLink and, if necessary, send in a clearance form by their healthcare provider in order to avoid delays in their registration. Tuberculosis is a potentially serious disease and San Diego is a high-risk area. Therefore, we are undertaking this effort to protect our students from infection and illness.

Alcohol Risk Reduction
We have a number of resources at UC San Diego to support students who choose not to drink, to help those who drink avoid high-risk drinking, and to assist those with alcohol use problems. Evidence shows, that as a first-year student, the first few weeks of the fall quarter are critical to your academic success. Don't let alcohol interfere with your successful transition to campus life and ultimate academic success, or limit your options for the future. This is an exciting time for you, and we want you to enjoy and remember every minute of it. NEW this fall quarter is Triton Fest! Triton Fest is a series of 6 large scale, late night events. These fun events will be held Fri and Sat night of the first 3 weeks of the quarter. Watch for more information about these exciting events; it will be a great opportunity to have fun and meet new people. For safe party tips, and information on local and state laws related to alcohol use and abuse, visit http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/atodeducation.shtmL

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
CAPS is an integral member of the Student Health and Well-Being cluster. CAPS is committed to promoting student mental health and well-being that is conducive to growth, flourishing, academic achievement, and lifelong learning. CAPS provides confidential psychological counseling services, group counseling, workshops, and forums for students free of charge. CAPS also provides urgent and emergency counseling services for students in crisis. In addition, the CAPS staff and our Wellness Peer Educators provide many outreach presentations to students on mental health and well-being topics such as stress management, healthy lifestyles, assisting students in crisis. We also host campus-wide events such as National Depression Screening Day. For more information about CAPS, please visit our website at: http://caps.ucsd.edu, or call them at (858) 534-3755.

Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC)
SARC offers free and confidential services for students affected by sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. Services include: 24/7 crisis support, counseling, assistance with reporting options, and accompaniment to police, medical forensic exams, and court. In addition, SARC offers programs on consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and much more! Visit http://sarc.ucsd.edu for more information.

The Zone
UCSD's lounge for student well-being is located in Price Center Plaza (next to Jamba Juice), where students can enjoy a variety of FREE weekly wellness programs! Discover healthy lifestyle tips. Explore free programs like stress management workshops, healthy cooking demos, and fitness classes. Connect with campus-wide wellness resources. Relax with fun-loving therapy dogs, creative craft workshops, chair massages, and more! Learn all about what The Zone has to offer at www.zone.ucsd.edu.

UCSD is a Smoke and Tobacco-free Campus
This means that smoking or vaping is NOT allowed anywhere on campus. This will contribute to a healthy environment for all staff, students, faculty and visitors. Please visit http://smokefree.ucsd.edu for complete information about this Systemwide policy. If you are a student and a smoker who would like to quit, Student Health Services can help. You can make an appointment with a Health Educator at Student Health Services by calling (858) 822-5926. Smoking cessation appointments at SHS are free, and cessation aids are available.

Thank you for choosing UC San Diego. We look forward to helping you achieve your academic and personal goals by keeping you well.

All the best this academic year,

Karen J. Calfas, Ph.D. Executive Director Student Health and Well-being