As fall weather starts to kick in, so does the season of sniffles. Getting sick might mean a trip to the doctor, or just behind the bookstore.
According to the Student Health Center’s website, “as a registered student at CSU Stanislaus, you are automatically eligible for health care at the Student Health Center. Your University tuition includes a mandatory student health fee that covers all visits and many services with the Student Health Center staff.”
The Student Health Center’s Health Educator, Megan Rowe, MPH CHES, explained why the per-semester fee of $181 is implemented.
“Because of these fees we are able to provide services for a low-cost,” Rowe said.
The center offers primary medical care for illnesses, injuries and physical exams. These services include women’s and men’s health care, immunizations and flu shots, HIV testing, tuberculosis testing and much more.
According to healthcarebluebook.com, the average cost for a doctor visit is between $69 and $104. The Student Health Center can be less expensive, especially for those who are uninsured.
“In some cases students can get in and out of the Student Health Center for no out-of-pocket cost.” Rowe said.
Some students are taking advantage of the inexpensive services.
“I go to the health center because I don’t have insurance,” Cristina Hernandez (senior, Business Administration) said.
“It’s so helpful to students to have a health center, especially because we as students are usually broke and don’t have our own private insurance.”
Having a health center located on campus is a big benefit. Instead of driving across town to the doctor and pharmacy you can just stop by the Student Health Center.
“Rather than going to an off-campus drugstore students can access our pharmacy,” Rowe said. “Our prescriptions and over-the-counter items are typically lower in price than what you can find at other nearby drug stores.”
The Student Health Center has a professional medical staff as well. There are medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, lab technologists, health educators and registered nurses ready to be of assistance.
Rowe explained that all student medical records at the Student Health Center are completely confidential.
“Students should feel comfort in knowing that we comply with the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information,” Rowe said.
Although the pros far outweigh the cons of visiting the Student Health Center, there are still a couple of notable negatives to keep in mind.
Privacy is an important factor of the Health Center, but it can still be uncomfortable to go in for a visit. Seeing a classmate in the waiting room may be awkward if you do not want to share why you are there.
The Health Center seems to have it all. However, it lacks a few services; there are no optometrists on staff and there are no dental services offered. Also, some lab testings have costs.
The Student Health Center, although possibly a source of intimidation at first, has a lot to offer for the students of California State University, Stanislaus.
“We’re the best deal in town,” Rowe said.