Letters to the Editor

Thoughtful input

To the Editor:

I am writing to clairify how the student health insurance plan is developed and administered. In accordance with the annual review and renewal process, the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee recommends the Penn Student Insurance Plan to be offered to students. As happens each year, SHIAC makes its recommendations in the spring and continues negotiations through the summer to work out final details about benefits.

Throughout the year, the Student Health Service continues to work with the carrier to identify and resolve any areas in which students might have unmet needs. In these instances, Student Health, acting as an advocate for students, works to ensure that students' needs are met.

While SHIAC is pleased that the recent changes to the plan address the concerns that many students expressed through the student health insurance information sessions, e-mails and letters, the revisions to this year's insurance plan in fact reflect this regular process of annual review and ongoing negotiation between Penn and the carrier. In addition to the changes to the insurance plan, it is important to note that the Student Health had already anticipated increasing its staffing this year, long in advance of any "demand" by students.

Furthermore, in an ongoing effort to support the continued health of all students, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Student Health have been working together to assure that all students have ready access to health care. These negotiations have been ongoing for the past year.

As part of this endeavor, Student Health has just confirmed an agreement for deeply discounted rates for students receiving services and procedures at HUP. Under this arrangement, students will be held liable only for the discounted charges, regardless of payment made by their insurance carriers. This agreement applies to all students, both those who are enrolled in the PSIP and those who have private insurance coverage.

The thoughtful input from graduate and professional students across a number of schools, has helped inform the final student health insurance agreement. SHIAC will begin meeting shortly to review options for next year's insurance plan. As student perspective will be invaluable in this process, students are invited to express their opinions and concerns to shiac@pobox.upenn.edu

Evelyn Wiener, M.D.

Director, Student Health Service

A troubled plan

To the Editor:

As the Penn community debates the "visible ID" policy, it should bear in mind the following points, which I have not found cited in this newspaper.

Many people, fearing both for their personal privacy and for their personal security, will be wary of revealing their names to whomever they happen to pass by. A trouble-maker with a keen eye and a modest short-term memory will even be able to acquire a card-bearer's Penn ID number.

A voluntary policy can very easily become over time a mandatory policy. I wonder whether a development of this sort is exactly what the devisers of the plan expect.

Matthew Bleich

SAS graduate student

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.