GPSA January Meeting Summary

Annual Winter Formal: Winter Festivities Not Over!

GPSA cordially invites all UCSF students to put on their most fabulous outfits (and their most comfortable dancing shoes) and come to the Annual Winter Formal. Come enjoy an interprofessional night of dancing, desserts, drinks, and photo booths at the Westin St Francis (conveniently located right off Union Square, and three blocks from the Powell Street Muni station) on Jan. 31. As always, please partake in this UCSF tradition responsibly!

Last Lecture: Nominate Faculty by Feb. 2

Every year the student body nominates two to three faculty for the honor of giving a lecture to answer the question “What would you say if it was the last lecture you were to ever give?” Students will vote in February for the faculty they would like to hear. To allow for adequate planning time, nominations must be made by Feb. 2. GPSA looks forward to the address of our voted mentor in the year 2015.

Student Health Insurance: Dependent Coverage, Specialty Rx and Waiver Criteria

Kate Darling of the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) spoke during the GPSA meeting about the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) and the current issues.

The cost of coverage for dependents of UC students is approximately twice as high as the cost of insurance for the students themselves. Prohibitive dependent insurance costs pose a serious financial burden on student caregivers, which may drive some to leave the UC health plan in favor of alternative insurance coverage. UC SHIP is a self-sustaining plan, meaning that maintaining student enrollment is necessary to ensure stable premium costs. UC SHIP is considering cost-sharing strategies to offset the cost of dependent coverage. A UC SHIP premium cost increase of $19–$40 per UC student would make a significant impact on the cost of dependent coverage.

UC SHIP accountants are re-structuring coverage of specialty prescription drug cost. The SHAC would like to hear from students using specialty prescription medications, and how they are affected by the cost of their medication.

Due to implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the UC SHIP updated the insurance waiver criteria to accommodate students who purchased insurance coverage through the exchange. SHAC is looking for experiences students may want to share regarding the new health insurance waiver criteria. Please forward comments to GPSA at gpsa@ucsf.edu

Campus Housing Changes: Term Limits

Cost of living of the area surrounding an educational institution can be an important determinant of which institution a new student will choose to attend. With limited housing options in San Francisco, finding affordable housing close to the UCSF campus is becoming more difficult. Students who move from another area are at a particular disadvantage due to lack of local housing connections.

The UCSF Housing Association is considering implementing changes to housing term limit policy in order to accommodate the growing number of students in need of living spaces in the upcoming years. Currently, residency term limits of up to two years are present for some residents. There is discussion on reducing the limit on stay in UCSF housing to one year, as well as giving priority housing to new incoming students.

According to the recent housing survey sent to all students, most agreed that one year was a sufficient amount of time to adjust to San Francisco. Students agreed that attending UCSF outweighs the cost of living in this city. The deliberations on housing policy continue. Please e-mail GPSA with your input.

Screening of ‘Gravity’: Popcorn and Camaraderie

GPSA may hold an indoor screening of the movie “Gravity” if students show interest in the event. If you and your friend would like to attend this event, please write to GPSA at the e-mail below. Raffle prizes and popcorn will accompany the event.

Transportation Committee Representatives: Seeking Student Reps

The Transportation Committee is looking for students to participate in three lunch meetings: Feb. 19, March 5 and March 19. Students will provide input on how the Transportation Association can best address student transportation needs in the upcoming opening of the UCSF Mission Bay hospital.

Comments? Questions? GPSA Wants to Hear Your Opinion.

If you are moved to take action regarding a student issue or would like to respond to inquiries in this column, e-mail GPSA at gpsa@ucsf.edu. We are listening!

For more information on GPSA-sponsored events and GPSA monthly meetings please visit gpsa.ucsf.edu.