*sign the petition here*
Intro:
The purpose of this document is to provide information about the new UHS policy that removes STI testing from student healthcare coverage. The document contains email templates for you to take further action. To fully view the document outline: In the top bar, click “View”, then “View Document outline” to click on the different sections so that you don’t have to scroll. This document is editable to anyone who wishes to add information.
[image description: Edited picture of an official university blue tshirt with a yellow block M that reads in all caps “Number One Public University in Student Chlamydia.” The “Number one” is in white, and the “public university” is in yellow. The “in student chlamydia” is in a brighter yellow font, to show that it was edited onto the image.]
Outline of the document (In the top bar, click “View”, then “View Document outline” to click on the different sections so that you don’t have to scroll)
- Michigan Daily Article
- Background Info
- STI resources outside of UHS
- Email Templates
Michigan Daily Article by reporter Catherine Nouhan:
UHS official statement with details on the change:
https://uhs.umich.edu/article/insurance-billing-changes-u-m-students-start-july
Background Info:
Recently, the University of Michigan Health Service decided to cut their service for STI testing, which was previously covered under student health insurance. Instead, it will be billed through outside insurance, which will drastically limit access - to students who don’t have insurance, and to students who cannot have STI testing billed to their parents’ insurance for them to see. Robert Ernst has stated that students should pay $1700 a year for private insurance to be separate from their parents, a classist solution which we know is inaccessible and unfeasible for many.
To be clear: this is a socioeconomic justice issue, a queer issue, and a racial justice issue because those groups are historically left at the margins in this kind of healthcare.
This change affects all lab work, not just STI testing. It will also therefore disproportionately affect some people with chronic illnesses who need regular testing, as well as people on some medications such as PrEP and HRT, which also require regular testing.
Let UM Admin know your thoughts below (if you sent an email, feel free to copy & paste to add a new template!).
STI Resources
A few resources on where to get Free/Low Cost STD testing in the Ann Arbor area:
Washtenaw County Health Department
Services:
- STI screening, testing and treatment, results available in 7 to 10 days or sooner
- STI testing is available to anyone 13 years and older without parental consent. For children under age 13, please call for individual assessment
- Free HIV testing. Rapid HIV testing provides results in 20 minutes. Anonymous HIV testing available
- Hepatitis B and C testing
- Vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus or HPV
- PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis, a prevention option for people at high risk of getting HIV
- Free condoms
- Free pregnancy testing
- Birth control counseling and some birth control options
- Pap smears for women with Medicaid
- Education and outreach
- Court-ordered testing
***You will have to bring proof of income or inability to pay for services or office visit. HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea are free for under 30.
Email Templates
Let UM Admin know your thoughts below (if you sent an email, feel free to copy & paste to add a new template!):
All emails: presoff@umich.edu, mrunge@umich.edu, robernst@umich.edu
President Schlissel: presoff@umich.edu
Marschall Runge (EVP for Medical Affairs): mrunge@umich.edu
Robert Ernst: robernst@umich.edu
Sexual Assault Survivor Template:
Whichever template you use, please consider adding a line or two about the additional impact on sexual assault survivors on campus! From (my) larger email:
First, I must urge you not to ignore the new barriers this policy reversal places in front of survivors of sexual assault. While STI panels will still be available through UHS's Sexual Assault Exam program, this free program is only offered to parties who (a) identify themselves to UHS as victims of sexual assault and (b) conduct the exam within 120 hours of their assault. Given the unique pressures and trauma experienced by student victims of sexual assault, this quick timeframe will likely leave many survivors unable to access necessary STI tests.
I beg you not to support a policy that worsens the already abysmal statistics on the underreporting of sexual assault on college campuses.
Template 1:
Hello,
My name is [name] and I am [affiliation with UM or community]. I am writing about the recent policy change in the University of Michigan Health Services in which they decided to cut their service for free STI testing. Instead, it will be billed through insurance, which will drastically limit access - to students who don’t have insurance, and to students who cannot have STI testing billed to their parents’ insurance for them to see. Robert Ernst has stated that students should pay $1700 a year for private insurance to be separate from their parents, a classist solution which we know is inaccessible and unfeasible for many.
To be clear: this is a socioeconomic justice issue, a queer issue, and a racial justice issue because those groups are historically left at the margins in this kind of healthcare.
This policy will do nothing to cut costs - instead, limiting STI services in the past has resulted in an increase in STIs. We demand that you re-offer free STI testing.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Example 4: To President Schlissel from a faculty member
Hello,
By now you have begun hearing from students about the dangerous, costly and tone deaf decision to remove STI screenings from UHS coverage. They want you to reverse this decision immediately as do I.
As a faculty member let me add my voice in support of this demand (not a request-it is far too important to the lives of many of our students to be polite about). We recognize that our students are under stress in many ways. We have many initiatives, either in place or being considered, to alleviate at least some of the stressors so why, in the name of all that is good and loving, do you act to add to the stress?
Please act responsibly now to retract this unfortunate and dangerous decision and do so publicly. There is much to be gained in credibility, demonstrating servant leadership and strengthening the fragile bonds between students and the University.
We are better than this.
Best,
[your name]
From former UofM student:
Dear ***,
It is with great disbelief and disappointment that I am writing in concern of my Alma Mater’s recent decision to supersede student wellness for self-serving insurance profits. I am a [current involvement]. However, it is beyond my ability to understand any logic behind this decision as more than acting to the benefit of the University over that of the student body.
It is a discredit to a public institution that claims to benefit the state when it redacts tuition-based STD testing and places the onus on students to either afford out-of-pocket costs, insurance premiums or limit protection under HIPAA standards. It cannot be emphasized enough that this decision will cause incredible harm to many students - disproportionately low income or marginalized voices.
This is not a cost savings decision, it is a cost inflating decision — those inflated costs are simply transferred to our most vulnerable and marginalized. Going against standard practice to provide STD testing to all students and favoring those privileged with access to health insurance is a distasteful disservice to the public’s health and UHS’ model of care. I fear the rise in STIs across campus as students get screenings at lower rates and am frustrated by the massive unforced setback this will inflict on the university's DEI efforts.
As someone who cares about both students and the University of Michigan, it is painfully obvious that this decision will cause harm that far exceeds the $150,000 that will apparently be saved in costs.
I hope the University will take action to listen to its student body, faculty and staff as they continue working towards the betterment of our community.
Best regards,
[your name]
Another Example from an Alum
Dear [insert name].
I am reaching out to you as a University of Michigan Alumni, I was [involved in whatever you did on campus].
Unfortunately, I am writing to you under upsetting circumstances. I am deeply frustrated and saddened by a recent decision in the university. Today's announcement that UHS will no longer cover STI tests for students is extremely troubling. In exchange for a relatively small cost savings, this decision will cause incredible harm to many of our students and the Ann Arbor community. We must consider the population and environment, U of M caters to. College students often engage in risky sexual behaviors. That's a fact. I truly fear the rise in STIs across campus as students will be less likely to get screenings.
As U of M has been working towards Diversity Equity and Inclusion and proudly advertising their DEI efforts, I worry that this is a major setback. I cannot and do not see how this decision is supportive to your poor or low socioeconomic students who RELY on UHS health care coverage. This is a classism issue. Another community to worry about are those who have susceptible to HIV/AIDs. We know that Black women on our campus are already facing a lot of discrimination, and we also know that there are high rates of HIV for Black Women. This is a racial justice issue. As a member of the queer community, I know that my community is deeply impacted by HIV. When we look at history, many queer and trans people have DIED from HIV/AIDS. We know that STI screenings and PrEP go along way. STI testing saves lives. This is a queer justice issue. I do not want my communities to be harmed by this horrible decision. If we want to use DEI as a pitch point, we need to be very honest about the harm we are causing to our most vulnerable communities on campus. Students like me would have been so impacted by this decision, and I cannot imagine what is going to happen to poor, queer and trans, and students of color on campus.
$150,000 is not worth the harm it will cause to the student body and the university as a whole. On top of that, I cannot fathom how the saved costs will be worth it. It seems quite illogical to cut costs on STI screenings for college students. This is a public health concern.
I urge you to quickly remedy this major issue, as this will greatly change the scope of health care and illness on U of M's campus. Thank you for considering my concerns. I hope you listen to those who are reaching out to you in concern! Please help support those who need it most.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Example from SPH alum:
Good [morning/afternoon],
My name is [name] and I am a proud alumn[a/us] of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. I am writing about the recent University Health Services policy change to cut their service for free lab testing, including screening for sexually transmitted infections. Instead, these services will be billed through insurance, with the effect of drastically limiting access to care for students who don’t have insurance, as well as for students on a parent's insurance who do not want their parents to see STI testing included on mailed Explanation of Benefits statements. Robert Ernst has suggested that students pay $1700 each year for their own insurance, a solution that is inaccessible and unfeasible for many low-income students, not to mention an unreasonably high price to pay for sexual health screenings.
Equitable access to sexual health services is a socioeconomic justice issue, a racial justice issue, and an LGBTQ+ issue; these groups are disproportionately affected by STIs, largely due to barriers to accessing STI prevention services, screening, and treatment. Offering free screening and treatment is a cost-effective, evidence-based strategy for controlling the spread of STIs among the student body. The University of Michigan has put a lot of effort and funding into much-needed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives over the last several year, so it is inexplicable that it would introduce such a backwards policy change.
Opting to bill insurance for lab tests like STI screening is not a smart way to cut costs. Limiting access to STI testing will likely result in an increase in both incidence and prevalence of STIs. Limiting access to other lab tests, while not the focus of this email, will also disproportionately affect uninsured and under-insured students (e.g. those who must meet a deductible before having coverage for care, including lab tests). Please act responsibly now to retract this inequitable, dangerous decision, and do so publicly, to recommit to the health and safety of your student body.
[Sign-off & signature]
Example 5: To President Schlissel from a current student
Hello,
My name is [name] and I am [affiliation with UM or community]. I am writing about the recent policy change in the University of Michigan Health Services in which they decided to cut their service for free STI testing. Instead, it will be billed through insurance, which will drastically limit access to all students including myself - to students who don’t have insurance, and to students who cannot have STI testing billed to their parents’ insurance for them to see. Robert Ernst has stated that students should pay $1700 a year for private insurance to be separate from their parents, a classist solution which we know is inaccessible and unfeasible for many. As a student who already pays [in state or out of state tuition amount] per year, I am horrified to hear that a potential addition cost is being added that could impact not only my health but the health of all my peers.
This is not a cost savings decision, it is a cost inflating decision — those inflated costs are simply transferred to our most vulnerable and marginalized. Going against standard practice to provide STD testing to all students and favoring those privileged with access to health insurance is a distasteful disservice to the public’s health and UHS’ model of care. This decision will disproportionately affect low income students, who will have the hardest time getting access to medical care when their preventable STIs develop into much more serious medical conditions.
STI testing is already stigmatized on campus, and I fear that a rise in STI rates across campus will be an outcome of this disappointing and dangerous decision. We, as students, respectfully ask that you publicly retract this decision and provide free STI testing under UHS services. If we want to continue to call ourselves the leaders and the best, we must also provide the best for our community.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Example 6: to administration from a current student
Hello,
My name is [name] and I am a [year] in the [college]. I am writing about the recent policy change in the University of Michigan Health Services in which they decided to cut their service for STI testing included in student tuition.
As a student seeing all of the construction occurring on campus, I cannot help but wonder how the university cannot afford to include crucial laboratory tests for student health but can afford to re-do the Michigan Union and buildings on all four corners of the Diag. There are student priorities that are not being taken into account, and with the cost of STI testing averaging as less than the cost of re-doing the block M in the Diag alone, this cut sends a clear message that the university does not prioritize student health or value those who cannot afford tests through private insurance.
Laboratory tests (which include more than just STI testing) will now be billed to personal insurance, though many students cannot afford private insurance — and even those who do have this privilege may not want their parents to see what is being billed, especially in the case of STDs/STIs. Students should have access to the health care they pay for and be able to trust that they have a confidential place to receive it.
This new policy will widen the health disparities between marginalized communities who have faced institutional issues and are predisposed to a lower socioeconomic status (students of color, the LGBTQ+ community, etc.), thus have less access to private insurance. This policy will do nothing to cut costs — instead, limiting STI services in the past has only resulted in an increase in STIs.
We demand that you re-offer STI testing included in student tuition to ensure the U-M community is safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
[your name]