Equitable Health Care for USC Graduate Students

We, the undersigned, would like to demand equitable health care for graduate student employees at the University of Southern California. We define "equitable" as falling within the range of affordability for them, entailing adequate dental and vision care, offering limited transitional coverage upon graduation, and extending the same benefits to dependents for a reasonable price. We recognize the following as examples of USC's deficit:

1. USC's policy year deductible for students is $350. The costs at other schools with comparable endowments, in urban locations, with similar health plans, is less. Princeton's, for example, is $200 (also Aetna), and Rice's is $250 (also Aetna).
2. The cost of enrolling a dependent on USC's annual student health plan is $3192. At Princeton, it is $1450; at Washington University (also Aetna), it is $1588; at Rice, it is $2037. The cost for enrolling a family at USC is $5124; at Princeton, it is $2175.
3. Recently, USC canceled transitional coverage for students, even though it is standard at most research universities. At Washington University, for example, it is offered for up to nine months; at Rice, for six, and at Princeton, for three.
4. Most research universities offer at least one free annual dental exam for students (Stanford, for example) or up to $125 in dental care (Princeton). USC offers neither.

We, as students and their supporters, deeply care about the university and its future. We are making these demands for two fundamental reasons:

1. Because it is unconscionable for USC to deny adequate health care to its employees and their families, as it is currently doing.
2. Because USC cannot remain competitive with other top-tier universities if it continues to adopt this overly frugal approach. Neglecting graduate student health needs amounts to neglecting its first line of faculty employees. The results will invariably be a decline in recruitment and a loss of prestige for the university, as well as a drop in morale and the collective enthusiasm of those who are teaching undergraduates. No one at USC wants to see that happen. But if USC is going to continue neglecting the health needs and families of those it employees, these things will inevitably result.

We trust the administration will see fit to implement a new health policy for graduate students by the start of the 2011 Fall Semester. Specifically, we demand the following:

1. A reduction in the cost of the student health deductible by at least $100.
2. A reduction in the cost of dependent enrollment by at least $1000 for a spouse and $2000 for a family.
3. A more comprehensive vision and dental plan, specifically a dental plan allowing at least $125 in dental care per year or one free annual check-up.
4. The reinstatement of transitional coverage of up to 90 days for students who graduate.
5. All of the preceding without significant changes to the plan's current level of benefits. For example, the 2010 Health Plan marked a decrease in student premiums, but this came at the expense of graduating students, among others, who were denied further coverage. We expect the university to offer comprehensive coverage without exception and analogous to that which is available at other major universities.

Finally, we, as graduate students and their supporters, would like to stress that our campaign does not represent collective bargaining, but merely a plea for what we deem equitable coverage and the fulfillment of the universityвs obligations. We hope the administration will take the appropriate steps to implement these measures by the start of next fall.