On April 19 and 20 Sacramento State students will decide if they want a $27 fee increase to maintain the quality of campus health services because “money is running out,” said Student Health Center Director Joyce Harris.

In this year’s Associated Students Inc. general election, the referendum language states the current Mandatory Health Services Fee of $38 would increase 71 percent to $65 per semester in fall 2005. In addition, an annual $2 will be added for five years, which seeks to eventually eliminate the optional augmented health plan fee of $20 per semester, said Josh Wood, ASI president and member of the student fee advisory committee.

Harris called the augmented health plan confusing and said it made sense to eventually get rid of it if the measure passes.

Student Health Center Associate Director Dirk Ruthrauff said the augmented plan, which is optional for students now, would be available for all students if they OK the referendum fee.The augmented plan includes treatments like optometry, physicals, elective immunizations, flu shots and massage therapy, Ruthrauff said.

“We’ve known for a while (that funds were low) but we’ve done a lot to postpone it,” Ruthrauff said.

In 2002, thanks to a state program called Family Pact, which provides qualified students with free prescription drugs and sexually transmitted disease testing, the health center was able to generate $2 million last year and delay a possible fee increase further, Ruthrauff said.

If the referendum doesn’t pass, Harris said there would be significant changes in the way students receive their health care on campus.

If the measure is not successful, students can expect the satellite health center in the University Union, the Student Health Connection, to close, as well as elimination of massage services and the healthy eating and weight programs.

It would also cause a reduction of paid student internships, health outreach programs and staff.

If the referendum passes, Harris said more staff would be hired, hours would increase and things like salary increases would be taken into consideration as well.

“I know not all students have health care coverage, so we are their health care provider,” Harris said.

Wood said that an ASI advisory board last week approved the fee increase because Sac State has one of the lowest fees in the CSU system.

Wood said that this was not an ASI fee increase, and that the fee increase for the health center was an idea that came from President Alexander Gonzalez.

“I think they want to increase fees because they are running out of room (financially),” Wood said.

Wood also said that when the fee was originally established, it was just to kick start the health service program here on campus. He said the health center has been losing money because fees have been stagnant and inflation has played a role.

Harris said that the health center has been looking at the possibility of raising fees for about five years.

Harris said the health center has not asked students to pay more in fees for its services for more than 10 years, and that by fall of 2005, the projected deficit would reach $400,000. Student fee advisory committee member James Shelby II said, “Now the question is for the students. Do they want to incur the extra fee?”

Harris said the referendum could not be released until 30 days prior the election and it first had to be approved by the student health advisory committee, Vice President of Student Affairs Lori Varlotta, the student fee advisory committee and Gonzalez.

Gamaliel Ortiz can be reached at [email protected]