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Student Health Insurance Plan
SHIP Bylaws

Section I: Committee Charter

A. Composition

Voting Members (17)
Non-Voting Members (7)

  1. Voting Members (17)
    • Graduate students (7)
      - Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences
      - Art, Education, Humanities, and Social sciences
      - Biological and Agriculture Sciences
      - Graduate School of Management
      - School of Law
      - School of Veterinary Medicine
      - School of Education
      *one of the seven voting graduate student members will be a voluntary representative to the Health Fee Oversight Committee
    • Undergraduate students (8)
      Eight undergraduate students, with at least one member preferred from each of the following colleges and divisions:
      - College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
      - College of Letters and Science
      - College of Engineering
      - College of Biological Sciences
      One undergraduate student should be a transfer or re-entry student.
      At least four of the eight undergraduate voting members must be enrolled in SHIP.
      One of the eight undergraduate voting members will be a voluntary representative to the Health Fee Oversight Committee.
    • Faculty/Administration (2)
      - Representative, Graduate Studies, Student Support
      - Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
  2. Ex-Officio, non-voting members (7):
    • Cowell Student Health Center (4)
      - Director
      - Director of Clinical Administration
      - Insurance Contracting representative
      - Insurance Services Supervisor (SHIP Committee Secretary)
    • Representative, Financial Aid Office
    • Representative, Student Services Fee Advisory Committee
    • International student or staff representative from Services for International Students (SISS)
    • Representative, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

B. Purpose

The SHIP Committee shall be committed to the maintenance and continual development of the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). The Committee shall develop policy for consistent regulation of the insurance plan and facilitate interaction among the Committee, student representative bodies, and the University administration.

C. Responsibilities

  1. The SHIP Committee, subject to the approval of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, is the decision-making authority for changes in insurers, premiums, benefits, and deductibles of the SHIP.
  2. The Committee shall develop the criteria for waivers of the SHIP. The waivers shall be administered by Cowell Student Health Center, Insurance Services Office (CSHCISO). The Committee shall serve as an appeals board to review disputed waiver decisions made by the CSHCISO.
  3. Two Committee members, one graduate student and one undergraduate student, shall be representatives to the Health Fee Oversight Committee.
  4. Upon termination of the SHIP, all SHIP residuals, if any, shall be directed to fund student health insurance or health care.

D. Selection of Committee Membership

Members are nominated as described below and appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Appointments will be made at the beginning of the academic year and members shall serve a one-year term.

  1. Voting Members

    a. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) shall nominate one graduate student from each of the three major divisions within the Graduate Division according to the by-laws of the GSA.

    • Biological and Agriculture Sciences
    • Art, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    • Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences

    b. The Associated Students of Management (ASM) shall nominate one professional student from the School of Management according to the by-laws of the ASM.

    c. The Law Student Association (LSA) shall nominate one professional student from the School of Law according to the by-laws of the LSA.

    d. The Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medicine Association (SCAVMA) shall nominate one professional student of the School of Veterinary Medicine according to the by-laws of the SCAVMA.

    e. The Education Graduate Students Association shall nominate the School of Education representative to the SHIP Committee according to the bylaws of the EdGSA.

    f. Undergraduate Student Representatives: The SHIP Nominating and Review Subcommittee will form in the spring quarter to interview and recommend the undergraduate student representatives for the following academic year. The Subcommittee will consist of the SHIP Chair, no fewer than two undergraduate student members and one ex-officio member of the SHIP Committee. Undergraduate students interested in serving on the SHIP Committee should apply to the Committee Secretary for an interview at the beginning of spring quarter. The ASUCD Senate may also provide prospective nominees to be interviewed.

    The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall appoint eight (8) of the undergraduate students interviewed to serve as voting members.

    g. Graduate Studies, Student Support, shall nominate one representative.

    h. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall serve on the Committee.

  2. Ex-Officio, Non-voting Members

    a. The following representatives from Cowell Student Health Center shall serve as members:

    • Director
    • Director of Clinical Administration
    • Insurance Contracting representative
    • Insurance Services Supervisor shall serve as the SHIP Committee Secretary

    b. The Financial Aid Office shall nominate one representative.

    c. The Student Services Fee Administrative Advisory Committee shall nominate one representative.

    d. Services for International Students (SISS) shall nominate one international student or staff representative.

    e. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) shall nominate one representative.

E. Reporting

The SHIP Committee shall report directly to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

F. Operational Criteria

  1. Parliamentary authority for the SHIP Committee shall be Robert's Rules of Order, Revised. In the absence of objection by a Committee member, the Chair shall have the authority to suspend these rules.
  2. Meetings of the SHIP Committee shall be public, and notification of regular meeting shall be made five working days in advance. The Committee Chair shall have the discretion to call special meetings with one business day notice.
  3. A quorum shall consist of eight voting members, including at least three undergraduate students and at least three graduate students.
  4. The by-laws may be amended or suspended by nine votes, including at least four undergraduate students and at least four graduate students.
  5. Any action of the Committee shall be by simple majority and subject to approval by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
  6. The SHIP Committee Chair shall be a student elected from among the voting members by a simple majority and shall serve as Committee Chair for a one year term under the provisions of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised. Preference shall be given to a member who has served on the Committee for one year.
  7. Any voting member who resigns or is disqualified by missing four regularly scheduled meetings shall be replaced. The replacement shall be appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and shall serve on the Committee until the next regularly scheduled nomination period.
  8. All SHIP Commmittee members shall annually sign a confidentiality statement, satisfying federal HIPAA privacy requirements regarding the handling of protected health information (PHI).

Section II: Waiver Application and Appeal Process

A. Waiver Application

  1. The student who wants to waive participation in SHIP must complete and submit a "SHIP Waiver Application" to the Cowell Student Health Center (CSHC by the published fee payment deadline. Waiver applications are to be submitted online via the CSHC website. If unable to submit an online waiver application, the student may submit a paper waiver application to the CSHC Insurance Services Office (CSHCISO), to be received or postmarked by the published fee payment deadline. Waivers received after the deadline will not be considered for the current term. Approval of the application is to be based on an objective comparison of the insurance policy currently held by the applicant and the SHIP insurance policy. The insurance policy held by the applicant must provide benefits comparable to the SHIP. Guidelines for comparability to the SHIP are outlined in Section III.
  2. The SHIP Committee has the right to modify waiver guidelines in Section III. All changes to the guidelines will be in effect beginning Fall quarter/semester of the next academic year.
  3. If the waiver application is approved, the student is notified and the waiver is posted to the student's account.
  4. If the waiver application is denied, the student is notified and given information about the opportunity to appeal the denial.

B. Written Appeal of Waiver Denial

  1. A student whose waiver application has been denied and who desires to appeal the denial may make a written appeal to the SHIP Committee. The SHIP Committee will consider appeals for denied waiver applications for the current term only. Appeals for leniency in regard to the deadline for submitting a waiver application will not be considered. Under no circumstances will an appeal be approved if the appellant does not have comparable alternative health care coverage. The written appeal is to consist of the following items:
    • "Waiver Denial" (provided by CSHC). This form explains why the waiver was denied and is of use to the Committee in evaluating an appeal.
    • "Appeal of Waiver Denial" form, completed by the appellant. The argument for the appeal is to be limited to the front and back of the "Appeal of Waiver Denial" form and is to be typed, double-spaced.
    • Any supporting documentation that will enable the student to make a sound case for appeal and that will help the Committee to evaluate the appeal.
  2. The appeal is to be turned in to the CSHCISO and must be received within two weeks of the date of notice of denial. Appeals for denied waiver applications for terms previous to the current term will not be considered. The CSHCISO will then make necessary arrangements to evaluate the appeal.
  3. At the discretion of the SHIP Committee a subcommittee consisting of the Chair and no fewer than two voting members and one ex-officio member of the SHIP Committee may evaluate a written appeal.
  4. Copies of the written appeal will be made available to all subcommittee members for review at the subcommittee meeting.
  5. The evaluation of the appeal is to be based on the comparability guidelines in effect at the time of the original waiver application, as outlined in Section III.
  6. A simple majority vote of the Committee or subcommittee is required to render a binding decision. Only voting members of the SHIP Committee or subcommittee may vote on the written appeal.
  7. If the appeal is approved, a "Waiver Approval" will be completed by the SHIP Committee Secretary and mailed to the student. The Committee Secretary will also prepare a report and send it to Student Accounting to ensure that the student's account is properly credited.
  8. If the appeal is denied the SHIP Committee Secretary will draft a letter informing the appellant that:
    • The appeal was denied.
    • Further appeal to the SHIP Committee is possible.
    • Further appeal will require an oral hearing with the SHIP Committee.
    • This letter is to be typed and mailed to the student by the SHIP Committee secretary and signed by the Committee Chair. The letter will provide information about how to proceed with an oral appeal.
  9. All written appeal decisions of a subcommittee are to be discussed at the next scheduled SHIP Committee meeting so that future subcommittees can render consistent decisions.

C. Oral Appeal of Waiver Denial

  1. A student whose written appeal has been denied and who desires to make an oral appeal should notify the SHIP Committee Secretary, who will then include the oral appeal on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled SHIP meeting. Should the appellant not be available at the time of the next meeting, the Committee Secretary will make a reasonable attempt to find a time that is convenient for the Committee as well as the appellant.
  2. A quorum of the SHIP Committee is required to hear an oral appeal.
  3. Copies of the written appeal and the written appeal denial letter shall be made available to the entire Committee for review at the oral appeal.
  4. At the discretion of the Committee the proceedings of the oral appeal may be tape recorded if the appellant has no objections.
  5. The appellant is to confine his/her oral appeal to a statement/argument of less than 20 minutes. Subsequent to the oral presentation, the Committee will have the opportunity to question the appellant regarding his/her appeal. The Committee may also request further documentation or information from the appellant. Finally, the appellant will have the opportunity to make a closing statement. The Committee may render a decision at this time or may choose to render a decision at a later time.
  6. If the oral appeal is approved, a "Waiver Approval" will be mailed to the student and the waiver will be posted to the student's account.
  7. If the oral appeal is denied, the SHIP Committee Secretary will draft a letter to the appellant detailing why the appeal was denied. This letter is to be signed by the SHIP Committee Chair. Following the procedures outlined in this section, the decision of the Committee is final.

Section III: Waiver Guidelines

IN ORDER FOR A MEDICAL PLAN TO BE CONSIDERED COMPARABLE TO SHIP, IT MUST MEET ALL OF THESE THREE CRITERIA:

  1. The medical plan must be provided by a recognized company or government agency that is owned, headquartered and operated in the United States. Foreign insurance plans with U.S. affiliates/representatives, travel insurance plans and reimbursement programs of any kind do not qualify, including reimbursement arrangements of vouchers for home governments or their U.S.-based consulates.
  2. A covered primary care provider must be available within 175 miles of Davis.
  3. A covered emergency care provider must be available within 30 miles of Davis.

THE PLAN MUST ALSO MEET AT LEAST TWO OF THESE THREE CRITERIA:

  1. Maximum Annual Out-Of-Pocket Expenses and Deductible:
    not to exceed $5000.
  2. Maximum Lifetime Benefit: at least $400,000.
  3. Level of Coverage: at least 80% of

    a. Hospital--room, board, operating room, special care units, general nursing services, supplies, extras, outpatient services (including services of an outpatient surgical center).

    b. Professional Services--anesthesia, surgical, radiation therapy and physicians visits.

 

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