"We can’t control our son’s diabetes without this insurance. The administration’s designated broker told us that alternative insurance will cost $3,500 more, and we can’t afford that. Our son’s long-term health is going to suffer because of these changes. We don’t want our son to die in the middle of the night because we can’t afford the technology to monitor his blood sugar.”

Kayleigh Cassella and Arran Phipps

PhD Students in UC Berkeley Physics Department

We are UC Berkeley, and we oppose the Administration’s plans to eliminate health insurance for student dependents! We are families covered by UCB insurance whose health and precarious living are threatened by these cuts. We are students who chose this university, often forgoing better financial offers elsewhere, confident that the University will support us if we start families. We are faculty and staff concerned that this change sends the wrong message to current and future students who make vital contributions to our departments. We are people who care about education concerned that this rash decision will harm vulnerable families and deter many talented scholars and teachers from realizing their potential.*

University administrators decided without due diligence, consultation, or reasonable notice to pull the rug out from under student families who already struggle to survive in the Bay Area.

On April 14th, students who have dependents on UC Berkeley’s health insurance plan (SHIP) received an email announcing that their dependent insurance would be ending in August. The Administration made no effort to discuss these plans with affected student families, or the student parent organization, before the announcement. They also failed to discuss it with the student employee union, UAW 2865, beforehand, as required by the union contract. They made only a perfunctory presentation to the Graduate Assembly and then wrongly claimed in an email to all students that the GA had formally approved the change.

While the Administration chose to believe that all families can easily switch to public insurance plans, they have neither done sufficient research to confirm this, nor consulted AT ALL with the student families who actually use the insurance. In fact, students whose children have severe health issues were told by the University’s designated broker that their costs will double with public insurance, taking into account premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Some students, due to immigration status or other reasons, may not have access to insurance on the state exchange. Many student families depend on providers who do not accept MediCal or exchange plans. Many public plans do not cover vision or dental, which is vital for children.

We call on Chancellor Dirks, Vice Chancellor Wilton, and UHS Director Covello to:

1. Take back the planned cuts. Maintain dependent health coverage.

2. Work with us. Meet with affected students and their

representatives to discuss the future of student family

healthcare at our university.

We worry that UC Berkeley is falling behind our peer institutions when it comes to supporting families and providing adequate dependent coverage. We affirm that diverse life experiences enliven our scholarship and teaching, and that having a family should not block any student from contributing to our public university. Let’s work together to make UC Berkeley a welcoming and supportive place for all student families.

*Signers: please indicate your relationship to UC Berkeley or another UC in your comments!