Students can look forward to paying the same amount--or less--for medical care next year, Director of University Health Services, Dr. David Rosenthal said last night at a forum sponsored by the Student Health Advisory Council (SHAC).

At the forum, which attracted about 15 students, Dr. Rosenthal noted that the required fee for students will remain at its current level--$634--for the next academic year, while the fee for the optional University Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan will drop by 6 per cent, from $600 to $566.

"[The required fee] will stay the same despite the 5 per cent increase in tuition, and, of course, rising health care costs," Rosenthal said.

According to Rosenthal, the required fee covers all UHS services except eye care, dental care, and durable medical equipment such as crutches. In addition, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan, which students can waive, covers hospitalization, outside consultations, and out-of-area coverage.

Last night's event was part of an ongoing effort by UHS and SHAC to make students aware of the services available to them, and to address their concerns and questions, Rosenthal said.

"We're here to provide you with the care you need," he told the audience of mostly students. "The trick is that there is a such a terrific variety of [types of] care you need."

Rosenthal also noted that students are not the only ones who rely on UHS for their medical care. Besides covering 20,000 students, UHS also provides services for "faculty, staff and retirees who continue to live in the Boston area."

Citing a 1992 survey of its patients, Rosenthal noted that when asked how they would rate the quality of care they received, 54 per cent classified it as "good to excellent," 33 percent as "fair," and ten per cent classified it as "poor".

According to Rosenthal, the most important factor in determining patient satisfaction was whether or not they had a consistent relationship with a primary care technician.

"There were people coming one day and seeing one clinician, then coming in the next day with the same condition and seeing another one, and again the next day with a third one," Rosenthal said. "Those people who had [the same] primary care technician ranked their services at the `good to excellent' level as opposed to the `fair' or `poor' level."

Rosenthal stressed the importance of consistently seeing one clinician. "You are going to be here for at least four years--I think it's important to establish a primary care relationship," he said. "[It is] this continuity of health care that will get people better faster."

As to the future, Rosenthal cited a number of potential improvements, including expanded hours for clinics, a student HMO and an eye care plan.

In addition, Rosenthal addressed students' frequent requests for a dental plan, noting that for such a plan to work, many people would have to take part.

"Obviously, the people that are going to do it are people who need a lot of dental care," he said. "But you need a lot of people to even it out and to help spread-out the cost."

The biggest suggestion that Rosenthal had for students was to be aware of the services available, from the twenty-four hour mental health service to UHS's full-time Patient Advocate, Kathleen Dias.

Dias, an employee of UHS whose responsibility is to voice patients' concerns, works hand-in-hand with SHAC.

"We try to link the student body to UHS through such programs as information seminars," said SHAC Co-Chair Suresh N. Magge '96.

These seminars, of which last nights' forum was one, this year have included discussions of: stress management, sleep deprivation, self defense, and physical relaxation techniques.

In addition to offering seminars, SHAC provides another opportunity for students to express their opinion of the health care they are receiving. "We have two boxes in UHS...so if you have any questions or complaints, fill out a form, and someone from our group will check the box that evening and get in touch with you, hopefully that night" said Magge, who is also a Crimson editor.

"Everything is expressly confidential and nothing is to be discussed," added Co-Chair Sahil A. Parikh `95. "We will never leave a message with a roommate."

Magge expressed his satisfaction with last night's forum. "Tonight's event really spoke to our purpose," he said. "To link the student body to UHS."

Parikh was equally pleased. "If we helped one or two people to better utilize the health services, then we accomplished what we wanted to do."