Parents & Family Members

Welcome to the University of Florida and the Student Health Care Center. Our mission is to help your student remain healthy while here at UF. We know it can be difficult sending your student off to school, so remember: We are here to help!

Click here to read about information privacy and security at the SHCC, as well as review our JOINT NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES AND NOTICE OF ORGANIZED HEALTH CARE ARRANGEMENT.

Helpful SHCC website links

Listserv communication

The SHCC realizes that parents play an integral role in their student’s health. Through our parent/family member listserv, you’ll receive regular e-mails with information about SHCC events, changes in services and any significant health risks in the Gainesville community.

Subscribe by sending an e-mail to listserv@lists.ufl.edu. The subject should be blank.
The body of the message should be: subscribe studenthealth-l firstname lastname

Medical records privacy

As a parent, you’ve been involved in the health care of your child since day one. Due to federal privacy laws, however, the SHCC may not communicate with anyone other than the patient about their care without their express permission. But sometimes a phone call is all it takes to stay in the know. To help both you and your student adjust, we recommend regular communication via phone or e-mail to discuss your student’s health and well-being.

  • In accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the SHCC may not release information about medical care for any student 18 or over without express permission from the patient. (By law, medical records for patients 17 and under are available to parents/legal guardians.)
  • Should a patient 18 or over wish to release specific medical information to a third party, such as a parent or family member, they should inform their health care provider during or immediately after their visit. As each visit is treated individually, the patient must inform their health care provider of their wishes at each visit.

For most parents/legal guardians, your role has changed dramatically, from 24/7 parenting to advisor. Take a moment to review these additional, sometimes unexpected, ways the law and your child’s 18th birthday may affect you as a parent/legal guardian. (Information adapted from Jackie Burrell, About.com Guide, “Happy 18th Birthday from the Parent Perspective.”)

  • Financial privacy: Your child’s credit card balance or financial account status with his or her college or bank is as private as yours. You may still have access to any joint accounts you’ve set up with them, but no college purser or bank officer will break confidentiality laws for your teen’s private accounts. Most colleges, however, offer teens the option of granting their parents access to tuition and housing bills. (P.S. Most also allow teens to charge books, sweatshirts and other campus bookstore purchases to their campus accounts, so setting guidelines is a good idea.)
  • Grades and academic records: Your son or daughter’s relationship with professors and college administrators is also private. Paying your child’s college tuition does not give you access to their grades, or grant you permission to speak to teachers on their behalf. If your child asks you to intervene on their behalf academically, talk with them first to see if they’ve pursued all available communication options prior to coming to you.

Chronic illnesses

We realize many students may have to deal with a chronic illness while away from home. If your student has a chronic illness that needs to be managed regularly, the SHCC can provide most services to treat them.

Talk to your student about scheduling an initial appointment with their pre-assigned medical team to discuss treatment. (Your student may find out to which team they are assigned by calling (352) 392-1161, then entering 3 and following the recorded instructions.) If we cannot treat your student at the SHCC, we will refer them to a qualified community provider.

Fees and payment for services

Costs vary depending on the services provided. Please review the following information about our fees for services. For more detailed information, visit our Fees for Services, Billing Information, Health Insurance Options areas.

  • The per-credit-hour student health fee, paid as part of tuition, covers the co-pay associated with most SHCC office visits.
  • Charges are assessed for things like medical equipment, X-rays, laboratory work, procedures and visits with specialists.
    • Charges are assessed for medical services rendered via phone, such as advice or prescriptions, only if the call is initiated by the patient and if SHCC staff are able to render said services via phone, thereby saving the patient an in-office visit.
    • The SHCC Laboratory charges a $15 handling fee for both in-house and outside tests. This fee is not covered by any insurance policy and is billed directly to the patient’s UF account.
  • Unless otherwise requested (for example, the student wishes to self-pay), the insurance company on file is billed for the cost of the visit and any additional services.
    • Although SHCC Patient Financial Services (Phone: 352-273-4546 or e-mail: insurance@shcc.ufl.edu) is here to help, it is the patient’s responsibility to know what their insurance policy covers — and the patient is ultimately liable for any charges not covered by insurance. Use the toll-free number on the insurance card to find out policy benefits in detail from the insurance company in advance of care.
  • Patients may be charged a no-show fee if they fail to arrive before the end of a scheduled appointment or fail to cancel within 24 hours of certain types of appointments, such as minor surgery, specialist visits and women’s health.

Both private and university-sponsored health insurance plans are accepted for most medical services, and the SHCC Pharmacy also accepts a limited number of prescription plans. Charges not covered by insurance will post to the patient’s UF account, which can only be paid at Criser Hall or online at www.isis.ufl.edu. Accounts must be paid in full by the end of each semester or your student may not be able to register for future classes or graduate, if applicable.

Health insurance coverage

Though not required to access our services, the university and the SHCC strongly encourage all students to carry some form of health insurance coverage. In addition to the SHCC accepting many private health insurance plans for most medical services, UF sponsors low-cost health insurance plans designed to cover most SHCC services, which may be more cost effective than keeping your student on your private insurance. Visit our Health Insurance Options area for more information.

  • NOTE: University-sponsored plans do not replace GatorGradCare, which is only available to graduate students on appointment.

If your employment situation is changing and you’re involuntarily losing health insurance coverage, you may be eligible to purchase UF’s student health insurance plan due to your circumstances. Your next steps might be confusing, so here are some things to consider:

  • Don’t delay your decision. A break in coverage of more than 60 days may prevent coverage for pre-existing conditions.
  • You must enroll in the University of Florida student health insurance plan within 31 days of losing your other coverage.
  • The annual student health insurance premium may cost less than COBRA premiums; however, since coverage differs among health plans, both premium costs and benefit designs (including issues such as plan maximums, exclusions and limitations) are important factors to consider when comparing plans.