California Students for CARE is working to make student health insurance more affordable, predictable, and transparent through the proposed CAMPUS CARE Act.
The core pillars of what we believe every student deserves when required to purchase health coverage.
Students shouldn't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket before their student health plan begins paying for covered care.
Students should know the exact dollar amount they will owe for covered care instead of being surprised by confusing, percentage-based coinsurance.
If a campus health center cannot provide a medically necessary service, going to an in-network provider off-campus should not automatically cost the student more.
Students should receive meaningful, written information about their expected out-of-pocket costs before they receive scheduled, nonemergency care.
The CAMPUS CARE Act would establish statewide standards for student health coverage, including $0 deductibles, predictable copays, campus-equivalent cost sharing, referral protections, and new protections against unexpected student health bills.
Read the Bill DetailsYou seek help at your campus health center.
The campus center cannot provide the specific medically necessary service you need.
You are officially referred to an off-campus provider within your network.
You are not financially penalized for having to leave campus. You pay exactly what you would have paid on campus.
Before you receive scheduled care, you deserve to know what you're expected to pay. It’s that simple.
Students can request an estimate of expected out-of-pocket costs before scheduled, nonemergency care.
Covered services use clear, fixed-dollar copayments rather than unpredictable percentage-based coinsurance.
Students referred off campus because their health center cannot provide a service should not automatically pay more.
When an insurer provides a written estimate, students should not later receive a materially higher bill based on the same information unless an exception applies under the law.
Students should have a clear, accessible process for challenging an improper charge.
Your campus health center cannot provide the specific medically necessary service you require.
Your campus health center officially refers you to an in-network provider off-campus.
You receive the service without being charged more than the standard campus-equivalent cost.
The Policy Detail:
A campus referral creates a presumption that the service was unavailable through the student health center. The burden of rebutting that presumption falls on the insurer, not the student.
The CAMPUS CARE framework also calls for equivalent protections for students enrolled in the University of California's self-funded student health program, using conditions attached to specified General Fund appropriations to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Legal Context
The CAMPUS CARE Act does not attempt to place a federally preempted self-funded plan under state insurance regulation. Instead, the proposed legislation uses the state's appropriations authority to encourage compliance with equivalent student protections where legally permissible.
Health insurance should not add another layer of uncertainty to a student's life.
Join the coalition. Educate your campus. Advocate for transparency. No political donations required.
California Students for CARE is a student-focused advocacy organization working to educate Californians about student health insurance and advocate for policies that make required student health coverage more predictable, transparent, and accessible.
"We believe students should be able to understand what their health care will cost, access medically necessary care without unnecessary financial barriers, and receive clear information about their coverage."
I am a political science major at the University of California, Riverside, and I founded California Students for CARE after experiencing firsthand the confusion and financial strain of navigating required student health insurance.
I was told a simple, medically-necessary MRI would cost me a $200 deductible with my UCSHIP plan, plus a 10% coinsurance, simply because my campus health center doesn't have an MRI machine. I was also forced to pay a copay for a specialist visit because the campus health center didn't have that specialist on-campus. That copay was confusing in itself—the health center told me it would be $17 per visit, but my insurance card said $20.
I believe that all health insurance needs to be reformed, but we need to start with protecting our students. Our generation is already facing unprecedented costs for higher education. The last thing we need is a surprise medical bill for care we thought was covered.
Contact me directly"Campus Access, Medical Predictability, and University Student Cost Equity Act"
This legislation is currently in the proposal phase. We are actively working with legislative authors and sponsors to introduce the bill to the California State Legislature.
Download Policy Brief(It's a "one-pager" that magically became a little longer. Condensing California healthcare law is harder than finding parking at UC at noon!)
Students can bring the CAMPUS CARE conversation to their campus by educating fellow students and connecting organizations with us.
Organize an informational session on your campus to discuss student health insurance rights.
Distribute the Student Bill of Rights and educational materials around campus.
Liaise with your student government to pass a supportive campus resolution.
No. The proposal specifically addresses student health insurance coverage associated with higher-education enrollment.
No. The proposal allows predictable fixed-dollar copayments while prohibiting deductibles and confusing percentage-based coinsurance.
The proposed legislation would seek equivalent UC protections through conditions attached to specified General Fund appropriations, subject to state and federal law.
No. The bill does not eliminate lawful prior-authorization. Furthermore, referral protections would not require students to obtain a campus referral before receiving emergency care.
Our credibility is built around transparency. As a grassroots advocacy group, we believe in open access to our policy documents, legislative drafts, and research sources.
Contact us for disclosures