BURLINGTON, VT — MRSA, Swine Flu, Avian Flu, and the common cold have swept the United States into a frenzy of precaution, anxiety, and health care concerns. With these infections and viruses running amuck Burlingtonians must find a solution to their worries. Each September, roughly 17,000 college students move to the Burlington area and with them comes their coughing and sneezing. These students spend thousands of dollars on tuition each year to become a part of the Burlington community and have a difficult time on their own trying to find affordable health care.
Nichole Magoon, Senior Graphic Design major at Champlain College pays $25,000 a year to attend. She says, “I know that most of my tuition is covered in Scholarships and Loans, but I can't afford health care trying to go to school full time and hold a job at the same time.”
Like other students, Magoon has a part time job as well as earning 15 credits per semester. The college does have an option for an affordable health insurance; the two plans, A and B, through Consolidated Health Services are offered to students who live on campus but do not have health insurance through their parents or their work. Plan A is a minimal plan that covers accidental Insurance and a small deductible towards office visits and prescriptions while Plan B is an all inclusive plan and is required for all radiography students as well as an option for students of other majors.
Magoon, who recently had blood work done during a physical, states, “Consolidated Health services covered almost half of the cost of the blood work, it was still expensive, but it would have definitely been worse without the Plan A that I have through Champlain.”
Local hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, also has a plan for affordable health care. For all Patients that do not have insurance, there is a 49 percent discount on the total hospital bill. For patients whose bill may still be a bit too expensive, there is the Financial Assistance Program. The program was designed to allow the patient to either gain a discount due to financial history and credit as well as put themselves on a payment plan that is both affordable and conducive to their lifestyle.
Amanda Wheeler, who lives in Addison County, has experienced the Fletcher Allen financial assistance program when she became ill at home in late October. In Addison County, the local hospital is closed on weekends so the residents of the area have to drive to Burlington to receive care. Suffering from a severe infection, Wheeler faced over $1000 in hospital bills between the physician fees and the hospital fees. Without Insurance, Ms. Wheeler had no choice but to apply for the Financial Assistance.
“I had no idea how I was going to pay these bills on top of preparing for my wedding and supporting myself and my fiancé. They told me that the Financial Assistance program could potentially wipe out 75% of my bill.”
Fletcher Allen was unable to answer questions regarding the program due to inconvenient scheduling conflicts.
“From what I understand, the program takes into account your yearly income as well as your bank information.” In other words, like many other organizations that are non-profit such as Planned Parenthood and sliding scale clinics, the program determines what amount of your bill should be covered by their funds and how much should come out of your own pocket.
Aside from the local hospitals there are many walk-in clinics that provide sliding scale payment plans for the patients that need care but can't afford to go to a hospital. Fanny Allen Walk-In clinic is a sister branch from Fletcher Allen and features medical students from the college. They take your basic information and provide services much like the hospital but at a much more affordable rate.
According to a front desk representative who wishes to remain anonymous, Fanny Allen offers everything from x-rays to physicals and even some minor surgeries. The only service that is not offered, however, are ambulance trips.
“I went in for an ear infection and I had to wait a very long time to be seen, but it only cost me a third of the price that it would have cost me if I had gone to Fletcher Allen,” says Magoon.
Planned Parenthood is a nationwide organization, funded by region that provides services to teens and young adults at affordable prices. From providing birth control methods such as Orthotricyclin-Lo(the pill), the Depo shot, and the Mirena method, all the way to assisting with family planning, STD testing, and termination of pregnancy.
Wheeler also has experience with Planned Parenthood as well. “When I was 16, I went to Planned Parenthood to get Birth Control to monitor my menstrual cycle. My mother was uncomfortable with the idea but I was able to take care of everything myself because of the patient-doctor confidentiality.”
Regardless of whether you're an independent student or young adult, or a family of four, there are resources that can help. Waiting to get help can be potentially dangerous to health and symptoms that seem unimportant may become very serious.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Parking Problems Persist, But Officials Working Toward a Solution by Anthony Carace
BURLINGTON, VT - Many citizens living in Burlington regard the parking situation as a dire one. With so many people competing for spaces, so few driveways for residents to harbor their vehicles in, and so many students with so little money to pay for a zone pass, there is no doubt that finding a place to park can be a laborious struggle. However, it is not as severe as most may fool themselves into believing. In a city that values walking and public transportation as highly as Burlington does, parking is an issue that can be easily remedied.
For those who prefer to go by car, on the other hand, searching for a space can be quite the hassle. The problem stems, at least partly, from the almost 20,000 students who migrate to the city each fall. While most freshmen don’t bring their cars during freshman year, many upperclassmen do, and they put considerable pressure on Burlington Parking Enforcement and campus security. Champlain College has specific parking zones for campus residents, yet these continually conflict with Burlington live-in residents. It became such an issue that “Burlington residents actually complained to the police department,” said Carl Riden, Associate Director of Public Safety at Champlain College. Most cities have a first-come-first-served policy in regards to the spaces that can be occupied. Burlington, on the other hand, has adopted an unorthodox system in which year-round citizens have priority over parking spaces. And while students may purchase parking permits from the College for $100, zone violations are a persistent problem. “We ticket between 125 and 150 people a week,” said Riden.
The resident-only zones occupy a considerable portion of the streets in Burlington, and they have hours set from 6 AM to 6 PM depending on the area; however, there is ample room for Champlain students to park. UVM, on the other hand, has no parking restrictions. Students and commuters are allowed to park wherever they can find a space, excluding lots on the UVM campus. “UVM has always placed more demand on parking availability than Champlain,” said Riden. Indeed, the student and faculty population of UVM far exceeds that of Champlain, so it seems only natural that the University would have a greater need for parking spaces in and around the campus.
The Gilbane Parking Lot, located on Lakeside Avenue, offers year round service for those who need a place to stow their car for the day. An added benefit is that the lot offers a shuttle to commute Champlain students to and from campus.
Educational facilities such as Champlain and UVM account for only a fraction of the Burlington parking problem, however. Certain streets, such as South Union and South Winooski, just on the outskirts of the downtown area, are available for whomever to park their vehicles during the day, and there are several garages where people can park for free for the first two hours, after which an hourly fee is added. Unfortunately for commuters who travel to Burlington for work, these spaces fill up quickly. The end result is more ticketing and regulation by Burlington Parking Enforcement.
As for Burlington Parking Enforcement, Parking Manager John King says that he sees no real conflict between live-in citizens and those students who have cars and need places to park them. “The real trouble is downtown, where space is somewhat limited,” said King. “You can definitely park on Main Street…just don’t expect to get a space right in front of the business you’re trying to enter.”
While tickets will forever be a punishment for illegitimate parking, King noted that ticketing has gone down considerably in recent years. The ticketing records are kept by fiscal years, beginning on July 1st and ending June 30th the following year. “In 2005-2006, there were 84,000 tickets issued, and there were only 63,000 for the 2008-2009 year,” said King. This massive cut in tickets shows that perhaps there may be a slight upswing in people’s awareness of the parking issues.
Despite the parking enforcement’s upkeep on the issues, there is no stopping the winter and its impact on the city’s drivers. Parking bans constitute a huge part of the problem because there are far too many cars and not nearly enough garages for people to stow them in. “There are certain measures people can take to prevent a ticket,” said King. “They can double up in drive ways, and they can even park on the lawns, which they never used to be able to do.” Parking bans are issued well before a storm is due to hit the city, and the media issue notifications well ahead of time; there are also lights posted on telephone poles that flash when a parking ban is imminent. “People are given plenty of notice…it’s just up to them to pay attention,” said King. Overall, King said he feels the system works “very well.” As with any system, there are always kinks, but the parking situation is constantly maintained.
As for the citizens of Burlington, they have mixed feelings both about student parking and Burlington’s Parking Enforcement, but they remain mostly positive. Eric Mootz, an off-campus Champlain senior, says he has no real problems with the parking in the town “except when I can’t find a space in front of my house. What makes me real(ly) mad is when people take up spaces because...they don’t know how to properly park.” Drivers’ parking ability and the allowance of parking anywhere, however, are two separate issues. Chris Donnelly, a Burlington resident, feels similarly to Mootz on the issue of first-come-first-served policy. “That’s the way it should be…whoever gets there first should get the space. There’s enough parking for everyone. It’s annoying if you don’t get a spot in front of your house, but that’s how it is.” Many live-in residents of the city have drive-ways, so there is little issue about finding a space to park for them. For those who are forced to park in the street, however, the battle and the irritation may never end.
The issue is not as severe as many may think, though. Burlington citizens have many options before them about how they can avoid parking predicaments, and there is much being done by Parking Enforcement to make sure the process runs as fluidly as possible. Any questions or concerns regarding zone violations, snow bans, or tickets should be directed to Parking Enforcement, located at the Burlington Police Department.
For those who prefer to go by car, on the other hand, searching for a space can be quite the hassle. The problem stems, at least partly, from the almost 20,000 students who migrate to the city each fall. While most freshmen don’t bring their cars during freshman year, many upperclassmen do, and they put considerable pressure on Burlington Parking Enforcement and campus security. Champlain College has specific parking zones for campus residents, yet these continually conflict with Burlington live-in residents. It became such an issue that “Burlington residents actually complained to the police department,” said Carl Riden, Associate Director of Public Safety at Champlain College. Most cities have a first-come-first-served policy in regards to the spaces that can be occupied. Burlington, on the other hand, has adopted an unorthodox system in which year-round citizens have priority over parking spaces. And while students may purchase parking permits from the College for $100, zone violations are a persistent problem. “We ticket between 125 and 150 people a week,” said Riden.
The resident-only zones occupy a considerable portion of the streets in Burlington, and they have hours set from 6 AM to 6 PM depending on the area; however, there is ample room for Champlain students to park. UVM, on the other hand, has no parking restrictions. Students and commuters are allowed to park wherever they can find a space, excluding lots on the UVM campus. “UVM has always placed more demand on parking availability than Champlain,” said Riden. Indeed, the student and faculty population of UVM far exceeds that of Champlain, so it seems only natural that the University would have a greater need for parking spaces in and around the campus.
The Gilbane Parking Lot, located on Lakeside Avenue, offers year round service for those who need a place to stow their car for the day. An added benefit is that the lot offers a shuttle to commute Champlain students to and from campus.
Educational facilities such as Champlain and UVM account for only a fraction of the Burlington parking problem, however. Certain streets, such as South Union and South Winooski, just on the outskirts of the downtown area, are available for whomever to park their vehicles during the day, and there are several garages where people can park for free for the first two hours, after which an hourly fee is added. Unfortunately for commuters who travel to Burlington for work, these spaces fill up quickly. The end result is more ticketing and regulation by Burlington Parking Enforcement.
As for Burlington Parking Enforcement, Parking Manager John King says that he sees no real conflict between live-in citizens and those students who have cars and need places to park them. “The real trouble is downtown, where space is somewhat limited,” said King. “You can definitely park on Main Street…just don’t expect to get a space right in front of the business you’re trying to enter.”
While tickets will forever be a punishment for illegitimate parking, King noted that ticketing has gone down considerably in recent years. The ticketing records are kept by fiscal years, beginning on July 1st and ending June 30th the following year. “In 2005-2006, there were 84,000 tickets issued, and there were only 63,000 for the 2008-2009 year,” said King. This massive cut in tickets shows that perhaps there may be a slight upswing in people’s awareness of the parking issues.
Despite the parking enforcement’s upkeep on the issues, there is no stopping the winter and its impact on the city’s drivers. Parking bans constitute a huge part of the problem because there are far too many cars and not nearly enough garages for people to stow them in. “There are certain measures people can take to prevent a ticket,” said King. “They can double up in drive ways, and they can even park on the lawns, which they never used to be able to do.” Parking bans are issued well before a storm is due to hit the city, and the media issue notifications well ahead of time; there are also lights posted on telephone poles that flash when a parking ban is imminent. “People are given plenty of notice…it’s just up to them to pay attention,” said King. Overall, King said he feels the system works “very well.” As with any system, there are always kinks, but the parking situation is constantly maintained.
As for the citizens of Burlington, they have mixed feelings both about student parking and Burlington’s Parking Enforcement, but they remain mostly positive. Eric Mootz, an off-campus Champlain senior, says he has no real problems with the parking in the town “except when I can’t find a space in front of my house. What makes me real(ly) mad is when people take up spaces because...they don’t know how to properly park.” Drivers’ parking ability and the allowance of parking anywhere, however, are two separate issues. Chris Donnelly, a Burlington resident, feels similarly to Mootz on the issue of first-come-first-served policy. “That’s the way it should be…whoever gets there first should get the space. There’s enough parking for everyone. It’s annoying if you don’t get a spot in front of your house, but that’s how it is.” Many live-in residents of the city have drive-ways, so there is little issue about finding a space to park for them. For those who are forced to park in the street, however, the battle and the irritation may never end.
The issue is not as severe as many may think, though. Burlington citizens have many options before them about how they can avoid parking predicaments, and there is much being done by Parking Enforcement to make sure the process runs as fluidly as possible. Any questions or concerns regarding zone violations, snow bans, or tickets should be directed to Parking Enforcement, located at the Burlington Police Department.
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