Students quaking in their boots at the thought of paying $400 for a bed, breathalyzer test and other treatments for intoxication at Dick's House can take some solace in the fact that the cost has been cut by more than half.
The College's infirmary has begun charging intoxicated students only $150 for "observation beds," instead of the $400 standard fee for in-patient visits. Dick's House decided to reduce the fee last spring.
The care intoxicated students receive at Dick's House has not changed. Under the new policy, $100 of the student's money covers the cost of a breathalyzer test, a three-page assessment of students' vital signs, a neurological assessment and check-ups every half-hour, according to Health Services in-patient department manager Charley Bradley.
The remaining $50, an amount determined by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, is charged for a doctor's services, she said.
Bradley said she was uncertain whether treatment would be covered under students' insurance plans.
The fee reduction was suggested by the Student Health Advisory Board, a group of about 15 students who met with Safety and Security and College deans to discuss the charges imposed by Dick's House, according to College Health Services Director Jack Turco.
Turco said Dean of the College Lee Pelton agreed with the board's recommendation that the fee be reduced.
The students decided to change the fee due to concern that the charge discouraged student from going to Dick's House, both because of the expense and because it was perceived as a type of punishment.
Five or six years ago, Turco said, a drunk student who did not go to Dick's House rolled into a lake.
"We don't want something bad to happen to a student because they weren't brought in by a friend," he said.
One '98 said she chose to be hauled to the Hanover Police Station rather than to Dick's House when Safety and Security found her intoxicated.
"I didn't want to pay [$400] to lie down and go to sleep," she said.
The new fee may alleviate some of these problems, but the members of SHAB thought a drunk patient should still bear some of the cost, Turco said. "If you don't charge a student, all students, in effect, will pay."
Turco said intoxicated students are not the only ones who will benefit from the fee reduction. The policy also applies to any day-stay patients who need to be treated with intravenous fluids or require other forms of hospital care for a period of 24 hours or less.
College tuition covers the care of most patients admitted to Dick's House, Turco said. The medical center only charges students who would not normally go home for bed rest, but would have to be hospitalized for treatment.
