To supplement its current funding, the Center is going to start making modest charges for visits with nurse practitioners, immunizations, prescription medications, and certain laboratory tests performed on-site. This change will help the Health & Wellness Center continue to provide accessible, comprehensive healthcare services for students using standard healthcare practices.
Some Health & Wellness Center services are offered at no additional cost, funded by the College and the student health and wellness fee. As of August 1, 2026, the Student Health & Wellness Center will charge for these services:
The Student Health & Wellness Center will bill these charges directly to students’ accounts or to the Whittier Health Plan for students who have that insurance. The Center will provide copies of bills that students with other insurance can submit to their insurance companies for reimbursement.
The Student Health & Wellness Center will continue to provide many services without additional charges, including:
The Health & Wellness Center will refer students who need more extensive services, including:
There is no charge for the referral, but the outside healthcare providers will charge for their services. Students’ health insurance may cover most of those services, and, in many cases, the outside healthcare provider will directly bill the charges to students’ health insurance plans. But coverage varies; we always suggest checking in advance, if at all possible, to make sure your insurance will cover the needed services.
Please remember to bring your photo ID and your insurance card when you seek services off campus.
Whittier students have access to free tele-medicine, tele-counseling, crisis consultation, and wellness videos through UWill; we suggest contacting UWill before seeking services elsewhere.
Please note that urgent care centers, hospitals, and emergency rooms will charge for their services, and your health insurance may or may not cover all the costs of those services.
Insurance billing means submitting charges to insurance companies for healthcare the Health & Wellness Center provides to students who have health insurance. For now, the Center will be submitting charges only to Aetna for students who have Whittier’s student health insurance plan.
Absolutely you can. All students, regardless of their insurance coverage, can continue to receive all the services the Health & Wellness Center offers.
Yes, in small quantities, so the Center will have enough for other students as well. There will be a charge for larger quantities.
Always bring your student ID and your health insurance card with you. Proof of your health insurance card is especially needed for some outsourced clinical laboratory services. If you do not bring a copy of your insurance card at the time labs are drawn, you may be asked to pay out of pocket for those services.
We understand that insurance and healthcare billing can sometimes be confusing; we encourage your questions and are eager to answer them. Please contact the Student Health & Wellness Center and we’ll help you sort things out.
Yes. The services at the Student Health & Wellness Center are available to any currently enrolled full-time Whittier College student. Part-time undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to use our services provided they pay a health fee at their first visit.
You don't have to purchase the Whittier Health Plan to be seen at the Health Center, but there are charges for many services that the Center provides. The Center bills those charges directly to the Health Plan for students who enrolled in that Plan, but the College will apply Health Center charges for students who waived the Health Plan to their College accounts.
If you attended school in the United States, your last school/college may have a record of your required immunizations. You should also check with your primary care physician and parent(s) to see what records they do have. If you are still unable to provide documentation of your immunizations, you will need to obtain lab tests called titers that will indicate whether or not you are immune to the vaccine you are being screened for. Some vaccines do not have titers, so you will need to get additional vaccinations to get you current on your immunizations. If any titers come back negative indicating that you are not immuned to the vaccine being screened for, you will need additional vaccines in this case as well.
Appointments for routine visits such as physical exams and PAP smears are required. Appointments for illnesses and injuries and other types of appointments are highly recommended to avoid long wait times. Urgent care walk-in clinic is available on Mondays between 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. To schedule any appointment at the Student Health & Wellness Center, call us at 562.464.4548.
Medical information may not be released without the written consent of the patient. If parents have questions or concerns, health center staff can answer generalized questions, but cannot violate patient confidentiality that is protected by law. Students are responsible for notifying parents or guardians of their condition, except in the case of a serious emergency.
It depends on what medications you need. The Student Health & Wellness Center is equipped to care for most common health care conditions to treat young adults and adolescents. We stock a variety over-the-counter medications and a variety of prescription medications used to treat common illnesses or injuries, such as many antibiotics, birth control pills, emergency contraceptives, topicals, eye, nose and ear medications, etc. If you have specific medication needs, please call the health center for further guidance. Rx medications may be dispensed to you at the health center or you may be given a prescription to take with you to take to a local pharmacy. Psychotropic medications should be requested from your own provider or the mental health nurse practitioner at the Counseling Center.
We believe in continuity of care and all efforts will be made to schedule you with the same provider. However, this cannot be guaranteed. Our clinic is staffed by nurse practitioners and an LVN. In addition, you may not be available on the day that provider is here. Requesting to see the same nurse practitioner may be available depending on schedule.
It is important to arrive on time and, preferably, a few minutes early to your appointment to allow adequate time to complete necessary forms. If you have an appointment and are running late, please call us to inform us of your situation and we will let you know if you can still be seen that day or shifted to a different time slot or day. This will depend on the reason for your visit. Serious illnesses and injuries will be accommodated into the schedule. If you cannot make your appointment, please call us 24 hours in advance. Failure to show up for your appointment without advance notice will result in a $20.00 NO SHOW fee to be charged to your student account.
