By: Ariel Gold

BLOOMINGTON, IN — Last Thursday, IU student Mac Davidson visited the health center only to find a $45 waiting room fee on his bill.

“I was shocked! Not only did I sit there for three hours waiting to be seen for a ruptured spleen, but they actually charged me for that time!” Davidson said.

He continued, “Keep in mind, at this point I was bleeding profusely, and could feel my organs rearranging themselves inside my body, but they just told me to take a number and have a seat. An hour and twenty minutes later, I was being treated for mono and strep throat.”

Margaret Green also had a rough experience in the health center waiting room.

She said, “I was there for just a sore throat, but they tested me for approximately 17 different diseases. At the end, when I received my triple-digit bill, I was furious that they had also charged me $45 for the use of the waiting room.”

Following this backlash, Flipside reached out to the staff of the IU health center.

“There are expenses associated with the waiting rooms,” said IU Health Center Representative Karen Sanders. “It’s only fair to charge a small fee. The tissues, surgical masks, three-year old magazines, uncomfortably specific pamphlets about your UTI; all of these things cost money. Students should expect to pay for what they use.”

However, that did little to satisfy Davidson.

“They charged me for the lollipop too.”