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2007-2008 Health Notice

[Contents]

The New SAA and International Student Health Plan Rates
International Students
Overseas Field Work
Health Center Summer Fee
Opinion

*Disclaimer* We are too poor to be doctors, so please direct illnesses, hexes, taunts and anger toward professionals. This information is gathered by the best means to resolve problems at a University, stepping into an administrator's office and apologetically asking for assistance.
[2007-2008 Rates] top
Student CostSpouse/Partner CostDependent Cost
Student Academic Appointee$0$3708$2813
International Student$1036$2474$1877

University Benefits Office health insurance page
Up-to-date and comprehensive information about IU health care plans.

Hoosier Healthwise
Hoosier Healthwise is the state Medicaid plan for children. Most grad students' children will qualify for the medical coverage. Graduate students on the plan say it is a tremendous service.

IU Health Center
Where students go to the doctor - includes a pharmacy with discounts for students. The website also includes information about university wellness programs, general information, fees and benefits, physical therapy, counseling services, and sexual assault crisis services.

[International Students] top

International students and scholars at Indiana University are required to have health insurance. Medical care due to illness or accident in the United States can be very expensive, making health insurance extremely important.

Guidelines for coverage include at least $250,000 maximum, and $50,000 minimum for injuries and sickness per year and a deductible of no higher than $500 per year. Female students or a dependent wife must have coverage for pregnancy and childbirth. All plans must include $7,500 for repatriation and $10,000 for medical evacuation.

IU offers a comprehensive health plan through The Chickering Group. On this plan students have access to an on-campus representative to assist with membership and claims questions. Rates for the 2007-2008 academic year are approximately:

  • Student: $1036
  • Spouse: $2474 in addition to student cost
  • Children: $1877 for one or more children, in addition to student and/or spouse

Due to significant rate increases of the The Chickering Group plan offered by Indiana University, you may choose to waive out of the this plan and select an alternate company that meets your needs and the guidelines outlined above. Please note, however, that an on-campus representative is not available to assist with any plan other than the Chickering plan offered by the university.

The following companies offer insurance plans specifically for international students and scholars. Choosing a plan other than the university plan is an independent contract between you and the company.

(Suggestions below have been reviewed for compliance with federal and university regulations. They are provided as resources only. IU is not affiliated with and does not endorse any company listed. The list is to assist students in locating resources other than the IU plan that meet minimum requirements. Additional companies can be found on the NAFSA: Association of International Educators webpage)

If you choose a non-university plan, a waiver request must be submitted by September 30, 2007 to the Office of International Services. The Waiver Request form and additional health insurance information can be found on the OIS website.

You must provide proof of insurance that is in effect from your arrival date in the US or by the first day of classes. You are required to be covered during the academic year, and if you remain in the US during the summer term you must be covered by insurance during that period.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the contents of this message, please contact the Office of International Services at (812) 855-9086 or by email at intlserv@indiana.edu.

[Overseas Field Work] top

For the 2006-2007 academic year, a change to out-of-network benefits caused some concern because Aetna/Chickering has no Aetna (in-network) providers outside the country. Last minute due diligence resulted in confirmation from Aetna/Chickering that they will reimburse foreign claims at the in-network level. Students will have to pay up front, then submit bills/claims for reimbursement. This process is the same as in previous years.

In addition, the Plan includes a travel assistance service. Students traveling out of the country can contact Assist America at 800-872-1414 (or 301-656-4152) for assistance obtaining medical evaluations and referrals, foreign hospital admission guarantees, legal and interpreter assistance, and travel advisories. The "foreign hospital admission guarantee" means that Assist America will work with the hospital to finance an inpatient admission if the student does not have money to up-front the cost of the admission, then work with the insurance and student to recoup the money they advanced to the foreign hospital.

Note: there is optional travel insurance offered by the office of international students, which costs $35/month.

[Health Center Fee] top

From Indiana University Human Resources: Aetna/Chickering will pay claims at 100% whether or not a student pays the summer student health fee.

(Note: when changes like this are made and not known in time to be included in the underwriting assumptions, these costs can impact future premiums if they shift significant costs to the insurance.)

From the bursar site:

Student Health Fee

  • Enrolled in more than 3 hours: $99.77
  • Enrolled in 3 or fewer hours*: $0.00

Student Health Fee - 3 or fewer hours

Students enrolled in 3 or fewer hours will be charged on a full-cost, fee-for-service bases if they use the services of the IU Health Center. To obtain the reduced charges, the Student Health Fee must be paid directly to the Health Center within the first week of classes.

The Health Fee Benefits for those who pay are:

  • Medical Clinic:
    Routine office visit charge is $20 (rather than $32-$67) for each medical visit
  • Women's Clinic:
    Prescheduled appointments made with GYN Nurse Practitioners have the $18 visit charge waived.
  • Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS):
    Up to two visits to Counseling and Psychological Services are available at no charge during the fall and spring semester and up to one visit in each summer session. There is a $20 charge for each subsequent visit during each semester/session.
  • Health & Wellness:
    Health education information, including contraception updates, dietitian services, and fitness testing: all at no charge.

Additional Charges apply regardless of whether or not the health fee has been assessed. Click here for Health Center's health fee web page

[Our Opinion] top

Greetings,

Please take a second and click the electronic petition to sign your support for Resolution 06-B: Statement for University Insurance Equity.

This IDS article describes the likely outcome for the SAA Health Committee meeting. The outcome is final subject to approval by the Indiana University Board of Trustees. The following describes the key changes and recommendations for students:

  1. $250 Deductible

    This money is owed out-of-pocket before insurance will begin to cover costs. The deductible was $250 previously with MegaLife, so the committee chose to restore the deductible to $250 from $100. The deductible does not apply to services at IU Health Center, which are reimbursed fully.

  2. $5,000 Prescription cap away from health center / $10 co-pay at Health Center

    The cap will not apply to prescriptions filled at the health center pharmacy, so be sure to fill prescriptions there whenever possible. The health center has made assurances that prescriptions not currently stocked will be ordered. Please call in advance should this be a concern.

  3. Aggregate Maximum per diagnosis drops from $500K to $250K for individuals, $500K to $100K for dependents.

    Ultimately, a combination of factors, such as the desire to save money for international students, the GPSO survey results, and assumptions about Hoosier Healthwise (the state family welfare program), have led the committee to reduce the aggregate maximum for dependents.

    Existing families and potential families are strongly urged to either add Hoosier Healthwise as a secondary provider or to move dependents to Hoosier Healthwise. Next year's estimated cost for a family premium with the SAA Health Plan is approximately $5,500. The maximum annual for children on hoosier healthwise is currently $600 per year/$50 per month, and for families with very low income the premium is fully paid by the state. The total annual expenses are limited to 5% of family income--a substantial savings over our SAA plan! And in most cases, you can choose the same pediatrician for your children that you currently use. pregnant women can also get health insurance through Hoosier Healthwise.

    On July 1, a private company is taking over the administration of Hoosier Healthwise, so current application policies may change. Students with dependents currently on the SAA plan can enroll in Hoosier Healthwise now, which will serve as a back-up plan until your coverage with Chickering expires, at which point Hoosier Healthwise will become the primary insurance. you can download the current application online and complete it by mail.

    For those uncomfortable with the idea of making Indiana taxpayers subsidize the healthcare of their children, think of it as a shift in which state agency pays the subsidy. IU currently subsidizes the the premium for SAA spouses and children quite heavily. Last year, Chickering paid out an average of $6,000 in claims for every dependent, while those dependents paid an average premium of only $1800 per dependent.

    Hoosier Healthwise

  4. Out-of-network cost

    Seeking a provider AND facility not within Aetna/Chickering's network will have increased costs and will require extra diligence on the part of students. Both the doctor and the facility must be within Aetna/Chickering's network for insurance to apply. Aetna/Chickering's lack of candor about this policy has financially impacted a number of students.

Above are the most important changes. There are others, including routine benefits and well baby visits, retained in the plan. The good news is that SAA students will not have to pay part of the premium and international students premiums will increase less than $400 more rather than $600. To see the prior menu of modifications click here

The bad news is that next year will be just as bad or worse. The international students greatly subsidize SAA students. A comparison of Big 10 Universities with separate policies for international and domestic students suggests that international students cost, on average, about $150 less to insure. Their representatives pressured the committee to reduce benefits more than needed and appear likely to separate and form their own plan next year. This would cause another premium hike and may ultimately force the university to impose a mandatory plan for all IU Graduate and Professional students in order to maintain sufficient plan participants.

Update on Resolution 06-B
Asymmetric Disbursement of Fellowship, Grants, and Scholarship funds:

Within a day, the administration moved to resolve this issue. Within a week, the financial aid office has made the necessary arrangements to avoid asymmetrical disbursement of fellowship, grant, and scholarship award funds to graduate students.

Spring disbursement dates for 2007:

  • Graduate and Law students - January 2, 2007
  • Optometry OD students - December 29, 2006

Note: Optometry chose not to alter disbursement dates for OD students. They will pay taxes on their Spring disbursements for 2006. The rest, including vision science students, will pay taxes on their Spring disbursements for 2007, avoiding the tax implications noted in the resolution.

Sign electronic petition

Best wishes for a peaceful summer,
Paul Rohwer
Moderator
Graduate and Professional Student Organization

If you would like to help us advocate for graduate and professional student benefits or other graduate and professional student concerns, we welcome your participation. Please contact us at gpso@indiana.edu to get directly involved in the process.