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U.S. Health Care Reform

The impact of national health care reform on college students and their families is not yet clear. Details and time lines are being discussed by policymakers at the federal and state level, and Cornell is carefully monitoring the situation.

As a Cornell student (or the parent or guardian of one), several issues related to health care reform may be affecting your thinking about health insurance coverage this year.

Coverage choices: family plan or student health insurance? 

Family insurance plans now are required to offer coverage for children up to the age of 26. Some of these plans will provide adequate coverage for students studying in Ithaca or elsewhere; many will not. We encourage students and their families to be "informed consumers." Make sure you understand any plan you are considering, what it covers, how it works, and whether it facilitates or impedes access to timely, affordable, confidential care. 

In particular, consider the following:

Geographical concerns

  • Make sure the plan provides coverage in Ithaca, or anywhere else you study or travel.
  • Be aware that a plan that provides "emergency only" coverage when a person seeks services "out of network" does not work for Cornell students nor does it meet Cornell's requirements.
  • SHIP provides inpatient and outpatient medical and mental health care coverage in the Ithaca area. It also provides extensive worldwide assistance for Cornell travelers who become ill or injured away from campus, including Emergency Medical Evacuation. 

Privacy concerns

  • Cornell students often express concerns related to the privacy of their health care and insurance.
  • We are aware that many students who are covered by their parent's plan avoid seeking care for sensitive health issues, or pay out of pocket rather than submit a bill for reimbursement.Students often tell us they prefer to have their own insurance and are more likely to use it without worries related to confidentiality.
  • We encourage parents and students to have conversations about privacy, EOB statements, and payments before care is needed and as you consider health insurance options.

Financial concerns

  • Premiums for dependent coverage through a family plan usually will cost less up front than the SHIP. If the plan provides coverage that meets Cornell's requirements, and you can address privacy concerns, it may be a very good deal for you.
  • Do make sure you understand how charges associated with health care services will be handled so you can assess whether the plan actually provides coverage you can use and afford.
  • Please be aware that ALL Cornell students are eligible to receive primary care medical and counseling services on campus at Gannett Health Services, no matter what insurance coverage they have. Review this information about paying for health care at Gannett as you make your decision about health insurance.
  • Know what your insurance will cover if you need specialty care in Ithaca and/or any services outside the area.
  • Do not be tempted by high deductible or "young invincible" health plans. They provide no coverage for routine health care, and cause too many students to delay or forego needed health care.

Issues in the news

Quality of coverage

Depending on where you live, you may be seeing a lot of criticism about the cost of and coverage offered by student health insurance plans. Many student health plans do fall short. Many provide outstanding coverage for students, particularly for students who are living away from home. The Cornell SHIP is widely recognized as one of the latter.

  • Plan value:  Most Cornell families who take the time to fully-research SHIP benefits find it an excellent plan for the price. Few other plans provide a $1 million dollar annual maximum, as well as affordable out-of-pocket expenses, while still addressing the anticipated and unanticipated health care needs of Cornell students AT Cornell (and wherever their travels take them).
  • Breadth of coverage: SHIP provides coverage for medical, mental health and prescription services. Students who select the SHIP can purchase vision, dental, and dependent coverage.

Direct billing of insurance companies

  • Although the popular press depicts the ability to bill insurance companies for services as a simple customer service task, this is not true.
  • Students who choose to waive Cornell’s SHIP may have one of thousands of other health insurance plans. It is impossible to bill each and every plan. With over 1,700 different plans covering our diverse student body, the costs of the infrastructure required to support insurance billing on this scale would require a disproportionate share of the resources available for student health care. Cornell chooses to invest thesecritical resources in medical and counseling services instead.
  • For students who have private health insurance, Gannett Health Services provides a copy of the bill that can be submitted for reimbursement. They also offer use of the student bursar system during the academic year to minimize any financial barriers to access services.
  • Read more about paying for health care at Gannett.

Looking ahead

  • Cornell has long been involved in setting high standards in the area of student health insurance, including participating in the development of the guidelines now recognized as the standard: those set by the American College Health Association (ACHA). 
  • The New York State Attorney General's Office has affirmed the ACHA standards as those that should be met by all student health insurance plans. This is a validation of work we have been committed to for decades.
  • Cornell's Student Insurance Advisory Committee will focus again this year on balancing the health care needs of Cornell students and the affordability of the plan. The goals, even in a year in which health care reform may be introducing new requirements, will continue to be to offer a Student Health Insurance Plan for Cornell students that:
    -provides for the needs of the greatest number of students
    - balances plan design with cost and coverage
    - provides benefits for the uninsured and increases benefits for the underinsured
    reduces institutional risk and liability

Study the issues

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Contact Information:

Cornell University Office of Student Health Insurance
409 College Avenue
Suite 211
Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607 255-6363
Fax: 607 254-5221

E-mail: sicu@cornell.edu

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