Sunday, September 6, 2009
University students and their families recently received a new mailing amid the many letters sent home by the University: an Aetna health insurance card.
The University new student health insurance plan is the result of a bidding process that occurred last spring. Every other year, the student health insurance plan goes up for bid in a confidential meeting. For the last two years, Great West Health Care was the health insurance provider for University students.
This year, Aetna was selected for its ability to provide the best plan at the lowest cost. The bid and its acceptance were overseen by a committee of deans from each school and students who had requested changes in the past.
Putting the student health plan out to bid every other year is a very prudent thing to do in order to make sure that the rates reflect the usage of the plan and to make sure we are offering the best possible benefits.
During the bid process two years ago, WU was able to add an optional prescription plan at a low cost, as well as a low cost dental plan. During this years bid process we were able to reduce the student health fee and made sure the plan remained unchanged for that reduction in cost.
Some new options in the Aetna plan are discounted services for students, such as lowered prices for weight-loss counseling, smoking cessation therapy, and vitamin and mineral supplements. As for the lowered cost, student health insurance fees have declined from $686 to $550 under the plan.
Student health insurance, then and now
The University health insurance plan was created in 2000 and enacted in 2001. It has served University students since then, with minor changes.
The student health insurance serves as each students primary coverage, and the fee covers nine free counseling visits, nutritional consults, about 20 free lab tests, and other low-cost health services.
This year, with high unemployment nationwide, some students may have less access to their parents health care, even if they participate in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which was designed to allow working families to keep their health insurance in case of unemployment. According to Harp, the new Aetna plan tries to adjust to these new needs.
The University new student health insurance plan is the result of a bidding process that occurred last spring. Every other year, the student health insurance plan goes up for bid in a confidential meeting. For the last two years, Great West Health Care was the health insurance provider for University students.
This year, Aetna was selected for its ability to provide the best plan at the lowest cost. The bid and its acceptance were overseen by a committee of deans from each school and students who had requested changes in the past.
Putting the student health plan out to bid every other year is a very prudent thing to do in order to make sure that the rates reflect the usage of the plan and to make sure we are offering the best possible benefits.
During the bid process two years ago, WU was able to add an optional prescription plan at a low cost, as well as a low cost dental plan. During this years bid process we were able to reduce the student health fee and made sure the plan remained unchanged for that reduction in cost.
Some new options in the Aetna plan are discounted services for students, such as lowered prices for weight-loss counseling, smoking cessation therapy, and vitamin and mineral supplements. As for the lowered cost, student health insurance fees have declined from $686 to $550 under the plan.
Student health insurance, then and now
The University health insurance plan was created in 2000 and enacted in 2001. It has served University students since then, with minor changes.
The student health insurance serves as each students primary coverage, and the fee covers nine free counseling visits, nutritional consults, about 20 free lab tests, and other low-cost health services.
This year, with high unemployment nationwide, some students may have less access to their parents health care, even if they participate in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which was designed to allow working families to keep their health insurance in case of unemployment. According to Harp, the new Aetna plan tries to adjust to these new needs.
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