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Health plan for students

Photo
CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Lab supervisor Carol DePillo analyzes a sample in the Campus Health laboratory. The Student Health Plan provides health insurance for UA students.
By Ryan Johnson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday February 6, 2003

When Elizabeth Haim left home in the fall, she wasn't only concerned about adapting to college life; she was worried about what she would do if she got sick.

Haim, a psychology freshman, didn't have a car, and wasn't covered under her parents' health insurance plan. But through the Arizona Board of Regents' Student Health Plan her parents bought for her, Haim's worries were eased.

For $88.50 per month, the regents' health plan provides many of the same amenities found in other comprehensive insurance plans.

It is also the only insurance coverage Campus Health accepts.

Lori Piper, coordinator of the program, compared it to a Health Maintenance Organization. If students need medical attention, they must first be seen at Campus Health where they will either treated or referred to another physician, depending on their ailment, Piper said.

Haim said the plan is convenient to her needs as a student.

"It's nice being able to go to Campus Health. I don't have a car, so I can't go anywhere else," she said.

Other students enjoy the plan because it is inexpensive, which is an additional benefit for out-of-state and international students.

Bassam Abdulghani, a systems engineering senior, had to buy health insurance because UA mandates all international students carry it.

After shopping around for price quotes, Abdulghani found the regents' plan best fit his price range, although he has never had to use it.

Despite the inexpensive cost and the location of Campus Health on campus, some students aren't pleased with the plan's overall offerings.

Doug Twitchell, an MIS graduate student, complained there is a lack of prescription drug coverage included in the board's plan.

However, the prices available through the plan are cheaper than other places in the community, which balances the lack of prescription drugs, Piper said.

The Campus Health Pharmacy purchases drugs at discounted prices because it sells exclusively to students, Piper said.

Twitchell was also upset with the low maximum lifetime benefit of $250,000.

"If someone got cancer that could be eaten up in a year," he said.

Some regular health insurance plans offer much higher maximum payouts. Blue Cross Blue Shield, for example, has a $2 million maximum.

For students who already have health insurance but want access to the Campus Health Center, they offer Campus Care.

For $60 per semester, plan members have access to $10 office visits and $20 specialist visits. Costs such as X-rays are also covered under the plan.

The plan also provides $10 physical therapy, counseling, and psychiatrist visits. There is an initial $20 fee though.

The regents' plan runs in two terms per year. The fall term lasts for five months, and the spring term last for seven, including the summer.

After students leave the university they are ineligible for the plan.

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