Ithaca College
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN

Spring Term 2020

This form is for all new incoming students for the Spring 2020 Term.

The Spring Term waiver deadline was extended to February 19, 2020. The Waiver Appeal Form is now available for students who have other health insurance coverage, but failed to submit the online waiver prior to the posted deadline. Submitting the Waiver Appeal Form does NOT guarantee that the insurance charge will be removed from your student account. You will receive an email approximately 2 weeks after submitting the form stating whether your appeal has been approved.

Dear Students and Parents:

Ithaca College requires all matriculated undergraduate and graduate students to have health insurance. In an effort to increase access to health care, Ithaca College has partnered with Wellfleet New York Insurance Company, to provide a plan with comprehensive coverage for Ithaca College students. This plan is serviced by University Health Plans. The charge to obtain Spring Term coverage under this plan from January 1, 2020  through August 9, 2020 is $1,281.

In order to ensure that all students have health insurance coverage, all student accounts will initially be charged for the plan.   If you are a domestic student and wish to opt out of this plan and have the insurance charge removed from your account, you must submit an online waiver form and provide proof of current health insurance coverage prior to the waiver deadline.  THE SPRING TERM WAIVER DEADLINE DATE IS JANUARY 19, 2020.

All INTERNATIONAL students and other non-U.S. residents at Ithaca College are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan, but not until the waiver period closes.  Therefore, in order to avoid any delay in establishing benefits or gaps in coverage, we strongly recommend that you complete and submit the enrollment form for international students, you may go to www.universityhealthplans.com to print and complete a paper enrollment form. If you are covered by an Embassy Sponsored Program, or a U.S. based health insurance plan with equal or better coverage, you may go to www.universityhealthplans.com to print and complete a paper waiver and submit the form before January 18, 2010.  If you are not covered by an Embassy Sponsored Program or comparable U.S. based health insurance plan, you are NOT allowed to waive.  Please note that the Ithaca College Student Health Insurance Plan meets J1/J2 visa requirements.

To expedite enrollment in the plan and avoid any delay in establishing benefits or gaps in coverage students must submit the online enrollment form. Students who are enrolled in the plan for the 2018-2019 policy year should submit the online enrollment form for the 2019-2020 policy year as soon as possible to avoid a disruption in coverage.

Please visit www.universityhealthplans.com to enroll in or waive out of the plan by January 19, 2020. Instructions can be found on line or in the enclosed flyer. THE HEALTH INSURANCE FEE WILL BE NON-REFUNDABLE IF NOT WAIVED BEFORE 01/19/20.

If you are covered by your family’s or spouse’s insurance plan, we encourage you to compare the costs, coverage, and benefits of the student health insurance plan to those of your existing plan before making any decision about your health insurance.

Consider the following in making your decision:

• Students with out of state HMO/PPO or Medicaid plans often incur higher charges when obtaining care outside of the plan’s local service area or network and access to local services in Ithaca may be limited or denied.  
• Some insurance plans, including out-of-state Medicaid Plans, only cover urgent or emergent care when care is obtained out of network or outside of the plan’s local service area.
• Some plans do not cover outpatient referrals, or may only cover them after a high deductible or co-payment; this plan can help cover those expenses.
• This plan includes coverage for preventive and well care services, has a low deductible, and a prescription plan.

If you do elect to waive coverage, we recommend that you provide Ithaca College Student Health Services with a copy of your medical and prescription cards. While this is not required, it will enable Health Center staff to better assist you with your health needs. Please fax a copy of both the front and back of your cards to 607-274-1844, or email a picture to healthcenter@ithaca.edu. This is not in place of the above mentioned waiver.

You should also be aware that all enrolled and matriculated Ithaca College students are able to access care at the Hammond Health Center regardless of your decision to keep or to waive the student health insurance plan.  There are no charges for most of the services provided at the health center.

Please call University Health Plans at 1-800-437-6448 if you have questions regarding the student health insurance plan.