Health Insurance While at School – Is Your Student Covered?
By: Health & Counseling Services
One of Gonzaga’s priorities is helping students live their healthiest lives. A major component of meeting that need is working with students and families to ensure that our Zags have health insurance. While insurance is not required to be seen at the Student Health Center or Counseling Center, it does play an important role for students who have medical needs that require services we are unable to provide on campus (e.g. x-rays, specialists, emergency care).
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about insurance coverage for students:
My student is on my plan. Are they covered?
If your student is on a parent’s health insurance plan, it is very important to be sure that this plan will cover them while they are in Spokane. We strongly recommend calling your insurance company to let them know your student will be here and determine what level of coverage your student will have while they are at school.
What if my plan will only cover emergency care or won’t cover them at all in Spokane?
There are several plans that will not cover students while they are in Spokane or will only cover emergency care.
First, you should know that students do not need health insurance to be seen at Health & Counseling Services. A basic physician visit starts at $30 and most visits total $45 or less, including on-site tests. Students can pay cash, credit or apply it to their student account. We provide students with a fee slip that they can submit to insurance to try to get reimbursed.
Second, we recommend that you evaluate whether your student should have a supplemental insurance plan that will cover them in Washington. This may be something you elect to do for their time in Spokane, just to be sure they have health coverage for non-emergencies. Most families and students do not opt for supplemental coverage unless their student has chronic health issues that will require treatment in the area. (For more details on how to find plans that will fit your needs, see the next question.)
What do I do if my student needs health insurance?
If your student does not have health insurance, will be losing their coverage once they turn 18, or doesn’t have adequate coverage in Spokane, there are options available.
In the State of Washington, Gonzaga students are considered to be Washington residents for the purposes of enrolling in the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. This means any Gonzaga student could qualify for a free or reduced cost health insurance plan.
You can learn more about the available plans and enroll by visiting the Washington Health Benefit Exchange at http://wahbexchange.org/
In case of an accident or injury…
We always hope that students won’t experience any injuries during their time at Gonzaga, but many GU students are covered with a Mandatory Accident and Injury policy, just in case. This includes undergraduate and graduate students on the main campus who are enrolled in 6 or more credit hours. This plan, which is paid for through tuition and fees, acts as a secondary coverage for injuries on campus or when students are off campus for school-related purposes. While plan details for the 2017-2018 academic year are still being finalized, information on the current plan can be found here.
This is so confusing! I still have questions and need help!
We understand! We are here to help you. We have put together a few helpful videos that explain this more in depth on our website: www.gonzaga.edu/studentinsurance
If you have any general questions, please don’t hesitate to call our office at 509-313-4052 or e-mail us at studenthealth@gonzaga.edu.
We also have specialists at Better Health Together who work with Gonzaga students to evaluate their health insurance needs. They can assist you in selecting a plan and enrolling for coverage. There is no charge for their services. Their contact information is: Curtis Fackler, 509-321-7503, curt@betterhealthtogether.org or Alicyn Elder, 509-321-7500, alicyn@betterhealthtogether.org.