The university will begin offering a health insurance plan available to students through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and will have operations changes at Student Health Services to allow for services to be billed to insurance.
Elon University on Thursday announced enhancements to health services for undergraduate and graduate students designed to increase support for health and wellness, a top priority for the university.
The university is launching a new health insurance plan available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students and is also introducing a new model for on-site student health services that will allow Student Health Services to directly bill insurance for services students now pay for out-of-pocket and offer other benefits. Taken together, these important changes will ensure that effective medical care remains at the forefront of our support for student health and wellness.
Launch of new student health insurance plan
Elon has had a long-standing health insurance requirement for all full-time undergraduate, graduate, and law students. The university has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina to offer a student health insurance plan to assist students in meeting that requirement. Details on the plan can be found on the Student Blue health insurance plan website.
As they prepare for the fall semester, all returning students will either need to verify their existing health insurance coverage (for example, coverage through a parent/family member’s insurance plan) or enroll in the new student health insurance plan this spring. The new student plan will replace the existing required health insurance plan for international students, and will also be available as an elective plan for full-time students with existing plans that do not offer sufficient out-of-network coverage in North Carolina.
All returning students must complete their student health insurance verification or enroll in the new plan by Friday, March 17 – before registering for fall classes. Students should go online to either upload a waiver request with documentation of existing health insurance coverage or enroll in the new student health insurance plan.
- For returning students with existing health insurance: Visit the Student Blue Plan website and follow the instructions on the “Waive” tab to upload your current health insurance information, including an image of your health insurance card.
- For returning students who do not currently have insurance: If you need insurance coverage in order to meet the university’s health insurance requirement, visit the Student Blue Plan website and follow the instructions on the “Enroll” tab to enroll in the plan for the fall.
- For returning international students: If you are currently enrolled in the university-required international student health insurance plan, the new Student Blue plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield will replace that plan. Visit the Student Blue Plan website and follow the instructions on the “Enroll” tab to enroll in the plan for the fall.
- For students who will be studying abroad in the fall: While traveling abroad you will be enrolled in an international health insurance plan, as described on the Global Education Center website. Although you are not required to demonstrate health insurance coverage in the United States at this time, if you have existing health insurance, you may consider visiting the Student Blue insurance website and following the instructions on the “Waive” tab now, so you will have one less action step to take in the fall when trying to register for spring classes.
- For students who are graduating before fall semester or who will be part-time in the fall: No action is needed at this time. However, should your status for fall semester change from part-time to full- time, you will be expected to meet the university’s health insurance requirement.
New model for on-site student health services
The university has renewed its partnership with Cone Health as the provider for on-site Student Health Services in the Ellington Center.
Starting Aug. 1, the university will implement a new financial model to enhance services and ensure the university is able to provide the best possible medical care through standard office visits on campus.
Some key features of the change:
- When accessing Student Health Services for a routine office visit, there will continue to be no charge to students – they will present their insurance card and services will be billed through their insurance provider. Co-pays and deductibles for these services will be covered by the university through the Student Health Fee.
- Starting Aug. 1, Student Health Services will directly bill insurance for those services that students currently pay for out-of-pocket – such as lab expenses/tests, procedures, medications, and services of a specialist. Students will only be billed for co-pays or deductibles. The university anticipates increased access to psychiatric services and other specialists.
- Medical records will be maintained in MyChart, powered by Epic, starting Aug. 1, which will increase the portability of those records to at-home providers.
The chart below provides information about how the changes to the financial model for Student Health Services will affect any charges or billing processes. These changes do not impact billing practices for off-campus providers.
These new changes with student health insurance and Student Health Services are happening in addition to the significant investment the university made last summer to expand virtual medical and mental health care through TimelyCare virtual services, which offer 24/7 access to on-demand or scheduled medical and mental health services, as well as health coaching and peer support.
Charges and Billing Process Chart
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All of these enhancements are also offered with no change to the Student Health Fee, which has remained $215 per year since Fall 2020.
Please visit the university student health insurance webpage for more information and frequently asked questions, as well as the Student Blue webpage for specific information about waivers and enrollment. If you have additional student health insurance questions after visiting the site, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 336-278-7200 or healthinsurance@elon.edu.