STUDENT HEALTH AND INSURANCE GUIDE

CUNY Graduate Center

Student Health Insurance

and Selected Resources:

A Guide

The information within is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be an exhaustive review or to endorse, recommend, or otherwise favor any given health insurance plan or health resource option over another.

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

August 2006

Student Health Insurance and Selected Resources: A Guide

Table of Contents

Section A

Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 3

· A Note on General Costs for Insurance Coverage

· The Wellness Center/Student Health Services and The Psychological

Counseling and Adult Development Center.............................................................. 4

Section B

Insurance Policies: A General Overview................................................................................. 4-11

Section C

Details of Specific Insurance Policies.................................................................................... 11

The CUNY GHI Student-rated Policy for Domestic and International Students........................................................................................................................... 12-13

PSC-CUNY Adjunct Health Coverage...................................................................................... 13-14

National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS)................................ 14-15

NYU Stud-Dent Plan.................................................................................................................... 15

Section D

International Student and International Visitor Plans....................................................... 15-17

Section E

Commercially Rated Programs, General Marketplace, and

Membership Organizations that Offer Information and Other Plans........................... 17-20

Section F

Dental Plans…………………………………................................................................................................ 20-21

Section G

Vision Care..................................................................................................................................... 21-22

Section H

Local Health Clinics and Miscellaneous................................................................................... 22-23

THE GRADUATE CENTER WELLNESS CENTER: Room 6422.

212-817-7020

Wellness@gc.cuny.edu

2a. Wellness Center / Student Health Services is directed by Ms. Mary P. Clancy, who is a Nurse Practitioner, RN, MS, C-ANP. This on-site students’ health services office is for all enrolled Graduate Center students paying GC student activity fees. Staffed by a Nurse Practitioner and an Administrator Coordinator, Student Health Services offers a variety of services, including episodic treatment for physical ailments; health screenings; gynecological exams, male health exams, and other physical exams; birth control information; laboratory services (with a laboratory fee required); and confidential HIV testing and counseling. Virtually all services except for laboratory fees and some immunizations and vaccinations are free. Student Health Services also provides referrals to private doctors and clinics and conducts workshops (e.g., CPR, stress management, breast care) and health fairs. Outside laboratory fees are not free but may be partially covered by health insurance or by subsidies from the student government, the Doctoral Students’ Council (DSC).

2b. Wellness Center / The Psychological Counseling and Adult Development Center is directed by Dr. Daniel Rothenberg, Ph.D., and staffed by licensed clinical psychologists as well as by clinicians-in-training. The center offers short-term counseling, psychotherapy, and consultation and referral services to all enrolled Graduate Center students paying GC student activity fees. Services are free of charge and are offered on a confidential non-emergency basis, by appointment. In addition to availability during times of acute emotional distress, the counseling center is a resource for individuals seeking to mobilize creative strengths, acquire self-understanding, and explore alternative courses of action. Services and activities of the center include dissertation completion counseling, crisis intervention, counseling and referral for alcohol and drug problems, HIV counseling; stress management and relaxation counseling; and seminars and workshops that focus on the challenges of graduate student life and dissertation completion and on issues of personal transition and growth.

Section B

INSURANCE POLICIES: A GENERAL OVERVIEW

There are three basic types of health insurance available: publicly funded (e.g., Medicaid) or state sponsored (e.g., Healthy New York), affiliated or group, and individual. Public health insurance is low-cost or free; affiliated or group health insurance includes the student-rated plans GHI, NAGPS, and others as well as the PSC plan for CUNY adjuncts. Open-market individual insurance tends to be very expensive, as individuals do not have the power of a group to negotiate their premium rates.

I. Public Health Insurance Programs.

This is free or low-cost health insurance for individuals who are citizens or legal residents of the United States and meet certain income guidelines. Virtually all children in New York qualify, however, regardless of income or immigration status; adults must meet income requirements to qualify for coverage. Public programs do not recognize domestic partnerships, but individual coverage for two adults, if qualified, may cost less than some family plans that do recognize domestic partnerships.

Five different public health insurance options are currently available in New York: Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP A and CHP B), Family Health Plus, and the Medicaid Buy-in program for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD). All five programs are designed for families and adults who cannot afford health insurance and whose incomes are below a certain level, except for ChildHealth Plus, which is designed to insure every child living in the state, regardless of their parents’ income. For a list of enrollment and counseling services see http://www.nyc.gov/html/hia/html/public_insurance/enroll.shtml to help you determine eligibility. You can pre-screen for public and private health insurance at https://a069-webapps3.nyc.gov/health/mainpage.htm

· Family Health Plus. This is a program that makes comprehensive health insurance available at no cost to lower-income, uninsured adults who do not have employer-sponsored coverage and are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. For more information call 1-877- 934-7587 or see www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/fhplus/index.htm and www.health.state.ny.us. Family Health Plus is offered by private HMO’s, so it may be wise to consult with an unaffiliated enrollment facilitator available at the New York CHOICE helpline at 1-800-505-5678 or at the New York City Department of Mental Health and Health Clinics: a comprehensive list of hospitals, health centers, and social service organizations that provide enrollment counseling can be found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/hia/html/public_insurance/enroll.shtml Enrollment facilitators and local social services district offices will help individuals to enroll and choose a health plan service provider (a variety are available in all boroughs and through a variety of insurance companies). For eligibility for Family Health Plus see table below:

Family Size	Maximum Gross Annual Income Guide Effective February 1, 2006.
Family Size	Yearly Income	Monthly Income	Weekly Income
Single Adult	$9,804	$817	$189
Couples with No Children	$13,200	$1,100	$254
Family Size 2*	$19,800	$1,650	$381
Family Size 3*	$24,900	$2,075	$479
Family Size 4*	$30,000	$2,500	$577
Family Size 5*	$35,100	$2,925	$675
For each additional person add:*	+$5,100	+$ 425	+$ 98

· Child Health Plus. This option provides health coverage to uninsured children up to the age of 19 who are not eligible for Medicaid. Premiums are on a sliding fee schedule according to family income; in most cases, premiums for all but the highest wage earners are either a few dollars per month or free. Parents can enroll their children in Child Health Plus and insure themselves separately if they do not qualify for public insurance. For further information, visit http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/chplus/ or call 1-800-698-4543.

Child Health Plus A Final 2006 Income Eligibility Levels – Effective January 1^st, 2006
Age categories for Children	Monthly Income for Family Size
Age categories for Children	1	2	3	4	5	Each additional person, add:
Children under 1 year; pregnant women	$1,634	$2,200	$2,767	$3,334	$3,900	$567
Children 1-5 years	$1,087	$1,463	$1,840	$2,217	$2,594	$377
Children 6 – 18 years	$817	$1,100	$1,384	$1,667	$1,950	$284

Child Health Plus B Final 2006 Family Contributions by Income and Household Size Effective for applications received on or after April 1^st, 2006
Family Contributions	Monthly Income for Family Size
Family Contributions	1	2	3	4	5	Each additional person, add:
Free Insurance	$1,306	$1,759	$2,213	$2,666	$3,119	$454
$9 per Child per Month (Maximum of $27 per Family)	$1,813	$2,442	$3,071	$3,700	$4,329	$629
$15 per Child per Month (Maximum of $45 per Family)	$2,042	$2,750	$3,459	$4,167	$4,875	$709
Full Premium per Child per Month	Over $2,042	Over $2,750	Over $3,459	Over $4, 167	Over $4,875
Pregnant women count as two.

Note: Income levels change annually; this is just a guide.

*Parents/Guardians living at least with 1 child under 21.

· Medicaid. For individuals who meet certain requirements of income, resource, age, or disability. For information about eligibility and applications call 1-877-472-8411 or visit their website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/medicaid/medicaid.htm The city also has enrollment counselors at the New York Medicaid CHOICE Helpline at 1-800-505-5678.

· Student income and publicly funded health insurance:

Enrollment facilitators may be unfamiliar with how student income from fellowships and students loans are counted toward income eligibility requirements. The Children’s Aid Society (see below), however, is one facilitator familiar with student eligibility issues. Students’ tuition and fee awards, or the part of an award designated for tuition and fees, as well as tuition and fee amounts deducted from awards by CUNY before disbursement to a student, are not generally counted toward income when determining eligibility. Questions about classification of awards may be directed to the Office of Financial Aid. Note that eligibility for publicly funded healthcare is dependent upon your current earning status and assets. If, therefore, you are a student with a fellowship who may previously have been employed but are not currently employed, your application will be based on your fellowship stipend and/or assets, not on your expectation of possible future employment and earnings. Enrollees in either Family Health Plus or Healthy New York do not have to re-apply for a year. If you are a student new to New York, you would probably want to sign up immediately after becoming a student and meeting the requirement of being a New York State resident living in either New York City or Long Island. Also, keep in mind that if you are without coverage for more than 60 days, pre-existing conditions may not be covered.

· Enrollment Facilitators.

The Children’s Aid Society’s Health Care Access Program is not limited to aiding children. The society is dedicated to assisting low-income New Yorkers to enroll in the free or low-cost health insurance programs that are provided by state and local agencies, namely Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus. The program is funded by the New York Department of Health and works closely with the Mayor’s Office of Health Insurance Access (MOHIA). The Children’s Aid Society is a non-profit organization that assists clients in the application process and facilitates their choice from among the authorized health plans according to what suits their needs. In addition, the organization does troubleshooting to assist clients until they receive their insurance card. For further information call the Health Care Access Program (HCAP) office at (212) 503-6801.

Child Health Now Coalition provides information for families about how to enroll their children in New York State’s health insurance programs. For information please call the Children’s Defense Fund at 212-697-2323 or visit www.cdfny.org .

2. Dental-Plans

The Stu-Dent dental policy is offered in a consortium arrangement with New York University School of Dentistry. There are other dental programs that offer student rates and they are listed in the Dental Program Section of this memorandum (see pages 14 and 20) as well as one referred to in the NAGPS Plan (see pages 13 and 14).

3. Adjunct Faculty

Students who are adjunct faculty (teaching or non-teaching) may be eligible for health insurance through the Professional Staff Congress (PSC). (Please see Section C of this guide for more details.) Applications for this option are available from the Human Resources offices at each campus. Contact the PSC’s Welfare Fund for further information at 212-354-5230 or call your teaching campus’s Office of Human Resources.

4. Internationals and Visiting Fellows (postdoctoral scholars)

A number of policies are available specifically for international students and visiting postdoctoral scholars; these may be used by American citizens and permanent residents when they are traveling, studying, or planning research abroad. (See Section D, International Student and International Visitor Plans.) Visiting postdoctoral scholars are eligible to use some of these plans and must call the companies individually. Scholastic Overseas Services (SOS) is a membership organization that sponsors coverage for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, plus other benefits, including an insurance program for students going abroad. This plan has specific coverage for Medical Evacuation and Repatriation with no other insurance option available. It may be used by internationals in the U.S. as an add-on benefit to any other coverage held. For all internationals a variety of policies exist, including the two domestic policies already mentioned as well as those offered by the Harbour Group, the HTH Worldwide Insurance Service, the International Students Organization, and others. Contact the International Students office for advisement on these programs at 212-817-7490. A comparison chart developed by the director of the office, Mr. Douglas Ewing, is available in Room 7200.

5. CUNY Review of Insurance Policies

The Central Office of The City University of New York (CUNY) reviews the policies from Group Health Incorporated (GHI) and the New York University (NYU) dental plan. International policies are usually reviewed by NAFSA (National Association of Foreign Students Advisors). The NAGPS (National Association of Graduate-Professional Students) plan is reviewed by the Student Resources Group. It is imperative, however, that any plan be carefully reviewed by each student and purchased on the basis of both one's health history and one's budget. (N. B.: This review information is provided as a service but is not intended to endorse particular choices or limit students’ consideration to the reviewed policies and agencies.)

6. Low cost care for those not eligible for public health insurance. If you are not eligible for pubic health insurance, you may want to look into the resources below:

· The Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC), New York City’s public hospital system, has hospitals and other health care facilities located throughout the city that offer care on a sliding scale based on an individual’s ability to pay. For information visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/html/home/home.shtml.