Q: “I didn’t know we had to have health insurance and why is it 
mandatory?”
A: In short, it is the law of the land. Per the health care reform act recently passed by Congress and taking effect January 2014, all citizens will have some form of health insurance coverage. Portland State University must comply with this law for any domestic student taking at least five credit hours. But as Christi Zielger, PSU Student Insurance Coordinator states, “PSU does not have mandatory insurance because of the law…we’ve always had mandatory insurance, but this is the first time we have had such a robust plan and are allowing students to waive out if they have something else.” Like it or not our government wants its citizens (and students) to be healthy and to have the ability to pay for such services to remain so.
(PSU’s plan is in effect now) http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insurance-information
Q: “But I already have insurance (I think) through my parents or my employer. Can I use my same doctor”?
A: As long as you have existing insurance coverage, provide the applicable documentation, and submit a waiver to the school prior to the beginning of class, you will not be automatically charged for PSU’s health insurance. And yes, you can stay with your same doctor or with your own insurance carrier. You will have to see if your current doctor is in-service with Aetna, PSU’s insurance provider, or is considered out-of-service with Aetna. Either way you are covered. http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insurancewaiver. And if you wish a link for providers: https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/
Q: “If I do not already have health insurance coverage, how much will this cost me? Is this a good price?
A: The cost of PSU’s health insurance plan is $560/term ($140/month annualized). This bill will be automatically applied to your account when you register for class (unless you file a waiver). Look at these monthly cost comparisons*:
- PSU- $140
- Reed- $133
- Lewis & Clark- $225
- U of P- $178
- Willamette- $211
(*For comparison, this writer has health insurance through his wife’s employer. While it is good coverage—the price is $460/mo. for the two of us).
Q: “Is there a clinic on campus I can go to if I can’t get to my normal doctor”?
- A: Yes there is. SHAC, Student Health and Counseling, and it is located at Univ. Center Bldg, Ste. 300, 1880 SW 6th. http://www.pdx.edu/shac/ They are professionally staffed for:
- Medical
- Dental
- Mental Health
- Testing
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS (not inclusive)
- No Deductible
- $20/$30/$40 Co pays
- Inpatient/surgical/hospital coverage @ 80%
- Outpatient care @ 80%-100%
- Annual out of pocket max @ $3500
- Annual max payout coverage @ $100,000
- Prescriptions @ 100% (generic)
- Free generic birth control prescriptions
- Outpatient Mental Health/Alcoholism/Drug Treatment @ 100%
- Women’s Health Care @ 100%
- Preventive Health Care @ 100%
- Diabetic Testing Supplies @ 80%
- Elective Abortion Expense @ 80%
- No Dental
- No Vision
- No Hearing
For more detailed and complete information please contact:
Christi Ziegler, PSU Student Insurance Coordinator, 503-725-2467, christi.ziegler@pdx.edu, campus @ SHAC bldg. Or http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insuranceplan
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this site. It’s simple, yet effective.
A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appeal. I must say you have done a excellent job with this. Additionally, the blog loads super quick for me on Safari. Excellent Blog!
Christi Ziegler is an idiotic bitch. She has no authority to offer opinion here, as she is NOT aware of *basic* university policy. She should be fired immediately, and this post should be deleted.
Medical insurance shouldn’t be mandatory because a certain person knows better if he needs it or not, and if the answer in no, he shouldn’t be forced to pay some money on something useless. Of course, if once he needs special medical treatment, he can go to an emergency clinic and here he doesn’t need an insurance.
Sometimes a health insurance can offer someone many benefits and discounts. For instance, a sick person who needs to do every month all kinds of medical tests, including an open MRI at Middletown Medical Imaging to see his current health condition, will definitely need a health insurance. The costs for his medical services will be reduced drastically if he has a good health insurance.