Students seeking treatment at Student Health often are faced with the aggravating task of filing their own insurance claims if their provider isn't QualChoice.
But they may not know that Student Health has been waging an ongoing campaign to expand the number of insurance providers that recognize it as an authorized healthcare provider.
Three years ago, Student Health began to keep a running tally of which insurance plans cover the most students, based on incoming students' required health information forms.
Student Health officials then contact these insurance companies each year in an effort to broker provider agreements with them.
Under a provider agreement, such as the one Student Health has with QualChoice, Student Health would be permitted to file claims on behalf of students rather than requiring the students to file claims themselves.
The insurance provider would cover the expenses for any claims falling under the provider agreement.
Student Health cannot file claims for students who are covered by insurance plans other than QualChoice because these companies do not recognize Student Health as an authorized healthcare provider.
So far, Student Health hasn't had much luck in obtaining additional provider agreements.
"We have made overtures to Trigon and TriCare, but these companies have not been interested in working with us," Student Health Asst. Director Alison Montgomery said.
Many insurance companies refuse to enter into provider agreements with Student Health because they mistakenly believe that tuition and other student fees cover most student medical fees, said Student Health Director James Turner.
Students who are upset that their insurance company does not pay for expenses incurred at Student Health should voice their concerns to that insurance provider, Turner said.
Student Health attempted to remedy the situation five years ago by contracting with a company to file insurance claims but found the venture to be grossly unprofitable.
Student Health's rate of fee collection dropped from 95 percent to 35 percent because "800 to 1,000 companies from 50 states and numerous countries didn't recognize ... Student Health as an authorized provider of service," Montgomery said. "The time it took to make this determination was usually so long that to then bill the patient was unconscionable."
Student Health does not have the resources to file claims for the thousands of insurance plans that cover University students, Turner said.
The University Hospital, however, can file claims for patients covered by any insurance company.
Ten years ago, the hospital assumed ownership of the Student Health Pharmacy and Laboratory, significantly expanding the number of insurance plans accepted at Student Health. But students still must file claims for immunizations and other injections, over-the-counter medications and a few other diagnostic or treatment procedures such as the EKG.
But a complete takeover of Student Health by the hospital would not be beneficial to students, Turner said.
"The hospital is not accustomed to running a clinic dedicated to college students," he said, noting the volume of students that visit Student Health each day and the rapid service that is necessary to deal with such volume.
Montgomery said it may be more beneficial for students to file claims.
"We have a system in place that gives patients sufficient information to file claims themselves or to pass along to a parent who may do so," she said. "The patient ... has a relationship with his or her health insurance company, and Student Health does not."
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