What is the difference between the student health fee and insurance ?  Why do I have to have both ?

The student health fee and insurance are separate and cover different parts of your health care while at RIT.

Student Health Fee

All full time undergraduates pay a mandatory student health fee each quarter. This fee appears on your bill from the Bursar's office along with your tuition, room and board and other fees. The health fee covers most of the services offered within the SHC, such as:

• Primary care appointments with a physician or nurse practitioner
• Women's health care services
• Psychiatric services
• Allergy injections
• Some tests done within the SHC laboratory
• Health education counseling and programming

There is no "co-pay" at the time of the visit.

Note: some tests and services within the SHC are not covered by the health fee. There is a separate charge for:

• Urine pregnancy tests
• Rapid Strep tests
• Rapid mononucleosis tests
• Immunizations
• Medications purchased within the SHC (including contraceptives)

The SHC does not accept insurance, credit cards or debit cards for direct payment of charges. Cash, check and Flex 'TigerBucks" are the only accepted methods of payment within the SHC. You will be given a receipt which you may then submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

Part time undergraduate, graduate and co-op students are not automatically billed for the health fee. They may still access SHC services either by paying the quarterly health fee (for unlimited visits within the quarter) or by paying a “fee for service” charge at each visit.

Insurance

All RIT students are required to carry insurance coverage to cover services provided outside the SHC, such as:

• Referrals to specialty providers (orthopedics, dermatology, etc.)
• Lab tests sent to an outside laboratory
• X-rays and other imaging tests
• Prescription medications purchased outside the SHC
• Urgent care and emergency room visits
• Hospitalization

Students may purchase insurance coverage through a special Aetna Student Accident and Sickness Plan offered through RIT. The plan provides coverage for a full calendar year and is not limited to services within the Rochester area.

For students whose insurance coverage is provided by a spouse or parent whose home is outside the Rochester area, it is very important to check the policy thoroughly for coverage of health care services "out of network". If it does, please check to see what the policy requires for benefit coverage while the student is away from home. If it does not, please consider purchasing the RIT plan. Please note that state insurance plans such as Medicaid do not provide coverage outside the home state.

Be prepared….

• Know the name of your insurance company
• Bring a copy of your insurance card to every SHC appointment (we need the information if we send lab tests out or make a specialty referral)
• Know the basics of your plan, especially regarding out of network coverage
• Keep a copy of your policy with you on campus to refer to if needed
• Keep a copy of any claim forms or know how to obtain them if needed  

For more information, please see the insurance information page.