Insurance
RIT expects all students to carry medical insurance. Insurance may be obtained through the University, or through family or individual policies. This coverage is essential for health care services provided outside the Student Health Center.
Before your student enters RIT, we strongly urge you to check the details of your insurance policy to make sure it provides coverage in the Rochester area. Not all insurance policies cover students outside their home "network". For example, state based Medicaid does not cover students outside their home state. If your policy does not cover services provided in the Rochester area, we strongly urge you to consider purchasing the RIT plan, a Student Accident and Sickness Insurance program.
The RIT plan provides coverage for a full calendar year and is not limited to services in the Rochester area. It provides coverage (within the limits specified by the policy) for:
- Hospitalization due to sickness or injury
- Emergency care
- Psychiatric care
- Out-patient services such as laboratory and X-ray procedures
- Referral to specialty providers
- Prescription medicines (with a 2 tiered co-pay)
- Some preventative services including immunizations
The Claims Administrator:
Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk
500 Victory Road
Quincy, MA 02171
866-746-6590 (V)
Email info@gallagherstudent.com
Website: www.aetnastudenthealth.com
for claim forms go to: Gallagher Student Health Medical Claim Form
The Student Health Fee and insurance are separate and cover different parts of the student’s health care while at RIT. The Student Health Fee covers services provided within the RIT Student Health Center (SHC) --which does not accept insurance as direct payment, and insurance is necessary to cover services outside the SHC.
All registered, full time undergraduates pay a mandatory student health fee each semester. Part time undergraduate, graduate and co-op students are not automatically billed for the health fee, but are welcome to access SHC services either by paying the semester health fee (for unlimited visits within the semester) or by paying a “fee for service” charge at each visit.
The Student Health Fee covers most of the services offered within the SHC, such as:
- Primary care appointments with a clinician (physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant)
- Women's health care services
- Psychiatric services (and the Counseling Center)
- Most in-office laboratory tests done within the SHC
- Health education counseling and programming
Note:
- Some in-office lab tests, immunizations and medications purchased within the SHC are not covered by the health fee.
- The SHC does not accept insurance for direct payment of these charges. Cash, check, TigerBucks and VISA/MasterCard are the accepted methods of payment within the SHC.
- If requested, you will be given a receipt which you may then submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
All RIT students are expected to carry insurance coverage to cover services provided outside the SHC, such as:
- Referrals to specialty providers (orthopedics, dermatology, etc.)
- Lab tests sent to a commercial laboratory
- X-rays and other imaging tests
- Prescription medications purchased outside the SHC
- Urgent care and emergency room visits
- Hospitalization
For students with insurance coverage provided by a spouse, parent or guardian whose home is outside the Rochester area, it is very important to check the policy thoroughly for coverage of health care services while “out of network”. If it does not, please consider purchasing the RIT plan.
NOTE: State based insurance plans such as Medicaid do not provide coverage outside the home state.
Make sure your student:
- Knows the name of his/her insurance company
- Has his/her own insurance card (or a copy) and brings it to every SHC appointment (we need the information if we send lab tests out or make a specialty referral)
- Knows the basics of the plan, especially regarding out of network coverage
- Knows how to obtain claim forms if needed
Fortunately, most college age young adults are healthy and we sincerely hope that is the case for your student while he/she is at RIT. However, the clinicians in the SHC see normally healthy students every day who have sustained an injury or developed an illness that requires prescription medication, a referral to a specialist or even hospitalization—inadequate insurance coverage may prevent access to appropriate care. Selecting an effective insurance plan is one of the most important ways you can support your student’s well-being.
