Student Health and Wellness

Most students enrolled at UConn’s Storrs campus are required to pay the Student Health and Wellness Fee per the fee schedules on the Bursar’s website. Additionally, students enrolled at a Regional campus and living on the Storrs campus will be charged the fee as per these schedules.

Mandatory health and wellness fees are standard practice across the nation’s colleges and universities as a way to develop and maintain campus-wide programs and initiatives that promote and support student well-being. In addition, UConn’s Student Health and Wellness Fee offsets the costs for medical and mental health services, as well as health promotion and wellness activities. Providing health and wellness services for students is essential in supporting student success and academic excellence. 

Even students who consider themselves healthy or who anticipate using an off-campus health care provider benefit from services covered by the fee, including:

·       Campus-wide health and wellness initiatives benefiting the whole community, which focus on issues such as suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, infectious disease prevention, and many more topics that affect student life.

 ·       Overhead costs related to mandatory University public health functions and requirements, such as surveillance and reporting of infectious disease threats, emergency planning and disaster response, intervention and support related to campus crises, management of an outbreak or contagious diseases on campus, and other campus-wide health and safety functions.

The Student Health and Wellness Fee is not considered health insurance. Students are financially responsible for fee-for-service items such as medical and behavioral health visits, x-rays, lab tests, medical equipment, medications, and vaccinations. Visit the sections below for more information on insurance requirements and billing.

The Student Health and Wellness Fee enables us to offer these and other services at little or no extra charge:

• 24/7 Advice Nurse
• 24/7 On-Call for mental health crises
• Let's Talk (Drop in and Consultation)
• Initial phone assessment (screening)
• Case Management
• Mental Health Crisis Intervention/Immediate Help Services
• Routine Mental Health Triage and Assessment
• Suicide Prevention Week
• UConn HELPS (Helping Everyone Learn to Prevent Suicide) Training for Faculty and Staff
• Ask, Listen, Refer Online Suicide Prevention Training for Faculty and Staff
• Nurse Coach Wellness Visits
• Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Program
• Nutrition and Eating Disorders Services
• Physical Activity Counseling
• Infusions
• Campus-wide Flu and COVID Clinics
• Sexually Transmitted Disease Screening Clinics
• Care Coordination for Medical Conditions
• Parent/Student Chronic Condition Transition to Campus Meetings
• Infirmary Overnight Services
• Immunization Compliance
• International Student Health Screenings
• American College Health Association and CORE Student Health Surveys
• Student Health Fairs and Screenings
• Consultations Departments throughout the University
• Management of Public Health Emergencies
• Fresh Check Mental Health Awareness Day
• Mindfulness Workshops
• Sunset Yoga and Yoga Classes
• Meditation Classes
• Perfectionism and Stress Reduction Workshops
• Weekly Workshop Series on Topics of Interest
• Online Mental Health Screening Tools
• Connect and Challenge (C2) Retreat for Mental Health
• Support Groups for Survivors of Sexual Violence
• AlcoholEdu Mandatory Education Program for all new students
• Alcohol and Marijuana Screening and Intervention
• UConn Recovery Community (URC)
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programs
• Sexual Health Education
• Stress Management Programs, including Pet Therapy, and more
• HIV/AIDS Awareness Events
• Education Programs to Residential Life, Greek Life, Cultural Centers, and Student Groups
• Late Night Programs
• Oral Health Education
• Good Sleep Habits Education
• Smoking Cessation Education

Students may choose to be covered through:

• a personal insurance policy,
• a plan carried by their parents, or
• the group policy sponsored by the University, which is sold and administered through Wellfleet-Cigna Health Plan.

Enrollment in the University-sponsored Insurance Plan

The University uses what is called a “hard waiver” system to assure student health insurance coverage. This means that most full-time students will be AUTOMATICALLY enrolled in and billed for the UConn-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

While most full time students are automatically billed for the UConn SHIP, it is advised that ALL students check their tuition fee bill to determine whether the fee for the health insurance has been posted. If the charge has not been posted you may still be eligible to voluntarily enroll in the SHIP. To voluntarily enroll please call 860-486-9239.

The current University-sponsored plan is described in the plan brochures linked below. The plan is fully compliant with federal regulation mandates and offers preventative care. We urge you to carefully read the brochure and compare with what your other coverage provides.

University-Sponsored Health Insurance Policies

• • Benefits at a Glance
  • 2024-2025 UConn Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) FLYER/HIGHLIGHTS
  • Optional Student Dental Plan (2024-2025)
  • Private Health Insurance vs. SHIP

Additional information on insurance, charges for services rendered to students and billing practices

Important health insurance information for graduate teaching and research assistants

There are charges for office visits, x-rays, pharmacy items, point of care testing and blood draw services. Basic first aid, consultations with the triage nurse, telephone advice nurse, health education services, nutrition and physical activity counseling are provided at no charge.

Fees for office visits range from $40 to $300, depending upon the type and complexity of the visit. The complexity level of your visit is based on whether you are a new or established patient, the nature of your condition, examination and counseling time. The actual level is determined after your visit, so we are not able to give you a precise fee quote at the time you make your appointment. Many of these charges are reimbursable by the University-sponsored plan or other private health insurance plans.

Our blood draw station uses Quest Diagnostics as our reference laboratory. Quest will perform and bill for all lab tests and any patient responsibility bills will be mailed by Quest to the mailing address on record.

STI testing: All labs are sent to Quest Diagnostics and they will bill for STI testing. Please contact them at 1-800-933-2009 for billing information. It is also a good idea to check with your insurance carrier regarding coverage for STI tests. Please call your member services number on the back of your insurance card. Any questions, contact the billing office at 860-486-9239.

Fees for mental health visits range. Before you schedule your initial appointment with SHaW, we will review your insurance information with you. You will need to present your insurance ID card at the time of service as well.

Failure to cancel or reschedule an appointment 24 hours prior to appointment time will result in a no-show fee. Please contact SHaW prior to your appointment if you need to cancel or reschedule. For Medical appointments call 860-486-2719. For Mental Health appointments call 860-486-4705.

UConn Student Health and Wellness submits claims to:

• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of CT & affiliated BC/BS’s nationwide
• CIGNA
• Connecticare
• United Healthcare
• Connecticut Medicaid
• Tricare
• CHAMPVA

For any of the above carriers, we will file claims directly with these companies and will accept payment of contractually negotiated fees as payment in full. Once we file your claim and the insurance carrier identifies copayments, coinsurance or deductible amounts that are the patient’s responsibility, we will charge those fees to the student’s university fee bill. Please contact the SHaW Business Services team if you would like to utilize HSA/FSA debit cards for payment at 860-486-9239.

For carriers not listed above, all service-related fees will be the patient’s responsibility. If your coverage plan allows it and you wish to seek reimbursement from your insurance carrier on your own, we will provide you with receipts for claim filing upon request.

If you choose to be covered by the university sponsored student health insurance plan, most services performed at SHaW (related to illness, injury or accident) are covered at 100% with no copayment. SHaW will file the claim directly.

If your insurance coverage is through any carrier other than those listed above, the charge will be considered “self pay” and you will be responsible for full payment of any office visit, blood draw or radiology fees. You may also be responsible for fees incurred at Quest Diagnostics since they perform our laboratory testing.

If you have coverage through a health maintenance organization (HMO) you may not be reimbursed for services rendered by out of plan providers; this may include Student Health and Wellness and/or the UConn Health Center. Check your plan to be sure by using the contact information on the back of your insurance card.

Please be aware that many plans require prior approval before a student can be seen by anyone except their home primary care provider and it is the student’s responsibility to seek this approval prior to using our services.

You can access invoices for each visit by logging into your health portal at: myHealth.uconn.edu
Once logged in, please click on Appt. Scheduling and then View Appts. You will then see two tabs, one that says Upcoming and one that says Previous. Click on Previous to view all past appointments. You should see a menu that says Action, and from the drop down menu you should see the word Receipt.  Click on Receipt to bring up your itemized receipt/details of the visit.

SHaW-MH currently participates with most plans of Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, CT Medicaid (Husky A, B, C and D), Oxford, United Healthcare, and United Behavioral Health.  The University of Connecticut’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) administered by Wellfleet is also a participating plan.

Your medical insurance is automatically billed for any service you receive.  It is your responsibility to understand your coverage plan.  Please contact your insurance coverage to understand your billing and payment responsibilities.

For non-participating plans, your co-payment, deductible and/or co-insurance may be at a greater financial cost to you under the out-of-network benefits or you may not have any out-of-network coverage. SHaW-MH highly recommends you contact your own plan or consult with our Mental Health Insurance Specialist to know your covered benefit before your first appointment.

• You may choose to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan which provides unlimited Behavioral Health coverage with the co-pay/deductible waived for services on campus.
• You may choose to utilize your Out-of-Network benefits.
• You might consider a referral to a community provider.
• Some plans provide a “student away from home” benefit; if your insurance has this provision authorization will be required for our services and your out-of-pocket cost may be as low as your participating benefits.

Q1:  What if I have a high deductible?
A: There may be options! Please reach out to Irene.Benza@uconn.edu for more information or call 860-486-4705.

Q2: What is the cost of Crisis Services?
A: SHaW – Mental Health provides mental health crisis services for free; these services are not billed to insurance. If you are in crisis or have an emergency please call us right away (860-486-4705); if you are in a serious and life threatening emergency, please bypass SHaW-MH and call 911.

Q3: Why would I be assigned a trainee (i.e., pre-licensed practitioner) and not a licensed provider?
A: Our trainees work closely under the supervision of a licensed SHaW – Mental Health provider. Clinical services provided by trainees are not billed to insurance; a $15 fee per session applies.  For students where cost may pose a barrier to care, assignment to a trainee may be appropriate.
Trainees $15 and insurance copay- no charge on fee bill if paid at time of service.

Q4: What might my parents see?
A: They may see “Health Services Misc Fee” on fee bill and may see an EOB (explanation of benefits). If you are concerned about what your parents might see please Contact a SHaW-MH professional to discuss it further. If you are the insured person (e.g. you paid for your own insurance), then your parents will not see any information.

Q5: What is an EOB?
A: The EOB is a record of the fee the doctor requests, the copay you pay, the amount the insurance company agrees to pay to the provider, and any remaining amount to be written off or billed to you, the patient. An EOB looks a lot like a bill, because it is a detailed account of the billing process.  This document may indicate the type of service provided, but does not include detailed clinical information.  The person responsible for paying the bill (often the policy holder), will receive an EOB.

Q6: How specific does an EOB describe what service was provided? For example, does it always say mental health or psychiatric therapy?
A:  EOB does not say mental health, only the code for the service. Note: EOB is for billing purposes only and does not share diagnoses or identify types of care in such language as mental health.

Q7: How is the Co-Payment handled?
A: Students can pay on the day of service, either via credit, Husky Bucks, or pay later via the student fee bill. When your insurance benefit has a deductible &/or coinsurance we will submit the claim to your insurance.

Q8: What insurances are accepted?
A: We are currently a participating provider to most plans of Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, CT Medicaid (Husky A, B, C and D), Oxford, United Healthcare, and United Behavioral Health.  Also, the University of Connecticut’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) Wellfleet Cigna administered by Consolidated Health Plans, Inc.

Q9: Do I need to present my physical Insurance Card?
A: On SHaW-MH Portal, a student can upload their insurance card prior to appointment or it can be brought in person

Q10: Will I be charged if I don’t show for my scheduled appointment?
A: Yes. Failure to cancel a scheduled appointment 24 hours prior to appointment time will result in an automatic charge to your student fee bill of $15.00.  Please contact SHaW – Mental Health minimally 24 hours prior to your appointment if you need to cancel or reschedule so that we may offer that time to another student in need.

Q11: What is the typical processing time for items to show up on the fee bill or on an EOB?
A: It can be as soon as 24 hours or as long as two months.

Q12: Who can see my mental health information? How do I give someone permission to discuss it?
A: Once you are 18 in the United States, no one can access your mental health confidential information, unless you explicitly give permission to do so. Students can give their permission for a mental health care provider to discuss their mental health with another person or provider by completing a form called a release of information, giving legal permission for any disclosures.

In order to best serve you as well as ensure your claim is not denied for lack of required referral or authorization, we ask that you contact your insurance carrier to determine:

• If you are covered for services at UConn Student Health and Wellness.
• If you require prior authorization.
• If a referral is needed from your primary care physician. If so, be sure we receive a copy prior to or on the day of your appointment.

If you do not have insurance coverage, you will be responsible for payment of charges associated with medical care provided to you.

We accept a variety of insurance plans to which we directly bill prescription medications including the university sponsored insurance plan and Connecticut Medicaid. Ask us for more information.

Prescription insurance billing is separate from Medical insurance billing at Student Health and Wellness. Unlike medical claims that are submitted after the visit by our Business Services Team, prescription claims are processed in real-time at the Pharmacy. That is why it is so important that we have accurate prescription insurance information at the time we process your prescription.

Please be aware that there are some plans with which we do not participate and are unable to submit claims to these insurers on your behalf.

Many plans have a prescription coverage card that is separate from the medical insurance card you supplied at the time of your medical visit. Be sure to bring both cards to every visit at Student Health and Wellness.

If you do not have your prescription insurance card with you, you may provide us with your coverage information using this form. Sources for this information include your parent's or guardian's prescription insurance card, your pharmacy at home or the insurance company itself. You may also choose to have a copy of your prescription insurance card faxed to 860-486-0792. Or have someone text you a photo of your prescription insurance card, making sure the information below is clearly visible in the picture. Better yet, be proactive and upload a copy of both your medical and prescription insurance cards to our patient portal before you need us - myHealth.uconn.edu (click on Document Upload.)

If you elect to pick up your prescription prior to providing our pharmacy with your insurance information, we can give you a brief, same-day grace period for submitting the information. Complete insurance information must be received in the pharmacy by 5 p.m. on the date of service; otherwise the resulting charge(s) may be billed to your student fee bill.