Costs & Coverage: Medical Insurance for Graduate Students
The cost of your premium is dependent on which plan you choose, the duration of coverage you want, and who is to be covered by the policy.
The following information can be found on the Aetna Web site or in the insurance brochures available from the MU Cashier's Office, Student Health Center or Graduate School:
- Listing of plans, coverage and premiums
- Dates of coverage
- Online enrollment
- Provider/doctor search
- Prescription benefits
- Dental option
- Travel assistance
Starting in fall 2007, only one plan will be available to domestic graduate students enrolling in the insurance for the first time. Continuing students who wish to keep Plan I from past years can re-enroll through the Cashier's Office only.
Specific Coverage Questions?
If you have a specific question about coverage of a service that is not answered by the Aetna Student Health Web site or brochure, you can contact one of the insurance representatives at the Student Health Center by calling 573-882-7481.
First Payment Due Date
If you enrolled in the insurance policy through the Cashier's Office or when you registered for classes through MyZou and the premium was added to your student account, your first payment will be due when your first University bill is due. If you enroll directly with the insurance company, you need to send the entire premium to them and follow their deadline.
Subsidy Recipients
If you are eligible for the insurance subsidy and you enroll directly with the insurance company, you still need to send the entire premium to the insurance company because the subsidy will be credited to your student account after verification of your enrollment.
Frequently Asked Questions: Costs & Coverage
Will I still be required to pay the Student Health Center fee?
To be able to use the Student Health Center, you need to have paid the student health fee, which is mandatory and automatically charged to student accounts of graduate students taking at least 9 credit hours. Students who are not enrolled full-time can ask to have the student health fee added to their student account.
Part-time graduate students who do not want to go to the Student Health Center and do not pay the student health fee can still enroll in the Accident and Sickness Insurance Policy. However, the deductibles associated with whichever plan the student chooses will be higher because they will not have a Student Health Center referral. Also, the services provided by the Student Health Center, such as an annual physical, will not be covered by the insurance (see the Aetna site for more information).
Is this policy portable to another insurance policy, as per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?
Yes, if the conditions are met that are specified on this policy and the new one.
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
Domestic
The domestic plan provides portability of coverage as it relates to "pre-existing" health conditions:
- If, at the time of enrollment, you have not been covered by prior creditable coverage, this policy will not cover pre-existing conditions until you have continuous coverage for 12 months under this policy.
- If you were covered by prior creditable coverage any time within the last 12 months and you enroll in this plan within 63 days of having coverage under the previous plan, credit will be given for each month of creditable coverage toward satisfaction of the 12-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions. To obtain credit for previous coverage, you must provide evidence of "prior creditable coverage" within 30 days of enrollment in this policy.
- If you were a student covered by a similar policy offered by the either MU or another university in the school term immediately prior to the effective date of this policy, you will not experience a break in coverage provided you apply for coverage and pay the required premium within 30 days.
International
The international plan provides benefits for pre-existing conditions up to $3,500 for covered services.
What does "X% PPO/X% non-PPO" mean?
PPO refers to Preferred Provider Organization. Physicians and hospitals affiliated with the Preferred Provider Organization have contracted to provide all insured by this plan with quality care at significantly reduced fees. X% PPO/ X% non-PPO means that those benefits will be paid at the percentage shown of the PPO Allowable Charges when a Preferred Provider is used (X% PPO) or at the percentage shown of the Usual and Customary (U&C) Charges incurred when a non-Preferred Provider is used (X% non-PPO).
A listing of participating providers is available at the Student Health Center or through the Aetna Student Health Web site.
If I can't afford health insurance under this policy for my children, are there any other options available to me?
Yes, the State of Missouri offers a Health Insurance Program for Children, entitled MC + for Kids, for low-income families who do not have access to affordable health insurance. This program does not count student loans, grants, work-study, fellowships or parental support as income to meet the low-income eligibility requirement.
What do I do if I am not in the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) region, such as when traveling, and require medical treatment?
The Aetna Group Web site details Travel Assistance Services.
Do undergraduates get a different plan?
The insurance policy offered to graduate students is the same as that offered to all students across campus, which was revised in fall 2000 from earlier policies. This policy has features that were not on earlier policies that satisfy requests for coverage by graduate students, including having at least two options for levels of coverage.