Dear CSU Student and Parent,
As we move into a new academic year, there is an important change that you should be aware of in the Student Health Center and Counseling Center. Just like your personal health care provider, the Student Health Center and the university’s Counseling Center will accept all health insurance plans beginning summer 2011. Please be assured that these changes will not cost the student anything additional. Columbus State University has done this in partnership with Vivature, a well-respected national health insurance billing and collection company that focuses on college and university health services.
This is good news for several reasons. First, billing insurance will allow us to continue with the current level of services in spite of increasing costs and diminishing resources. Secondly, it will help alleviate some of the financial pressures faced by university students and their parents by reducing the need to increase fee-for-service expenses beyond what the semester health fee covers. Lastly, it will limit the need for significant increases in the student health fee, which is currently well below student health fees of many other universities.
In CSU’s partnership with Vivature, no co-pays or deductibles are assessed for professional services provided at either the Student Health Center or at the Counseling Center.
Furthermore, we wanted to make you aware that if you receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your health insurance company for any services rendered at Columbus State University, you will not be billed for any remaining “patient responsibility” charges beyond what the insurance pays us directly. In other words, we do not “balance bill” students or parents for the portion of the insurance claims not paid by their insurance. However, the Student Health Center will still expect payment for certain items not covered by health insurance and students will still be responsible for paying for the cost of health care received from other health care providers in the community
If you do not have insurance coverage, please do not worry. The professionals in the Student Health Center and our Counseling Center will continue to provide first-rate services to students, regardless of their health insurance status.
If you need additional information or have any questions:
· Call the Student Health Center at 706-507-8620, visit us in Tucker Hall, or check us out online: www.ColumbusState.edu/healthservices
· Call the Counseling Center at 706-507-8740, visit us on the third floor of the Schuster Student Success Center or check us out online: www.ColumbusState.edu/counsel