<p>Does anyone have advice or suggestions regarding the best way to cover your child with health insurance at UA? We’re in California and our current health insurance does not have network coverage in Alabama so we’re trying to decide if it would be best to a.) change our insurance to something like Blue Cross PPO which has wider networks b.) buy a separate policy in Alabama for DS, or c.) buy the student insurance offered by UA. The limit of $500,000 on the UA student insurance makes me nervous in case (God forbid) DS got in a serious accident, but I have read that due to the new ACA regulations student insurance is no longer allowed to have caps on coverage. Presumably this will make it more expensive but the website has not been updated with any information about this as yet.</p>
<p>On my plan UA was also out of network. I talked with my HR group and Cigna and they set up a guest network for my son to use while he was at UA. He was able to use the SHC with no issues and it was covered as if he was at home.</p>
<p>Talk to your current provider to see if they will do something similar for you.</p>
<p>As twomutts mentioned, talk with your insurance rep and your ins provider. They are used to this. They can make it where the local hospital and doctors are “in network” due to your dependent being in an area for school. We just did this with ours after D went to the doctor and they first sent the bill saying it was out of network. One phone call and all was done.</p>
<p>My insurer would not grant a “guest” membership for my student. However, they do cover any emergencies at an ER (like xrays) or if you are admitted to the hospital. If my student uses the Student Health Center, we just pay out of pocket for the one or two times a year that this is needed. Flu shots are offered free around campus and at the SHC. My prescription plan works in any state.</p>
<p>We are from California and our DD is a freshman at UA. Which insurance do you have? We have Kaiser and spent copious amounts of time on the phone with them to try and figure this out. She is fully covered if she goes to the ER or Urgent Care and she can also go to the student health center and if we pay and then send the bill to Kaiser for reimbursement. It took us many phone calls to get this info and luckily we haven’t had to try it yet. Our primary care doctor understands the situation and has prescribed medications after an email or phone conversation which can be sent by mail. Our DD hasn’t been sick to the degree that she needed to be seen ASAP.
If you have Kaiser, be persistent and ask for a supervisor for clarification. Get the full name and extension number of whomever you talk to.</p>
<p>Principal12, thanks for the info. We are from California, have Kaiser, and a rising freshman son. Good to know. I’ll make sure to have a conversation with his primary care before he leaves.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that BCBS is by far the most popular insurance company in Alabama and most doctors in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham will accept it. A quirk of the BCBS system is that while you may be insured by a certain BCBS licensee, your claim is processed by the BCBS licensee nearest the doctor or other provider. Thus, if a provider says they accept BCBS of Alabama, they likely accept other BCBS plans as well. </p>
<p>While I did not see a medical provider in Alabama, I had a BCBS PPO that the BCBS representatives at Get on Board Day referred to as “excellent insurance,” which gave me wonderful piece of mind and allowed me to choose my own doctor with no referrals. In addition, the ACA allows people to be covered on their parents’ plan until they turn 26. If your student plans on working somewhere other than your home area after graduation and may want to take a job which doesn’t offer health insurance, a PPO may be a great idea for your family.</p>
<p>Since many employers have separate providers for prescription and mental health services, check to see if they have a provider in the local area. For example, there was a time when the UA SHC pharmacy didn’t accept Medco prescription insurance even though Medco was the prescription insurance company for UA’s student health insurance. As mental health issues tend to appear around college age, it’s a good idea to have insurance which covers providers in the local area. If needed, students are allowed to see medical professionals at the University Medical Center next to the SHC which is commonly used by UA faculty and staff.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice everyone. I will certainly look into the possibility of a guest network. Whatever happens I definitely want any arrangements nailed down in writing. Hearing about the poor student who was hit by a truck in Tuscaloosa last year made me realize how important it was to have good coverage. If the worst were to happen I would not want to be wrangling with an insurance company especially from such a distance away.</p>