<p>just received newsletter from Gannet Health Services.</p>
<p>Was just wondering what current students think regarding using cornells health insurance vs. staying on parents policy.</p>
<p>Seems like the Cornell plan is rather limited, since it is not to be used for preventative visits at all. It is also more expensive than what I would save by switching.</p>
<p>My understanding however though is that if I keep my D on my insurance all bills will have to be paid and then submitted to our carrier.</p>
<p>I feel like they are "pushing" to switch to their plan. Maybe I am reading more into it.</p>
<p>I would just like some thoughts from anyone that has any</p>
<p>I stayed on my parent’s plan. I lived close enough to Ithaca that if I became deathly ill, I could be home within 2 hours.</p>
<p>I used Gannett once and my insurance didn’t cover my visit because they were out of network. However, my Gannett bill came to a whopping total of $14 (office fee and antibiotics purchased at Cornell’s pharmacy). Most visits to Gannett for minor issues cost $10. If your daughter were to need any women’s health services, she can get that done at Planned Parenthood for free or very little cost (I had friends who used that route). If your daughter uses a physician who is in network for your insurance plan, then they’ll submit the insurance paperwork for you (at least they should…professional courtesy).</p>
<p>Before making the decision, I would look at your current plan and see if any physicians in Ithaca are in your plan’s network. If there are, I wouldn’t bother with Cornell’s plan. None of my friends purchased Cornell’s insurance.</p>
<p>Thanks dewdrop</p>
<p>I did check yesterday and BCBS has tons of doctors in Ithaca. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something because it seemed like Gannett was really pushing parents to switch in the newsletter. Maybe they are just trying to make sure everyone has some kind of coverage.</p>
<p>$10 is much better than our $25 office visit copay though, so happy to hear that.</p>
<p>I had BCBS as well…great coverage in Ithaca. Gannett really does push the insurance thing, but they just want medical issues to be the last thing you have to worry about while at school. </p>
<p>$10 is a great deal…it just doesn’t cover lab tests. If your D is sick and it’s seems simple enough (like a cold or sinus infection)…she should just go to Gannett. If she thinks it might be worse, then she might want to consider getting a private doc in Ithaca.</p>
<p>My daughter also stayed on our insurance. We have PPO (not HMO), so she could go to any doctor. She went to a few doctors in Ithaca, and we were reimbursed, no different than when she was home. It’s cheaper if she uses in network doctor, and a few doctors she’s had to use were all in our netowrk. She also used Cornell’s health center for a few minor cold/flu related illness. They also did some blood work when she had mono and filled prescriptions for her. Those charges went directly to the bursar, and we submitted them to our insurance company.</p>
<p>Just saw your posts. We also use BCBS.</p>