In August 2009, the UNC Board of Governors approved the implementation of a “hard waiver” student health insurance plan on all sixteen 4-year campuses beginning in fall 2010. The term “hard waiver” means any student meeting three specific criteria is required to show evidence of an existing “creditable coverage” health insurance policy OR enroll in the UNC system-wide plan.
“Hard waiver” does not mean a student must enroll in the UNC system-wide plan; it means a student must show evidence of creditable coverage health insurance, and enrolling in the UNC system-wide plan is one means to meet that requirement. A student is encouraged to compare the UNC system-wide plan against other options, e.g., being a dependent on a parent’s health insurance plan, having an employer’s health insurance plan, having individual plan coverage through another source.
The system-wide plan provides a common set of base benefits with several options for campus-selected plan enhancements. The UNC system-wide plan has a robust set of benefits at an affordable premium. The plan’s coverage can be expanded by a student to include a spouse/domestic partner and/or child(ren). The plan’s coverage is from August 1st - July 31st and is billed by semesters (defined as August 1st - December 31st and January 1st - July 31st).
If you are enrolled for nine or more on-campus credit hours, you are required to pay a student health fee. It is not insurance. This fee covers the basic care offered at Student Health Services, including Medical Clinic, Sports Medicine Clinic and Women’s Health Clinic office visits. Charges for laboratory procedures, x-rays and prescriptions are provided at a discounted cost. Your student health fee also pays for wellness programs to enhance your personal health and well-being.
Health insurance offsets the cost of services not covered under the student health fee. It also gives students access to services not available on the UNCG campus and covers a portion of the cost for services not provided at the Student Health Services, such as hospitalization, required surgery or specialty services for illnesses or injuries.
Unexpected health care expenses such as those associated with unexpected illness, accidents, or mental health care can destabilize a student’s financial situation and derail his/her progress toward a degree. These potential barriers to attendance and degree completion are reduced when students have health insurance. Conversely, students without health insurance who do not have access to needed specialty care or hospitalization may attempt to continue their academic pursuits but fail to reach their full potential due to their untreated illness.
Students who are already covered by an insurance policy (i.e. through parent plans, family plans, employer-sponsored plans, or student health insurance), submit their insurance policy number for verification through a secure website. The charge will be removed from the student’s bill once their policy is verified.
Yes. When students register for classes they will simply verify their insurance policy information using the online verification page.
We understand that concern. This is why Pearce & Pearce, the designated agent of record for the UNC system’s domestic student health insurance "hard waiver" plan, will not sell our students' information to anyone, including direct mail marketing vendors. They also use the most stringent, HIPAA-compliant web security currently available. Great care is taken to minimize the potential for security breaches that might lead to fraud or other malicious use of personal information. The university also takes steps to protect student information. All data transfer processes go through rigorous review by the campus Banner Security committee. No data can be transferred to or from the university without this committee's approval. (Our thanks to Mary Griffin, Nursing Ph.D. student, for bringing this concern to our attention.)
When a student graduates, they are no longer eligible to be seen by Student Health Services, however they are still covered by the Student Health Insurance until the expiration date of their plan. Due to being ineligible, the student will not have to receive a referral before being seen by a community physician.