Significant changes in NIU student health insurance for fiscal year 1989 will affect student coverage and the procedures they must follow for covered medical care.

Dana Mills, assistant director for Administrative Health Services, said the biggest change in the insurance policy is that students will have to rely on student health insurance or a personal policy to pay for emergency services at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

He said that prior to FY89, emergency services had been covered by NIU student health service fees, not insurance.

“In the past, all students prepaid health fees, which covered any referral to Kishwaukee (Community Hospital) and they would cover 80 percent of emergency room costs,” Mills said.

However, he said the hospital had not negotiated a new contract for FY89 to deal on a prepaid basis.

NIU had made several negotiations to keep emergency services prepaid but, “they (the hospital) thought they were losing more money than they could afford,” Mills said.

He said the students purchasing the health insurance policy do not have to pay the past health service fee of 56 cents per credit hour but the insurance coverage has been increased by 21 cents per credit hour.

Mills said that along with the new emergency services policy, students will be required to follow “cost containment” features to keep the insurance premiums affordable. For non-life-threatening situtations, students are required to call the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medical Services Advisory Program, Mills said.

“Clinical people answer the phone and students have to describe what their doctor has asked them to do and why they need surgery,” he said.

Mills said MSAP will then make recommendations and any second or third opinions required will be completely covered.

If students do not call MSAP prior to or after elective surgery, a $500 deductable would apply, Mills said. A $25 deductable normally applies, he said.

Mills said students also are asked to seek medical care at a “participating provider.” He said the providers have a rate reduction agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield that covers 20 percent more than a non-provider.

Linda Jennings, University Health Services administrative assistant, said that students benefit by having the NIU insurance policy. “The student policy has a $25 deductable, which is very low. Other insurance policies from home may run from a $50 to a $500 deductable,” Jennings said.

She said the NIU policy is able to have a low deductable because of the no-cost advantage of using the University Health Services.