INSURANCE AND PATIENT BILLING FAQS (REVISED 8/23/2018)
HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE HEALTH AND COUNSELING
1. What services at Hampshire College Health and Counseling or the University of Massachusetts will be billed to my insurance?
All medical office visits and lab tests at the Hampshire College Health and Counseling (HCHC) will be billed to your health insurance plan. Students are never billed for counseling visits at Hampshire.
Services ordered by your Hampshire medical provider at the University of Massachusetts Health Services such as x-rays or ultrasound will also be billed to your health insurance plan. All HCHC medical billing is handled by the University of Massachusetts Health Services.
After hours visits to the University of Massachusetts Walk-In Clinic and University of Massachusetts office visits to specialists such as psychiatry, women’s clinic, eye clinic, and travel clinic are billed to insurance. Students are responsible for any deductibles or co-insurance associated with these visits. The Hampshire College Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Health Insurance covers many of these services.
2. Am I required to sign up for the Hampshire Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Insurance Plan?
Students are required to either enroll in the BCBS Student Insurance or waive BCBS plan. The BCBS Student Insurance has been designed by Hampshire College and Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide students with robust coverage with very little out of pocket expenses. Most mental health office and medical facilities locally are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield. The BCBS Student Insurance also covers students while home over school breaks and during both international and domestic travel. Access the “enrollment form” or “waiver form” at www.gallagherstudent.com
3. Am I responsible for co-payments for my health services visits?
No! Although your insurance will be billed for medical visits, you will not have to pay for office visit co-payments for medical visits at Hampshire. The mandatory health fee that you have paid for on your student bill absorbs office visit co-payments.
4. Which medical service fees am I responsible for paying?
You will be responsible for any fees associated with out out-of of-network care, deductibles, co-insurances, and other fees not covered by your insurance. Most of these fees will come from uncovered lab tests or out of network care for students who don’t have the BCBS Student Insurance. Please consult your health insurance to find out which medical services are not covered. Students are responsible for keeping insurance changes up to date at Health Services.
5. Will Counseling Services appointments at Health Services be billed to my health insurance?
No. Only fees associated with medical appointments are billed to insurance. Students are never billed for counseling appointments at Hampshire Health and Counseling.
6. Are there any fees associated with pharmacy prescriptions?
Yes. You are responsible for paying any pharmacy co-payments, deductibles, and pharmacy items not covered by your health insurance. Payments are made at the time of pick up. Pick up is located at the front desk of Hampshire Health and Counseling Services. Many preventive care medications such as birth control, emergency contraception, and stop smoking medications are free and completely covered by most insurance plans.
7. What is the process for making payments on any bills that I have received?
Bills for uncovered services received at Hampshire Health Services or the University of Massachusetts Health Services will be mailed to your Hampshire College P.O Box. During the summhiser months, bills will be mailed to your permanent address. Bills can be paid by check or credit card, as indicated on your billing statement. Bills can also be paid online at: www.umass.edu/uhs/billpay.
8. Is MassHealth considered an acceptable insurance for coverage at Hampshire?
Starting fall 2017, most students with MassHealth insurance plans now receive additional coverage for Student Health Insurance Plans through a program called MassHealth Premium Assistance. For more information, consult the MassHealth Premium Assistance web site or the front desk staff at Hampshire Health Services at 413.559.5458.
9. Who do I contact if my health insurance changes?
Please notify the front desk at Hampshire Health Services if you have any changes in your health insurance at 413.559.5458 or healthservices@hampshire.edu.
10. Do I need to bring my health insurance card with me to every appointment?
Yes. You will be asked to verify your insurance at every visit, so please bring your insurance card with you. If you do not have a hard copy of your card, we will accept a cell phone picture of the front and back of your insurance card.
11. Will my parents or family know about my care at Hampshire Health and Counseling Services from insurance statements or bills?
Possibly. While all care for students receive at HCHCS is confidential, billing and insurance statements for medical visits may be sent home depending upon a students’ plan. Counseling visits are never sent to insurance.
Students with the Hampshire College Student Blue Plan have the plan in their names and receive all insurance statements to their own Hampshire mail boxes.
Students who have medical insurance through a family member or parent should contact the insurer to ask that all insurance statements come to them personally.
If students have specific concerns related to confidentiality of medical care related to insurance, they should discuss this with their Hampshire College medical providers or counselors.
Glossary of Insurance Terms
Benefits
The medical services that are fully or partially paid for by a health insurance plan. Benefits included in a plan could still require a co-pay or co-insurance payment.
Co-insurance
A type of cost sharing between you and your insurance company, where you each pay a percent of the costs of a covered health care service. If you have 80%/20% co-insurance, this means that when you receive care, the insurance company pays 80% of the cost and you pay the other 20%, after your deductible is met.
Co-pay
A co-pay is the flat fee you have to pay for a service, such as a doctor’s visit or a prescription. If you have a $15 co-pay for visits to your primary care provider, you will pay $15 for each doctor’s visit..
Deductible
The amount you pay for care before your insurance kicks in. For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible, you will pay for health services until you have spent $1,000, then your insurer will pay for your remaining covered health care services (except co-pays and co-insurance).
Network
Doctors, hospitals, and other providers that are included in your plan. If you see doctors that aren’t “in-network,” your cost may be higher. Your health insurance company should have a full list of doctors and hospitals that are part of each plan’s network.
Waiver
Schools that mandate insurance coverage often require proof that you have other insurance if you don’t want to purchase the school’s Student Health Insurance Plan. If you’re on a non-school plan, waive your school coverage by the deadline to avoid the charge.