Student insurers to poll those covered on campus
Students concerned with their health insurance coverage can have a chance to voice their opinions.
The medical insurance, with the help of financial aid, sent surveys to 7,500 students earlier this month to improve insuring students on Eastern’s campus.
“The 7,500 students are those who are covered under the insurance plan this year,” said Jone Zieren, director of financial aid.
Students with nine or more semester hours are automatically charged a health service fee of $67.55 per semester that can be waived if students show equal or better coverage, Zieren said.
Students who have the fee waived are not under Eastern’s health insurance plan, said Joyce Harwood, a campus medical insurance specialist.
It’s a supplementary policy for the primary carrier, Harwood said. Some students who are older and are not covered under their parents coverage could use the university plan as their only coverage.
“The reason for the survey is for student feedback on how to improve the program and to improve the services we provide,” Harwood said.
“It’s a good idea to get a feel for the students and what they want,” Harwood said. “We want to know if students are satisfied with the health care coverage. What are the students thinking?”
“We want to provide the type of coverage students are wanting. We want to give students what they are looking for,” Zieren said.
The survey asks if the student has used the medical plan and filed a medical claim with campus Student Health Insurance Office.
The survey will be tallied by the staff of the Student Insurance Office, Harwood said.
Senior speech communication major Sarah Ward is under both her parents and Eastern’s health insurance, and has not had to file a claim to Eastern.
Lisa Flam, a senior journalism major who is covered by her parents health coverage, was not aware that she is covered under Eastern’s plan.
“When I went to emergency room and got the bills, my parents coverage paid for most of the bills. I was not aware that I could send in the rest of the bill to Eastern,” Flam said.
