Monika Johnson
MSU's Aetna Student Insurance Plan will expandto include broader mental health benefits in Fall 2010, an effort applauded bythe RCPD. The new coverage areas include several elements that will facilitatebetter access to counseling, psychiatry, and primary care.
\The new health plan will go a long wayin helping our students receive the mental health care they need and I amexcited to see these changes implemented. In previous plans some studentswere unable to afford the costs associated with psychiatry appointments andmedication co-pays; as a result, students went without consistent mental healthcare," said John Pedraza, RCPD Psychiatric Disabilities Specialist.
Changes include outpatient mental healthbenefits paying at 100% of covered medical expenses at Preferred Providersafter a $10 co-pay with a maximum of 25 visits. This increases from a 50%co-pay for all mental health services in previous years. Accordingly, inpatientmental health benefits will be paid at the same rate as other inpatient medicalbenefits, with a lifetime limit of $50,000 per illness. Previously, the planhad a $3,000 annual limit and 50% co-pay, in addition to a lifetime limit of$6,000. Since the average hospitalization costs $20,000, these changes willdrastically advance access to mental health care.
With an enrollment deadline of September30, 2010, graduate students, undergraduates, lifelong education students,registered international and medical students, and eligible spouses anddependents will experience the change.
According to Dr. Leigh White, theDirector of Psychiatry Services at Olin Health Center, these improvements willbenefit students experiencing depression or more serious illness. In addition,the change will aid several MSU departments in offering mental health services.
"The MSU Counseling Center should havean easier time referring students with more intensive counseling needs out to communityresources, leaving staff more available to focus on needed outreach, groups andworkshops, and short term counseling needs," she said. Furthermore, Olin Psychiatry will be moreeasily accessed by students without the financial resources to visit aprofessional psychologist. Olin physicians will have the ability to referpatients to a specialist or hospitalize when it is medically indicated, whereasin the past "our students often refused, not wanting to incur thousands ofdollars of debt," Dr. White described.
Sparrow Hospital has continued to be agenerous collaborative partner with MSU student health, often writing off largebills for students who would face bankruptcy if required to pay for their stay.The insurance improvement should lead to more equitable compensation for theircare.
Moreover, Dr. White expects to see university-wide improvements. "Researchsuggests that mental illnesses (largely anxiety and depression) account formuch student disability, lower grades, dropped classes, medical withdrawals, aswell as students leaving the university. Improved coverage may well leadto an improved bottom line for the University as a whole," she said.
The RCPD is enthusiastic about the new changes and hopes students findmental health care more accessible. Pedraza said, "When a student's mentalhealth is not under control and well managed, their academics and gradessuffer. But with this year's plan, I expect we will see less of thatoccurring and more students achieving their academic goals because of theimproved coverage."
For more information, go to Aetna Student Health.