Katie Reing
Your health
While at college, students rely on the health service office to be there in case of an illness. Often students do not know how much they are going to have to pay when they walk into this office. After a visit to this office a student may see a charge on their bill from Cabrini under the category of health service fee.
Every year all full time students have to show proof of insurance to the health service department. A full time student must be insured while attending Cabrini. One who does not already have an insurance policy can purchase the student health insurance plan which currently costs $856 a year. This plan acts as an accident and sickness plan for students with an out of state HMO. It allows these students to see doctors outside of the health service office within a network of physicians. In this case the health service office would act as a primary physician to these students.
Whether one has an outside insurance company or the student health plan available through the school it is “much more cost effective to use health service first.” Susan Fitzgerald, the school nurse, said. An office visit costs the students nothing. If the nurses and doctors in this office can help you first it saves you money. The only thing a student will have to pay for is medication or prescriptions. A student would also have to pay out of pocket for immunizations. “We encourage students who have an HMO to get their immunizations at their family doctor to save money,” Fitzgerald said. Right now immunizations would cost a student anywhere from $25 to $50 per dose.
The office also tries to keep prices down for students by keeping the medication prices close to cost or what the school paid for the medication. “The most expensive medication I have right now is an inhaler at $15,” Fitzgerald said. A student should also know that there is no charge for things like Advil or aspirin to help in case of minor pain. A student that has a headache should not feel that they will have to pay to see the nurse, there are sample packs available for students in cases like this.
The health service office tries to keep doctors visits as cheap as possible for students. If a student is sick, that is what the office is there for, so don’t be afraid of the charges. At the Rooyman’s center it will not cost a lot to make yourself feel better.
