STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION AND PROCEDURES

LSUHSC-New Orleans offers our students the option of purchasing student health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA). At the time of registration, students must either purchase coverage from this plan or must be prepared to show evidence of coverage by another plan, in which case the requirement to purchase may be waived. Students who receive medical treatment or who are referred to outside hospitals or clinics will be responsible for their bills. Students will be expected to pay the charges and then file a claim with their insurance carrier.

The premiums for the new plan year are included in the brochure. We will be collecting premiums semi-annually or for six months at a time. The annual plan year runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. There are no provisions in the plan to provide COBRA coverage to students who graduate or withdraw from school.

Example:

Mary receives her M.D. degree on May 15th, her student health plan coverage ends on June 30th. She begins her new job on July 1 and her insurance through her new employer begins on August 1. Mary will have to make arrangements to obtain coverage for the month of July until her new plan is effective.

BCBSLA does not offer COBRA coverage because it is only required by law for employee health insurance plans. If you plan on graduating in May 2010 and have paid for the health insurance plan, you will have coverage until June 30, 2010.

If you still have questions after reviewing the brochure and the information on this web site, please email shi@lsuhsc.edu.

The new insurance plan offered by BCBSLA has a pre-existing condition clause. A pre-existing condition is a medical condition that existed before you obtained health insurance. The BCBSLA plan has a 180 day waiting period for pre-existing medical condition coverage. That means that if you have coverage through BCBSLA, they may not provide coverage for that specific pre-existing medical condition for 180 days. The clause also applies only to a pre-existing condition for which you received medical treatment within 90 days of enrollment in the BCBSLA plan. If you have had coverage in place prior to enrollment with BCBSLA with no more than a 63 day gap in coverage, BCBSLA will give you credit for having that coverage in place and waive the waiting periods for your condition.

The rationale for these policies is that medical insurance works the same way other insurances do-medical insurance is there to protect you in case something bad happens. You need to have coverage in place before something bad happens. An analogy is that just like you can't buy auto insurance after an accident to cover the cost of the accident, medical insurance only covers issues that arise unexpectedly after coverage has begun.

1. Students obtain health insurance policy or produce evidence of coverage that supports a waiver from purchasing health insurance policy during the registration process at the Business Office. Students with waivers are assessed a premium for needle stick benefits only.
2. For continuing students, we are assuming they will want to maintain the same coverage they had at the end of the 08-09 academic year. If not, please see voluntary changes below.
3. The LSUHSC Business Office will collect premiums due to BCBSLA Healthcare when students opt for coverage or process refunds due to the student when coverage is being dropped. Please see voluntary and involuntary changes below.
4. Open enrollment periods: Fall 2009 - Students are permitted to enroll for insurance effective July 1, 2009 for a period of 75 days ending September 14, 2009. Spring 2010 - Students are permitted to enroll for insurance effective January 1, 2010 for a period of 45 days ending February 14, 2010. Summer 2010 - Students are permitted to enroll for insurance effective May 1, 2010 for a period of 45 days ending June 14, 2010

1. Students will go to the Business Office to process voluntary changes within the deadlines shown above under open enrollment periods.
2. LSUHSC Business Office will collect premiums due to BCBSLA when students opt for coverage or process refunds due to the student when coverage is being dropped.

A qualifying event includes involuntary loss of coverage under another health insurance plan, marriage or birth or adoption of a child.

Students with qualifying events who wish to enroll in the student health insurance plan and contact the business office during the first through fifteenth day of each month will be enrolled effective the first day of that month and charged a prorated premium beginning with that date.

Students with qualifying events who wish to enroll in the student health insurance plan and contact the business office during the sixteenth through the last day of each month will be enrolled effective the first day of the following month and charged a prorated premium beginning with that date.

Residents should contact the following individual about enrollment in the student health insurance plan. The brochure is available on this website.

Ms. Michelle Prudhomme
Senior Account Coordinator
Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.
235 Highlandia Drive, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Ph: 225-906-1278 or 800-605-6102
Fx: 225-296-3998

Students and Residents interested in enrolling dependents in the student health insurance plan should contact the following individual about enrollment. The brochure is available on this website.

Ms. Michelle Prudhomme
Senior Account Coordinator
Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.
235 Highlandia Drive, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Ph: 225-906-1278 or 800-605-6102
Fx: 225-296-3998

1. Coverage is provided for eligible students for testing and prophylactic treatment of blood-borne diseases following at-risk contact with blood or other body fluids from human or animal sources. This contact may include but is not limited to needle sticks. This benefit is not subject to any co-payment or annual deductible requirement.
2. Services must be received at any BCBSLA network provider including but not limited to:
   • The LSU Student Health Clinic
   • Children's Hospital in New Orleans
   • Our Lady of the Lake
   • Baton Rouge General Hospital
   • Ochsner Hospital
   • Ochsner Baptist
   • Baton Rouge General Occupational Health
   • LabCorp
   • Our Lady of Lourdes Rapides Medical Center in Lafayette
   • Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans
   • University Medical Center in Lafayette
   • Earl K. Long Medical Center
   • Walter Moss Medical Center
   • Leonard Chabert Medical Center
   • Lallie Kemp Medical Center
   • Bogalusa Medical Center
   • Touro Infirmary
   • East Jefferson General Hospital
   • West Jefferson Medical Center
3. LSUHSC Student Health Clinic information is available at http://www.lsuhsc.edu/no/organizations/campushealth/studenthealth/
4. Students who are charged the needle stick only fee have provided proof of having their own insurance policy and should be familiar with the benefits offered by their own insurance plan for needle sticks.