HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance is required for all students enrolled at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  A group plan is offered for the students; however, it is not mandatory that students enroll in the student plan.  It is available as an option for students.

The insurance plan currently available to students is Blue Cross Comprehensive Blue or “Comp Blue.”  The plan has copays for doctor visits and drugs and a deductible that applies to services rendered by a hospital.  Applications, benefits summaries, and prices are available in the Office of Student Accounting.

It is important to note that the student insurance is NOT part of the state employee insurance plan and that it has no similarity to it.

Accepting employment at University Medical Center and enrolling in the state employee plan DOES NOT CANCEL the student health insurance.  You must inform the Office of Student Accounting that you are enrolling in the state employee health care plan.  Failure to do so could result in additional charges.

Students are offered the student health insurance prior to their initial registration at UMC.  Acceptance is guaranteed during the first 30 days of a student’s enrollment.  An application received after the first 30 days is accepted only if the student has had a special qualifying event, such as loss of coverage on another plan due to age or job loss, change in marital status, or acquisition of a dependent.  Applications due to a special qualifying event must be received within 30 days of the event, or they cannot be accepted.  Open enrollment for this plan is the month of August annually; therefore, a student who does not elect the coverage when as a new student may apply for coverage in August with coverage beginning on the first of September.

Unless the student can provide proof of prior creditable coverage, pre-existing conditions are not covered until the student has been enrolled in the plan for twelve months.  The pre-ex exclusion period is waived one month for each month of prior creditable coverage.

Family coverage is available.  A student expecting the birth of a child has 30 days after the birth to apply for coverage for the child with coverage becoming effective at the date of the child’s birth.  We recommend not waiting until the last minute to apply for coverage to avoid billing problems with the hospital where the birth takes place.   NOTE:  BECOMING PREGNANT IS NOT A QUALIFYING EVENT.  The birth of the baby is the qualifying event.

A student who is covered on the student plan and later gets married has 30 days to add the new spouse with coverage being effective the date of the marriage.

Students who previously waived the student insurance and want to enroll in the plan because they are losing coverage due to the fact they are getting married may apply for coverage and be accepted as of the date of the marriage; HOWEVER, they must apply for family coverage and add the spouse and any children they acquire due to the marriage.  In other words, marriage is not a qualifying event to add single coverage for a student who is losing their previous health insurance coverage because they are getting married.

Once accepted into the plan, coverage is renewed automatically until the student graduates from school or cancels the insurance.  Cancellation must be in writing, and forms are available in the Office of Student Accounting.

Premiums are assessed in conjunction with the fall and spring semester tuition or the nearest equivalent for non-semester programs.  Students who start school in the middle of a premium period will be charged for the months remaining in the period.

Due to the high numbers of students receiving financial aid which may or may not be received prior to the insurance premium period, NON-PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE CANCELLATION.  In the event a student’s insurance premiums remain unpaid for an extended period and no financial aid is forthcoming, UMC reserves the right to cancel the student’s insurance.

Students who terminate their enrollment at UMC, or who go on a leave of absence, may elect to continue their health insurance benefits if the following two conditions are met: the student must have been enrolled in the plan for at least 3 months at the time of separation, and application for continuation of coverage must be made BEFORE the current coverage expires.

All changes to a student’s insurance, including cancellation or application for continuation must be made through the Student Accounting office.

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