OVERVIEW OF BILLING AND PAYMENT PROCESS

Student bills are available 48 hours after the visit through OpenCommunicator, UHS’ online system.  Students may then print a copy of the bill to submit to the insurance company.  Patients who do not have a Penn State Access Account will not have access to OpenCommunicator.  Patients who do not have access to OpenCommunicator must stop at Checkout for a copy of the bill. Many of the most Frequently Asked Questions are answered here.

Patients who do not want their charges to be placed on the Bursar’s account must stop at Checkout.  Examples are:

• Nonstudents and visitors to campus,
• Summer campers,
• payment by cash check or credit card on the day of service,
• motor vehicle accident claims,
• workers compensation claims,
• payment by a university department.

Students who decide to pay cash or write a check may:

	Pay immediately at the end of the visit
	Inform the staff assistant at the checkout counter that they would like the bill held. In this     case the bill will be held for seven working days, if payment is not made at the checkout     counter within seven working days, the charges will be posted to their student account.

If you decide to have the charges posted to your student account, the Bursar's Office will mail out statements to your permanent address until the bill is paid. This statement includes the date the bill was posted to your account, the words "Health Center," and the amount of the charge. Charges posted to the student account must be paid at the Bursar's Office, 103 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802.

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University Health Services (UHS) charges students a discounted rate for medical care and ancillary (support) services. The discounted rate is relatively low compared to private medical services.

Some services through the Office of Health Promotion and Education, such as HIV Testing and Counseling and the Nutrition Clinic, are offered free.

FEES AND PAYMENT METHODS

The basic clinic visit fees for the 2007-08 academic year are:

Student Fees:
    $24 on weekdays
    $30 on Saturday

Non-Student Fees:
    $55 on weekdays
    $55 on Saturday

These fees cover the clinician services and many of the supplies and procedures performed at UHS. However, there are additional charges for laboratory tests, X-rays, physical therapy treatment, pharmacy, some procedures, and ambulance service.

The charge for nurse visits for the 2007-08 academic year are:

$ 14   Students
$ 27   Non-students

All charges are your responsibility. You must pay at the time of service by either having the charge billed to your Penn State student account or paying by check, cash, VISA or MasterCard (debit or credit). UHS offers these payment options to help minimize the financial burden to students and parents.

If you have scheduled an appointment at UHS and do not cancel it prior to one hour before the appointment, you will incur a "No Show Charge" of $24 for students and $50 for non-students.

If you leave UHS without arranging payment of the fee, there is a "Walk-out Charge" of $15 for students and $20 for non-students deducted from your Penn State account.

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HEALTH INSURANCE LIMITATIONS

Except for students covered by one of the Penn State Student Health Insurance Plans or students who have one of the prescription cards accepted by our Pharmacy, UHS does not have contracts for direct payment with any health insurance companies for clinic or ancillary services and it does not direct bill insurance companies.

We regret any inconvenience this policy may cause for students and parents. However, because UHS treats students from all over the United States and the world, there would need to be contracts with hundreds of insurance companies. The costs of dealing with so many insurance providers and processing thousands of insurance claims would drive up the current discounted rate for all UHS services.

Therefore, you are responsible for paying all bills you incur for clinic visits, lab, X-ray, physical therapy, and ambulance service.

However, you can submit the receipt for these services to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. You should find out ahead of time if your insurance will cover all or part of your care at UHS, as there may be restrictions on primary care outside of the insurance company's network. You should arrange for the health insurance company to pay you for the service since the Penn State Bursar will not accept checks from insurance companies.

Health insurance is strongly recommended for all students. If your current insurance policy does not cover their care at UHS, you should consider purchasing student health insurance through Penn State. [more information]

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PENN STATE STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE

Each year Penn State selects a student insurance plan and makes it available to students who either have no insurance coverage or who need supplemental insurance because their current plan does not provide adequate coverage while they are at Penn State. The 2006-2007 Penn State Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan is underwritten by The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company. [more information]

Penn State requires international students, their accompanying spouses and/or children to demonstrate that they have health insurance coverage. [more information]

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HOW TO FILE A MEDICAL CLAIM WITH YOUR OWN INSURANCE COMPANY

If your health insurance company provides coverage for care provided at UHS, it is your responsibility to know the limitations and requirements of your plan prior to receiving services at UHS. In many cases, your insurance plan may require pre-authorization and possibly an out-of-network referral in order for the service to be covered. If you are unsure of your coverage, please contact the customer service department of your insurance plan. Most companies list their phone number on the back of the insurance card. If you need assistance or have questions concerning this, please contact the Office of Finance and Patient Services at 215 Ritenour Building and we will be glad to help you.

Regardless of the payment option you choose (cash, check, credit card, or charging to your Student Account), the process for insurance reimbursement is the same (see exceptions below for The Penn State Health Insurance Plan).

Your bill can be obtained online 48 hours after your visit by using your CAC ID.  Print two copies of the Billing Invoice, one for submission to your insurance company and one for your records.  Bills will remain online for one academic year.

UHS cannot accept the responsibility for submitting or collecting your insurance claim or for negotiating a settlement on a disputed claim.

Insurance Exceptions for MEGA Enrollees

UHS is a primary care provider under the Penn State Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan and the Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow Health Insurance Plan (MEGA). If you are enrolled in either of these plans and you are seen by a UHS clinician, your bill can be obtained online 48 hours after your visit by using your CAC ID.  It is recommended you print a copy for your records.  Bills will remain online for one academic year.

For prescription charges, if you have either of the MEGA policies noted above, please drop off your prescription receipt at the Checkout Desk at UHS. UHS will post the UHS Pharmacy charges to your student account (non-student account for spouses) and then UHS will submit the claims directly to the insurance company for processing.

For students that have either of the MEGA policies noted above and purchase prescriptions outside of the UHS pharmacy, you are responsible for submitting the pharmacy receipts on your own to MEGA at the following address:

For students who have any insurance company other than MEGA, you are responsible for submitting your UHS Pharmacy receipt to your own insurance company.

Further questions about the MEGA claim process should be directed to the Student Insurance Office at (814) 865-7467. [more information]

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PHARMACY INSURANCE CONTRACTS

The UHS pharmacy does have contracts with some health insurance providers. If your current health insurance plan has a contract with UHS, our Pharmacy may be able to direct bill your insurance provider. [more information]

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CONFIDENTIALITY

Your UHS bill contains some summary medical information pertaining to your visit. The bill is therefore a confidential document that will only be shared by UHS with the parties you have authorized UHS to release the information.

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CONTACT US

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our fees or billing policies, please contact the Office of Finance and Patient Services, 215 Ritenour Building, University Park, PA 16802 or call (814) 865-3465. The Business Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.