By SARAH L. OSTLER
The McDonald Health Center is beginning a new insurance plan for continuing students — rather than filling out forms each semester, students will be on annual plans.
Full-year status applies to all full-time students who are not graduating or discontinuing, said Diane Hunter, BYU student insurance supervisor.
“This will be a very positive change for students,” Hunter said.
Single students will automatically be charged the $118 per semester or $59 per term insurance fee. They can have this fee waived if they show proof of private insurance, she said.
Whatever insurance plan a student has as of Fall Semester, that information will be carried over for the rest of the school year. This means that students will “not have to continue filling out our forms,” Hunter said.
Susanna Baird, a senior from Provo majoring in psychology, said the new plan is more convenient than the old one.
“I hate having to fill out those forms every semester. I always wondered why they couldn’t just keep the old information,” she said.
If students with BYU insurance defer for one semester, they will still be charged the fee. That way, the student will be covered by insurance while they are not attending school.
Students who do not know about the annual plan may not realize they will be charged each semester and term, said Ralph Simpson, Deseret Mutual representative for BYU.
“The only problem will be for Spring and Summer (Terms),” Simpson said. Some students will not want to pay the insurance if they will not be here for the terms.
Students who will be gone longer than one semester, such as those going on missions, will not be obligated to pay while they are gone.
The Health Center offers five different insurance plans, depending on student need. There are plans for single students, single students with dependants, married students, married students with dependants without maternity coverage, and married students with dependants and maternity coverage.
When students visit a clinic other than the McDonald Health Center, they will be obligated to pay a $25 deductible and 20 percent of the bill. The McDonald Health Center will cover the other 80 percent of the bill.
Usually the payment is due by the tuition deadline, but with the new plan, it is still a little unclear. Payment will probably be due by the first day of school, Hunter said.
