Verify health insurance for spring semester
By Madonna McDermott
Director, Student Health Service and Wellness Center
Mandatory Health Insurance
It will soon be time to verify your health insurance coverage for spring term using Murphy Online. As a reminder, the University of St. Thomas requires all undergraduate degree-seeking students taking 12 or more credits and all graduate and professional students taking nine or more credits to demonstrate health insurance coverage.
Beginning Jan. 5, 2009, you may login to Murphy Online to validate your insurance coverage information or purchase UST’s sponsored insurance. If you have the same insurance as fall term, it will only take a minute to complete.
Students who are not covered by other policies have the option of purchasing the UST sponsored health insurance policy. The coverage is from Jan. 15, 2009, to Aug. 14, 2009, and the premium is $445 for spring semester. To determine if this plan meets your needs, you may review the insurance coverage details by clicking on the link for the 2008-09 plan brochure on our Web site.
If you have questions regarding the UST sponsored plan or would like information on enrolling dependents, please contact the UST Student Health Insurance Office at stuhealthins@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-6752. If you do not enter your existing health insurance information or purchase the UST-sponsored health insurance plan before Feb. 17, 2009, you will automatically be enrolled and billed for the UST-sponsored plan. Beginning in January, we will be sending reminders to students via their UST e-mail to verify their insurance coverage online.
Loftus Grant
We recognize that the cost of health insurance coverage may pose financial difficulties for some students. Student Health Service has received a LOFTUS Mini-grant to help defray the costs for underrepresented students who demonstrate significant financial need. As you consider whether to apply for these funds, keep in mind that your financial aid package does include a “personal expenses” allotment that can be used to cover insurance costs, so you should make sure you’ve discussed this with your financial aid counselor before submitting this waiver request form.
The deadline for LOFTUS Mini-grant applications is Feb. 13, 2009, for the spring 2009 semester. Decisions will be made within two weeks of receiving the waiver request and will be communicated to students via their UST e-mail account. Application forms can be downloaded here.
Please remember that all records and conversations with Student Health Service staff are strictly confidential. Information will only be released with your written permission in accordance with the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Student Health Service clinic hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information visit the Student Health Web site or call (651) 962-6750.
Our Student Health Service and Wellness Center staff wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, safe winter break.
