Health Insurance
Enrollment
The University of Tennessee has a policy with United Healthcare to provide health insurance for UT Knoxville students and visiting international scholars. The agent for this policy is John Hildreth in Knoxville. (Phone 694-0362 or 1-800-874-0831)
Students
International students who are employed as graduate assistants will have insurance coverage for the period of their employment only, paid by UT. All other registered international students will be automatically charged for the insurance at the time of enrollment, and payment must be made to the Bursar’s Office. Dependent coverage for registered students may be purchased from the Student Health Service. Dependent coverage must be purchased by September 30, 2007, for Fall Semester, and by February 29, 2008, for spring/summer coverage. Students enrolling for the first time in Summer Term should enroll their dependents as soon as they arrive. Students whose assistantships are ending before they graduate should contact the Student Health Service immediately to arrange for continued coverage.
Scholars and graduate students
International scholars, and F-1 and J-1 students who have been approved for Practical Training or Academic Training, may purchase insurance through the Center for International Education. The insurance may be purchased on a weekly basis if the scholar’s stay is seven weeks or less. For longer stays, premiums will be calculated on a monthly basis. If your stay will be three months or longer, you must normally purchase a minimum of three months of insurance at a time. A more detailed breakdown of monthly costs is available in the Center for International Education.
Benefits
Please read the official policy brochure for detailed information about benefits and exclusions.
There is a deductible of $350 per person per year or $1,050 per family per year. This means that at least $$350 of medical costs must be paid by the insured person before most insurance benefits will begin. The coverage year runs from August 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008. However, even before the deductible has been paid, the charge for doctor or other provider will usually be reduced, as long as you use a provider in the United Healthcare network.
After the deductible has been paid, insurance will normally pay 80% of eligible medical expenses up to a maximum of $100,000. However, note that the insured person must pay $50 per visit for a physician office visit, for injections, or for outpatient rehabilitation services, regardless of actual charge.
Important: In order to receive this level of benefits, you must use only hospitals, physicians or other providers in the United Healthcare network. A list of these providers is available at the website: myuhc.com (Choose the “United Healthcare Choice Plus” plan.) If you use a provider who is not in the network, the insurance benefits will probably be much lower.
Prescriptions
As soon as your insurance becomes effective, you will also have Prescription Drug coverage. Although there is no deductible, you will be charged $10 for each prescription (for generic drugs) or $25-$50 per prescription (for non-generic). The remaining cost is paid by the insurance company, up to a maximum of $500 per policy year.
Claims
The insurance claims are normally filed directly by the physician, pharmacy, or other provider. In some cases, this is not possible, especially if you have not yet received the official insurance identification card. In this case, you may obtain a claim form from John Hildreth’s office or website and return it to the United Healthcare.
Evacuation/Repatriation
This plan will provide the cost of transportation to the home country if deemed medically necessary (evacuation); in the case of death, the cost of repatriation to the home country will also be covered.
Exclusions and Limitations
This insurance policy does not provide coverage for dental care; although eye exams are usually covered, it does not cover the cost of eyeglasses. Any medical condition that began before the insurance takes effect may not be covered unless you have been continuously insured. A more detailed list of exclusions and limitations is available in the policy brochure.
Insurance Identification Card
One or two months after the insurance is purchased, an identification card will be issued. Students should contact the Student Health Center to inquire about their cards. Cards for scholars will usually be sent to their home address. If the card has not been received within one month, contact the Center for International Education.