24 Health insurance is important because without insurance, medical care is expensive. Trine requires all international students and their dependents (F-1, F-2, J-1, and J-2) to have health insurance per immigration regulations; it is required to maintain your status. Each international student must provide proof of insurance for themselves and their F-2 or J-2 dependents (if they have any) to the Office of International Services. How U.S. Medical Insurance Works The insurance plan for international students at Trine University is International Student Insurance. With the plan, it is less costly to visit a physician or go to a hospital or clinic on the Preferred Provider list provided by the insurance company. Generally, the insurance company pays a higher percentage of the costs if an individual uses a Preferred Provider. If the provider is not on the Preferred Provider list, the insurance company typically pays a lower percentage. Most insurance policies require individuals to pay a portion of the medical cost or deductible. Some insurance policies require a copayment or copay which is sometimes a fixed amount. Some Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) policies place dollar limits on how much the insurance will pay for services. When possible, it is helpful to ask the health insurance company what the costs will be for services. Many plans limit the amount to be paid for an individual’s medical bills. When an individual purchases health insurance, he/she is given a card to show he/she is covered by the insurance company. Providers will ask to see the card before providing treatment. After seeing a physician or going to the hospital, the physician or hospital might ask for the copayment before an individual leaves. Other physicians or hospitals might send the bill to the insurance company and will send the individual a bill after the insurance pays its portion. The remaining costs must be paid by the individual. After going to the hospital or physician, individuals receive a notice or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from the insurance company that explains how much the insurance company will pay. The physician or hospital will send a bill requesting the individual to pay the remaining costs. If a person disagrees with the insurance company, he/she can file an appeal. The insurance company can explain its own appeals process. U.S. Laws about Health Insurance Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevents anyone other than the patient to discuss medical issues with healthcare professionals and insurance companies. This means no one can call a patient’s physician or insurance company and get information about the patient’s health (physical or mental). Patients can authorize healthcare professionals to share the information with specific individuals; this authorization must be provided in writing and contain the patient’s signature. Trine University promotes intellectual and personal development through professionally focused and formative learning opportunities, preparing students to succeed, lead and serve.
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