Article on the Columbia Missourian about the reaction of students to the new billing changes in their health fee, with the explanation of why this is happening.

1. 3/8/2017 Students react to billing changes for MU Student Health Center services | Higher Education | columbiamissourian.com
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/students-react-to-billing-changes-for-mu-student-health-center/article_0b2dec16-0441-11e7-b6fc-73eb08... 1/4
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Students react to billing changes for MU Student Health Center services
MORGAN NIEZING AND TOMÁS ORIHUELA 2 hrs ago
COLUMBIA — MU Student Health Center's announcement Tuesday that students will pay more for o ce visits prompted anger and
disappointment on campus.
MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said the changes are the result of nancial strains at the Student Health Center. "The cost of administering
health care continues to increase, and the health center's expenses are outpacing revenue," she said. "These increased costs include salaries
for health care providers and mandatory expenses such as medical malpractice insurance."
Currently, if you are a student enrolled in more than six credits, your student health fee covers four visits with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
In the spring semester that fee was $102. Beginning July 1, these mental health services, which were provided by the Health Center's college
health experts, won't be included in the price anymore. You'll need to start paying for o ce visits.
However, MU's administration is planning to propose a 7 percent reduction in the fee, which means that in the best case, it will be $93.60.
The decision will need the approval of the Board of Curators, McCune said.
The Student Health Center will still provide consultations, with the di erence that students will be responsible for a co-pay. The amount will
be billed through insurance, and the amount will depend on the type of insurance the student has.
However, if you don't have insurance, you will receive a 45 percent discount on the cost of health care services, McCune said. International
students are required to have insurance regardless of the number of credit hours they're enrolled in.
Until July, students will be able to receive mental health consultations, as well as health promotion and wellness services. After that, the
Student Health Center will provide some behavioral health services, such as workshops, programs and classes to reduce stress, according to
the MU Student Health Center website.
Faculty, students not happy
Current and former students complained about the changes on social media and on campus.
Kenneth Shields, a post-doctoral fellow at MU, said he used mental services while he was in the rst year of his master's degree in the the fall
of 2010.
"I needed to talk to someone. I was experiencing a lot of stress. If it weren't for the specialists I talked to, I probably would have dropped out
of the program," Shields said.
Learning that his partner was pregnant with twins was one major source of anxiety. "We wanted to have a baby, but we didn't know we were
going to have twins, since in our family there aren't such cases," he said.
It was his supervisor, Claire Horisk, an associate professor of philosophy at MU, who recommended he seek help, and it changed his life both
personally and academically.
Now Shields, 34, is worried about his students. "I usually tell them my story and advise them to see specialists if they're going through
complicated situations."
Matt Bourke, a sophomore studying English education, said that most students can't a ord to drop in on an urgent care center. “Student
Health was an alternative to that cost in the past,” he said.

2. 3/8/2017 Students react to billing changes for MU Student Health Center services | Higher Education | columbiamissourian.com
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He said he works in student a airs and sees that cuts have been made in many departments because of budget challenges facing the
university, so he understands the reasoning. However, the recent release of the UM System audit results made it especially disheartening to
hear about the cuts, he said.
Alexis Rodgers, a freshman studying psychology, put it more bluntly: “I think it’s a load of garbage,” she said. “We have to focus on mental
health; it’s just common sense. Fees should cover the needs of students.”
Multiple students worried that rising costs would lead to increasing numbers of students forgoing visits to the Student Health Center and
opting to wait out illnesses or attempt a self-diagnosis through online sources.
Allie Starkz, a junior pursuing a double major in biology and psychology, said the changes could negatively impact student class
performance. If students miss class due to illness or injury and aren’t able to get a doctor’s note because of the cost of a visit, their grades
could su er.
“The university puts so much e ort into attracting new students, yet they turn around and make decisions that take away from the students
that are already here,” Starkz said.
Other options, and the 'bright side'
Another option they considered was to increase the student health fee, McCune said. But that would require approval from the state. "The
health center's fee increases cannot exceed the rate of consumer price index without special approval from the state. While increasing the
fee has been considered, any increases would be very modest," said McCune.
On the positive side, the Student Health Center will become an in-network provider for more students. Only Aetna Student Health Plan was
considered in-network in the past. That means that students will be able to get procedures done like stitches, ingrown toenail removal and IV
medications and uids, in the case of dehydration.
"As a result, many students will see a reduction in out-of-pocket costs should they need care that goes beyond a basic consultation," she said.
Anyone who has insurance through any of the almost 20 providers will be considered in-network. "This new insurance model will allow the
center to become more scally sustainable," McCune said.
Meanwhile, MU Counseling Services has not been a ected by the changes at the MU Student Health Center. It provides individual and group
psychotherapy, consultation to students, parents and faculty, psycho-educational workshops, outreach presentations and psychological
testing.
These resources are included at no additional cost in the Student Activity Fee, which is mandatory for every student in an on-campus
program. The total amount of the fee depends on the number of credit hours you're enrolled in.
McCune said the university will be closely monitoring any impact the changes at the Student Health Center have on MU Counseling Services,
which could nd itself with more patients seeking free help.
MU Counseling Center has therapists available during business hours to help students who might be experiencing a crisis, need counseling
or are worried about a fellow student. All the details and contact information are available at its o cial website.
Supervising editors are Tyler Wornell and Katherine Reed
Just The Facts
Anyone who has an insurance through the providers listed below will be considered in-network.
Aetna
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Beech Street
Care Improvement Plus (Medicare Advantage)
Cigna
Community Care Missouri
Comp Care of the Ozarks PPO
CorCelPPO
Conventry Healthcare

3. 3/8/2017 Students react to billing changes for MU Student Health Center services | Higher Education | columbiamissourian.com
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/students-react-to-billing-changes-for-mu-student-health-center/article_0b2dec16-0441-11e7-b6fc-73eb08... 3/4
Morgan Niezing
Education reporter, spring 2017 Studying science and agricultural journalism
Tomas Orihuela
Spring 2017 Public Life reporter. I'm an exchange junior studying photojournalism with an emphasis on print and social media.
CoxHealth Network
First Health PPO
HealthLink
Home State Health Plan
Humana Medicare
Missouri Care
MultiPlan PPO
Orscheln Employee Benefit Plan
Tricare (United Health Military and Veterans)
United HealthCare
MORE INFORMATION
MU has money to cover budget gap with university reserves
MU Student Health Center to start billing for o ce visits, psychology appointments