Disclaimer- All information is provided in good faith. Nothing on this page is meant to be taken for medical, insurance or legal advice. Your use and reliance on anything on this site is solely at your own risk. All information is provided for general information and educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Please refer to a medical professional and/or your insurer and their Insurance policy documents for the latest updated information.
Please Note: if you ever find yourself or a friend in a life-threatening medical emergency, call 9-1-1 for emergency services (police/fire/paramedics). Specify that you want the Purdue Campus Ambulance which is free. The Purdue University Fire Department has two state-certified advanced life support (ALS) ambulances that can transport patients to PUSH or local hospitals in Lafayette. All emergency medical services provided by the Purdue University Fire Department are at no cost to the patient. However, if you use a non-Purdue campus ambulance you will get charged (at a cost of approx $700- as per the session we had at International Parents Welcome 2023). If in doubt of whether someone needs help, make the call and let trained professionals check out the person(s) in need of help.
Although I have focused on the policy for International students, as far as I can tell the policy terms are similar even for a domestic (US) based student. However, please do countercheck.
Medical Treatment in the US
Medical care is very expensive in the U.S. and people are expected to pay for it themselves. A simple procedure can cost thousands of dollars. If you end up needing a procedure, you’ll receive bills from the hospital, the various doctors involved, labs, medicines, etc. The US medical system is complicated and can be confusing, not just to those that have lived here all their lives but also to those who led it! Recently, Jerome Adams, the former US Surgeon-General (2017-2021) and currently a Purdue professor, was charged $5,000 for a hospital visit for just dehydration. He called the system broken!
A 2023 Federal Reserve report found that 28% of adults reported skipping medical treatment due to cost and 23% percent of U.S. adults had unexpected medical expenses with a median cost between $1,000-$2000 over the previous 12 months. Thousands of dollars in expensive medical bills and debt could impact your ability to focus on your studies and stay in college. International students are required to purchase Purdue student health insurance which can help offset high health care costs. Read your Student Health Insurance policy over and make sure you’re aware of what is covered and what is not, where you can go for treatment, etc. well before you’ll need medical assistance. Medical insurance is intended to help you keep your costs as low as possible, especially against a serious illness or injury that might normally cost thousands of dollars.
Purdue’s International Student Health Plan Overview
The average annual cost of a public university student health insurance plan in the US is $2,924, while a private school health plan averaged $3,874 annually for undergraduates in the 2023-24 plan year. In comparison to this, Purdue’s plan is quite a lot cheaper at $1,610 and it still offers the highest level of coverage (Platinum) as defined under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). This signifies that your copays and other out-of-pocket expenses will be low.
United Healthcare, the insurer, has negotiated discounts with doctors and facilities. Payments by them are usually based on these discounted rates and those doctors and facilities are called “in-network” or “preferred provider”. Because it saves the insurance company (and you, the insured!) money, you are rewarded for seeking care with a preferred provider with a lower out of pocket cost and lower overall cost of care. On the flip side, if you choose to use an out-of-network doctor or facility, you’re still covered, but a lower level of coverage may be provided and you may be responsible for paying a greater portion of the cost. Be aware, your network provider might use an out-of-network provider for some services (such as lab work). Check with your provider before you get services.
Purdue plan has two great features-
- it has No Overall Maximum Dollar Limit so that means there is no cap to the expense that can be claimed in the year. The Plan covers costs for all medically necessary health care services and supplies (provided for the purpose of preventing, evaluating, diagnosing or treating a sickness or injury) which are specifically covered in the Schedule of Benefits. The Plan provides cover for things like visits to a health care provider, lab tests and scans, medicine prescriptions, outpatient surgery, emergency ambulance transport and medical attention, hospitalisation, pregnancy, recovery and rehab etc. Remember the Meningococcal immunization you had free in your first week at Purdue? Its because the Obamacare Act required health insurance plans to cover a specific list of 10 core healthcare, including preventative services, for free.
- You do not need a referral to see a specialist. You can choose to see any specialist directly without needing a referral.
However it excludes:
- Injury sustained while practising, travelling to or participating in any intercollegiate or professional sport, contest or competition. If you plan to participate in such events- you need to consider additional insurance for yourself.
- Injury suffered while participating in a riot or civil disorder, or any felony or any kind of fighting.
- Long term care (the policy is valid for 1 year only- any expenses relating to any ongoing medical problems at the end of the policy period are paid for up to a maximum of 90 days after the last day of the policy)
- Dental is not covered under this policy directly- but a part of the premium you paid was used to provide you a separate cover from Delta Dental. See my next post on What to Do if you have Dental Pain?
- Routine Eye or foot care, Bariatric surgery or weight loss programs, Hearing aids, Cosmetic surgery, Infertility treatment
- Elective surgery or Treatments
- The main policy under United Healthcare restricts the benefits when Injury or Sickness is suffered outside the US, except for a Medical Emergency when travelling for academic study abroad programs or pleasure. However, the portal where we first bought the policy, myahpcare.com- offers extra protection when travelling under its Academic Emergency Services scheme. This provides for benefits like Emergency Medical Evacuation, Repatriation and Emergency Family Assistance Services;Medical, Travel, Safety, and Legal Assistance. Click here for the brochure.
- Routine eye examinations. Eye refractions. Eyeglasses. Contact lenses. Prescriptions or fitting of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Vision correction surgery. Treatment for visual defects and problems.
Above, I have extracted the 2 key pages from the Summary schedule of benefits for International Students. The full schedule of benefits summary for an international student is here and the full policy is here. Note that these are for discussion purposes. You should always download the latest versions of your policy from the insurer after logging into your account as the terms may change at any time. If you are a domestic US based student, you can download your schedule here and full policy here. Although I will focus on the terms of the International plan, a cursory look at the domestic plan seems to be at similar terms- (but you should countercheck it yourself).
I will now try and explain the terminology used in the schedule above.
Understanding the Medical Terminology
No one expects you to become a health insurance expert! But, health insurance is something you’re going to have to deal with for a lot of years. And, if your parents have been handling your doctor appointments (and the insurance policy that helps pay for them), this may be the first time that you have to step up. Like any other topic, knowledge is power, right? Start here and get a handle on your health insurance pronto.
What is a deductible?
The first term you must understand is “Deductible“. Your annual deductible is typically the amount of money that you, as a member, pay fully out of your pocket each year for medical care before your health plan begins to start paying anything. This is what is often referred to (in other type of non-medical insurance policies) as an excess. Sometimes, some services may be automatically covered with the deductible waived – like when you visit PUSH (which we will visit in detail later in this post).
For the Purdue policy, the deductible is $200 for the whole year if you use a Preferred Provider (or $400 if you opt for out of network for the year). This is a really low amount for the US. What this means is, for the first $200 of medical treatment received in the year- you pay for it fully (unless where the deductible has been waived). After the $200, the insurer starts sharing medical costs with you.
What is Co-insurance?
Coinsurance is a percentage of the cost of a covered service. Until you reach your deductible, you’ll pay for 100% of out-of-pocket costs. After you meet your deductible, you and your insurance company each pay a share of the costs that add up to 100 percent. Generally for in-network providers, the coinsurance share under the Purdue plan is 10% (except for PUSH which has special rates shown below). For out-of-network its typically 30%.
If your in-network doctor visit costs $100 and you’ve met your deductible, your coinsurance payment of 10% would be $10 out of pocket. Your insurance would then pay the rest of the allowed amount ($90). Keep in mind, your coinsurance benefit doesn’t apply until after you’ve reached your deductible. Until then, you’ll need to pay 100% of the cost.
What is a Co-pay?
Apart from the % co-insurance you may also need to pay a charge as well called the ”co-pay’‘. A copay (or copayment) is a fixed amount you may pay for a covered health care service, usually at the time you receive the service. Normally you pay this where its specifically listed on the Schedule of Benefits after you have paid your deductible.
Specifically for the Purdue plan, a co-pay is paid
- when you visit PUSH you will pay a fixed copay of $15 for medical services and between $10-50 copay for prescriptions, and
- if you visit other providers- its after you have paid the whole deductible that you typically start paying a fixed copay for e.g, if you avail emergency room care at an in-network provider you will pay a fixed $50 copay.
| Differences between | Copay | Coinsurance |
| What is the amount paid? | Flat dollar amount | Percentage of the cost, if you’ve met your deductible |
| When is it paid? | Typically paid at the time of service | Billed by the provider who you will pay directly |
| Does it count toward your deductible? | No | |
| Does it count toward your out-of-pocket max? | Yes | Yes |
What is Out-of-Pocket Maximum?
Now you come to the out-of-pocket maximum or limit – this is the highest amount of money you could pay during a 12-month coverage period for your share of the costs of covered services. For the Purdue plan for an individual student- the most you can pay is $1,500 for the year if using a preferred provider, and $3000 if using an out of network one.
Your deductible, copay and coinsurance all count towards your out-of-pocket maximum (or limit). Once your deductible, copays and coinsurance payments reach the amount of your out-of-pocket limit, your plan will pay 100% of allowed amounts for covered services the remainder of the plan year.
Your premium and any out-of-network costs don’t count toward your out-of-pocket maximum. So you can go over the $1500/$3000 limit:
- if you go to out of network provider, they may bill you for the difference between their charge and the allowed amount which the insurer accepted to pay. For example, if the out of network provider’s charge is $2000 and the allowed amount as determined by the insurer is $1200, the provider may bill you directly for the remaining $800. This is called Balance billing. This $800 you will pay directly is not part of your out of pocket limit. A preferred provider will never balance bill you for any covered services and that is one of the main reasons you should try and visit in-network providers only.
- If you incur an uncovered expense– for e.g., you got injured while participating in an intercollegiate or professional sport at Purdue. Since this is not covered by this plan, any cost is for you to bear on your own and will not count towards the above limit. All the exclusions are listed in your detailed Policy document. If you are unsure about a particular treatment being covered or not, call the Customer Service number on your ID card.
- The premium you paid for buying the Health plan ($1610) is not counted towards this limit.
An example for you to understand the above
To help explain deductibles, copays and coinsurance, here’s a simplified example.
Say you are an individual (no dependents) i.e. with a $200 deductible, $15-$50 copays depending on where you go and what services you get, 90/10 coinsurance, and a maximum out-of-pocket limit of $1,500.
You fall off your bike and hurt your knee which requires stitches. You assess it’s not life threatening- so you do not visit an Emergency room. But since you require immediate care, you visit an Urgent Care clinic which is in-network near Purdue, which is better equipped to handle this than PUSH. The doctor there takes an X-ray and sees no fractures, so he stitches you up and gives you a prescription. Say the total for the stitches and X-ray came to $500. Since this is the first time you have used your insurance policy, you haven’t met your deductible yet. So you are responsible for the first $200 of the cost of the visit. The balance $300 is split 10% ($30) to you and 90% ($270) to the insurer. At the Urgent care clinic, you thus pay a total of $230. You decide not to fill the prescription at the Urgent care clinic, as its cheaper for you to do it at PUSH. At PUSH you pay a $10 copay for the Tier 1 medicine you have been prescribed. After 10 days you visit PUSH for a follow up visit- and pay a copay of $15 for the visit. You complain of continuing knee pain, so the doctor recommends an MRI at an in-network provider to find out what’s going on. The MRI costs $1,500. Since you have already met your annual deductible of $200 on your earlier visit, you are now liable to bear only the coinsurance of 10%. So you end up paying $150 for the MRI, with the insurance company picking up the balance. All told, the knee injury has cost you $230+$10+$15+$150= $405 so far.
Remember the total of the deductible, copay and co-insurance paid ($405) above also counts towards your annual out-of-pocket limit of $1500.
Now lets say a few months later, you fall while walking on a wintry icy day, and suffer a fracture. You are rushed to an in-network emergency room. Since you used a Purdue on-campus ambulance, it was free. Say the Emergency room care, X-ray, MRI, Crutches and Physical Therapy Rehab over the next few months costs a total of $12,800. Ordinarily, you would pay the copay for the emergency room of $50 plus 10% of the $12,800 i.e. a total of $1,330. However, as your maximum out-of-pocket limit for the year is $1500 and since you have already paid $405 for the previous knee injury, your payment will be capped at $1,095 ($1500-$405) and the insurer will pay the balance.
Since you have now reached your maximum out-of-pocket limit, any further incidents or costs for the rest of the year for any covered expense from this point on will be 100% borne by the insurer.
Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
Balance billing has historically tended to happen in three situations. One is voluntary while the other two are generally situations where the patient has limited control over who provides the treatment (these are called “surprise” balance bills)
And fortunately for patients all across the country, the federal No Surprises Act took effect at the start of 2022, protecting consumers in the involuntary situations:
- You choose to use an out-of-network provider (no change under No Surprises Act)– There can be a variety of reasons for this. Maybe the out-of-network provider has better reviews for the service you need, or a more convenient location or schedule. Whatever the reason, if you’re choosing to go outside your health plan’s network, you’ll want to make sure you fully understand how this will affect your coverage and how much you’re likely to pay for the care you receive. The No Surprises Act is designed to protect consumers in situations where they essentially have no choice in terms of which providers treat them. If a consumer does have a choice, balance billing and higher out-of-pocket costs should still be expected.
- You receive emergency care at an out-of-network facility or from an out-of-network provider (balance billing no longer allowed, under No Surprises Act).– Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurers are required to count emergency care as in-network, regardless of whether it’s received at an in-network facility or not. That means they can’t require a copayment or coinsurance that is more than required for in-network services. However, the ACA doesn’t require insurers to cover the out-of-network provider’s “balance bill.” Prior to 2022, the out-of-network healthcare provider or emergency room could still send you a bill for the remainder of charges. Now you can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.
- You receive elective non-emergency care at an in-network facility but from an out-of-network provider (balance billing no longer allowed, under No Surprises Act). This is also referred to as “surprise” balance billing. In this case, you may seek care at an in-network medical facility, but unknowingly receive treatment from an ancillary out-of-network provider. As is the case for emergency care, the No Surprises Act also prohibits such surprise balance billing at an in-network facility. This applies to emergency medicine, anaesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed. If you get other services apart from the above at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you unless you give written consent and give up your protections. You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing, so dont give them up!
The No Surprises Act protects patients from being balance billed by providers who work at in-network facilities. But “facilities” only include hospitals, hospital outpatient centres, and ambulatory surgery centres. It does not include, for example, urgent care centres, birthing centres, inpatient addiction centres, etc. So if you’re scheduling an upcoming treatment for a facility that isn’t covered by the No Surprises Act, it’s still important to talk with the billing office in advance to ensure that everyone on your treatment team will be in your insurance network. If that’s not the case, or if the hospital can’t guarantee that, you’ll want to discuss the issue with your insurance company to see if a solution can be reached.
Further guidance from the insurer on this is here
Only use an ambulance if emergency medical procedures may be needed along the way, as ambulance transportation costs hundreds of dollars if it is not provided by PUSH on-campus emergency services. Your insurance may only cover part of the ambulance fee, and even then, only if the ambulance was needed for a true medical emergency. For serious, but non-life-threatening health problems, use a less expensive form of transportation, like the Citybus or an Uber/taxi.
Make sure that your medical care provider will accept your health insurance before seeing them, or you’ll be responsible for all costs associated with the visit. Make sure you know when you’ve met your deductible so you know what your financial responsibility will be going forward.
Before heading to a provider, you can estimate your costs by using the UnitedHealthcare estimator tool in My Account to help you determine how much your services are estimated to be based on providers in your area.
Sometimes you may be expected to pay the entire amount up-front, and then submit a claim to the insurance company for reimbursement of the insurance-covered expense. Always be prepared to pay the entire bill any time that you receive medical care or buy prescription medicine, just in case. Always make sure to bring your health insurance ID card with you anytime you are requesting medical services or picking up prescription medicine, as sometimes a medical provider will call the insurance company to verify that you have insurance, but they’ll also need that information for your medical file. Always remember to get a detailed statement of your bill before you leave the medical office for your records, or in case you need it to submit a claim to your insurance company.
If you are prescribed any medicines, you must get the prescription filled at a Preferred provider. If you get your medicines from an out-of-network provider, you will NOT be covered by the insurer, and you will bear the total cost yourself! If you are travelling abroad (outside the US) please scroll down to the FAQs at the bottom of this post for important information about accessing medical assistance abroad.
Ok, with those general rules and you having understood the preceding medical terminology, this is what you should do in case you get sick:
First- Contact PUSH and seek an appointment
If you feel your injury or sickness is life threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. If it is not life threatening, but still Urgent then you should go straight to an Urgent Care Clinic rather than trying to see PUSH. PUSH and other medical facilities in West Lafayette are not equipped for a lot of things, so make sure if you’re visiting them, it is for something they can actually handle.
If you can afford to wait, and if it is something that PUSH can handle, then you should always go to PUSH as it is the most easiest to access being on campus and your most cost-effective option. Usually, this should be your first stop for routine medical care. PUSH has Primary Care Physicians (PCP) who are health care professionals who practice medicine. Most PCPs are doctors, but nurse practitioners and physician assistants can sometimes also be PCPs. You can book an appointment online or by calling 765-494-1700.
Don’t be surprised if you can’t get an appointment for the same day you need assistance with PUSH. Sometimes, you might be more successful if you call first thing in the morning as there’s a chance they’ll block off a few appointment times later in the day for ‘emergencies’, but there’s no guarantee. For non-emergency issues, expect to wait quite a bit for an appointment time. Once you have booked an appointment, note that you must attend in time. Students are granted a 5 minute grace period for every scheduled appointment. If you are late for your appointment, you will be marked as a “no show” and a $25.00 NO SHOW fee will be added to your Bursar’s account. If you are unable to attend your appointment you must cancel it at least 2 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time by calling 765-494-1700, option 0, or through the Patient Portal.
The Purdue Health Plan has special rates and its the cheapest by far:
- The Insurance policy mentions that the Deductible will be waived and benefits will be paid at 100% for Covered Medical Expenses incurred when treatment is rendered at the Purdue University Student Health Center (PUSH) after a $15 Copay per visit. Note that in practise PUSH themselves say ”Provider visits for illness or injury are free for full time currently enrolled Purdue students on the West Lafayette campus. There are fees for diagnostic testing, medications, immunizations, allergy shots and all other services.” So it may be happen that you may avoid even the $15 copay for some visits.
- The Deductible will be waived and benefits will be paid at 100% for Prescriptions subject to the following Copays (up to a 31-day supply per prescription):
- Tier 1: $10 Copay per prescription
- Tier 2: $20 Copay per prescription
- Tier 3: $20 Copay per prescription
- Specialty Prescription Drug (any tier): $50 Copay per prescription (up to a 31-day supply per prescription)
- The Deductible and Copay will be waived and benefits will be paid at 100% for Covered Medical Expenses incurred when treatment is rendered at the Purdue University Student Health Center (PUSH) for the following services:
- University mandated vaccines.
- Titers and Quantiferon (QFT) blood tests (including office visit and lab test).
- Laboratory services at LabCorp inside of the PUSH. The laboratory at PUSH performs testing on all students, faculty, and staff who have a written order from a physician. The laboratory services are provided by LabCorp which is in-network with all major insurance plans. Patients or their insurance companies are billed for all services provided at the laboratory through LabCorp. Questions about billing or the costs of tests, should be directed to LabCorp Patient Billing/Customer Service directly at 1-800-845-6167. Please do not contact PUSH for laboratory billing questions. Hours of operation for LabCorp are Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed for lunch from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm), and Saturdays when PUSH is open from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (closed for lunch from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm).
- Routine preventive care services and immunizations not covered by the Preventive Care Services benefit.
- The Deductible will be waived for Medical Emergency and Urgent Care when the PUSH is closed. PUSH doesn’t work on weekends and major breaks like Xmas. If it is before or after hours, this is what PUSH recommends:
Second- Consider a Telehealth visit
If you dont want to wait for PUSH appointment or if you want to consult a Doctor while you await an appointment at PUSH, you can consult a doctor virtually. Included with your student insurance plan, and provided by HealthiestYou, is 24/7/365 access to board-certified physicians online or on the phone (where permitted). Totally worth it for minor stuff (like allergies, pink eye and earaches), the doctors on Telehealth can even send a prescription to your preferred pharmacy. Telehealth can be a win/win:
- Talk to a licensed physician 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Pay no consultation fee.
- Save money and time.
The Toll free number to call is on your United Healthcare SR-ID card or in the account you created at https://myaccount.uhcsr.com/.
This benefits included in this plan are telehealth services for both medical and mental health/behavioural health treatment, including counselling and therapy through HealthiestYou. You have to register on the website and update your details once, so that the doctor can view them and quickens your call. You should also download the HealthiestYou app on the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. FAQs for this programs are available here.
Besides a Telehealth doctor, you can also contact your regular physician back home for any minor quibbles, if you feel more comfortable talking to a family doctor who you have been consulting for years and knows your medical history.
Third- Visit an Urgent Care Clinic rather than an Emergency Room
When you need care fast, the emergency room (ER) may seem like your only option. But for many situations, urgent care clinics may treat the same conditions — for up to $2,000 less than the ER. Urgent Care Clinics are facilities that allow you to walk-in for treatment where an appointment isn’t always necessary. Urgent care clinics can treat a wide variety of symptoms, including:
- Low back pain
- Painful urination
- Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
- Minor cuts and puncture wounds (head, hands, fingers)
- Headache and migraines
- Skin rash
- Muscle pain or strain in the low back, knee, ankle, foot, wrist, shoulder or neck
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Nose bleeds
- Burns
- Sprains
- Ear Infections
For immediate treatment for non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses the average cost at an Urgent Care Clinic is $180 per visit according to the UH website. These clinics are open 60-80 hours per week and with wait times of just 30 minutes or less than average, you get looked after by Physicians and care teams who will be able to treat your minor health problems. Most also allow for X-rays and other diagnostic procedures to be done on site. However, you’ll want to check the facilities polices, as sometimes it is necessary to schedule an appointment to be seen the same day. In-network Urgent care clinics visits require 10% coinsurance as well as a deductible.
According to the policy terms, “the deductible gets waived if you visit an Urgent Care clinic after hours when PUSH is closed” – so if you time your visit right- you may save up to the full cost of the deductible i.e. $200!
Walk-in patients are welcome, but waiting periods may be longer as patients with more urgent needs may be treated first. Please don’t confuse these with a hospital emergency room though. Also remember- The No Surprises Act that protects patients from being balance-billed by out-of-network providers who work at in-network facilities does not protect you at urgent care centres. Ensure you talk with the billing office in advance to ensure that everyone on your treatment team or all the ancillary services you receive will all be provided by in-network providers. If that’s not the case, or if the hospital can’t guarantee that, you’ll want to discuss the issue with your insurance company to see if a solution can be reached.
. In-network Urgent Care providers near Purdue (as at May 2024) include:
– IU Health Urgent Care, 253 Sagamore Pkwy W, West Lafayette, Tel (765) 448-8100
– Franciscan ExpressCare, 909 Sagamore Pkwy W, West Lafayette, Tel (765) 463-6262
– WellNow Urgent Care, 102 Sagamore Pkwy S, Lafayette, Tel (765) 237-3224
– Unity Immediate Care Center, 1321 Unity Pl Ste B, Lafayette, Tel (765) 446-1362
– The MinuteClinic Located Inside CVS, 512 Sagamore Pkwy W, West Lafayette, Tel (866) 389-2727)- Convenience Clinic
For lab services like blood draws, strep tests, etc., be sure to use a Designated Diagnostic Provider (DDP). These labs have met certain quality and efficiency requirements and can save you money. Ask your doctor to use a Designated Diagnostic Provider to avoid paying extra out of pocket. These DDPs are generally found at the bigger hospitals in the next section.
If faced with a life threatening illness or injury- visit an Emergency Room
Hospital Emergency Rooms are located at full hospitals and these are the most expensive places to obtain medical care, so they should not be used for routine illnesses. Your insurance is likely to pay for visits here if you have a serious, life-threatening medical emergency such as traumatic injury, breathing problems, high fever, serious burns or an urgent need when other walk-in care facilities are closed. Cost: $2,200 per average visit, open Hours: 24/7, Wait time: 2 hours on average
Currently there is no hospital in West Lafayette, although Purdue is working on getting one established. Franciscan OrthoIndy is also expanding into West Lafayette with a new full-service surgery centre near campus that will take care of a wide range of residents’ orthopaedic needs. So your only options for the time being are across the river in Lafayette. In-network provider hospitals near Purdue (as at May 2024) include:
- Franciscan Health Lafayette Central, 1501 Hartford St, Lafayette, Tel (765) 423-6011 (Designated Diagnostic Provider)- this is the nearest to Purdue University – a 10 min ride approx. 2 miles away.
- IU Health Arnett Hospital, 5165 McCarty Ln, Lafayette Tel (765) 448-8000
- Franciscan Health Lafayette East, 1701 S Creasy Ln, Lafayette, Tel (765) 502-4000 ( Designated Diagnostic Provider)
FAQs about the Health Plans
What if I’m in an accident or I am injured? Is there a form to complete and submit then?
Yes, you’ll have to submit a form, but it’s available online for your convenience. Login to My Account and click on Claims Summary or My Claims and then click on View Claim Letters. Filter by Letter Status or look for a letter with description ‘Request for Accident Details’, click submit online and then complete and submit the form.
Is Pre-notification required for Hospitalisation?
UnitedHealthcare should be notified of all Hospital Confinements prior to admission.
1. PRE-NOTIFICATION OF MEDICAL NON-EMERGENCY HOSPITALIZATIONS: The patient, Physician or Hospital should telephone 1-877-295-0720 at least five working days prior to the planned admission.
2. NOTIFICATION OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY ADMISSIONS: The patient, patient’s representative, Physician or Hospital should telephone 1-877-295-0720 within two working days of the admission to provide notification of any admission due to Medical Emergency.
UnitedHealthcare is open for Pre-Admission Notification calls from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. C.S.T., Monday through Friday. Calls may be left on the Customer Service Department’s voice mail after hours by calling 1-877-295-0720.
IMPORTANT: Failure to follow the notification procedures will not affect benefits otherwise payable under the Policy;however, pre-notification is not a guarantee that benefits will be paid.
If I do need to submit a claim, where do I send it?
You can also submit medical, prescription or foreign claims online via My Account.
If you need to mail a claim form, they have several claims processing addresses. To find yours, log in to your My Account and select Contact Us in the Quick Links section at the bottom of the page.
Submit claims for payment within 90 days after the date of service. If the insured doesn’t provide this information within one year of the date of service, benefits for that service may be denied at our discretion. This time limit does not apply if the insured is legally incapacitated.
Where do I go if I am away from Purdue?
Your plan covers you if you are anywhere inside the US and includes access to a national network of health care providers. You can easily search the network from your school’s Student Insurance page. The network search is also available from My Account and from the UHCSR app. Log in and choose any Unitedhealthcare Choice Plus facility- this designation is given to all Preferred Providers under your Plan.
Your plan also covers any Medical Emergency outside the US- This benefit is via the portal where you bought the policy – myahpcare.com and while abroad, you’ll have medical assistance, evacuation, repatriation and travel assistance services. As part of the Academic Health plan for the school, they have included Academic Emergency Services (AES) in your Student Health Insurance Plan coverage. AES offers a wide range of services and benefits to provide everything you need to prepare for your international experience. Click here for the brochure which details this assistance. To obtain additional pre-travel information or advice, or in the event of a medical, travel or security crisis, call Academic Emergency Services immediately – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Preparing for your time away from home is easy- Simply visit the Academic Emergency Services portal at aes.myahpcare.com
I need to check on the status of a claim. How can I do that?
Login to My Account and click on the Claim Summary or My Claims to View Claims. Once in View Claims, you can filter by Patient Name, Provider, or Claim Status. Click on More Options to view Explanation of Benefits or take action on a claim.
I need someone else to call in about my claims. Is that okay?
By law, only an insured can access their secured healthcare information in My Account. But, if you need someone else to act on your behalf, you can complete and submit a Personal Representative Appointment electronically from My Account or the UHCSR Mobile App.
How do I renew my plan?
Your student insurance plan is a one year plan and if you want coverage for a new school year or a portion of a year, you’ll have to enrol again just like you did last year. Start on Purdue’s Student Insurance plan page by searching for Purdue here. Read the student insurance plan messages from Purdue, review the plan details and follow the provided instructions to enrol for a new coverage period.
Well-Being Resources at Purdue
Besides PUSH, the following resources are available at, or near, the University:
- Purdue University Pharmacy—On campus pharmacy, located next to PUSH, and offers a variety of services besides filling prescriptions, including clinical services like routine vaccinations, flu shots, etc., as well as offering a variety of non-prescription, over-the-counter medications. They also have two vending machines located on campus that provide 24/7 access to various over-the-counter items.
- CVS Pharmacy—is located close to campus off Northwestern Ave by the stadium and allows for in-store shopping, in-store pharmacy, and they also offer delivery.
- There are other pharmacy locations in Lafayette and West Lafayette that you can check out if they’re more convenient to where you live. You can always find pharmacies within the Meijer, Walmart, Payless Grocery stores, but there are also stand-alone CVS, Walgreens, and other independent pharmacies within the area. If you are prescribed any medicines, you must check if the pharmacy is a Preferred provider. If you get your medicines from an out-of-network provider, you will NOT be covered by the insurer, and you will bear the total cost yourself!
- CAPS—Purdue’s Counselling & Psychological Services, offers short- to mid-term counselling and therapy services for students, and online resources. Most services at CAPS is provided to students at no charge, but there are a few services that do have fees associated with them.
- Mental Health Resources– The Purdue Disability Resource Center (DRC) compiled a list of mobile apps some may find beneficial when dealing with stress, being overwhelmed, anxious, feeling panicked or for general overall mental health. Most of these apps are free unless noted otherwise.
- Task-Human—Purdue has partnered with TaskHuman, a mobile app that helps you achieve your personal wellness goals, including life coaching, stress management, and more, all on your phone, for free!
- WellTrack boost (interactive self-help therapy)
- Steps to Leaps—offer seminars and self-improvement tools to bolster student fortitude and success; seminars are usually offered live but recorded as well for viewing later.
- Purdue Recreation & Wellness (known as Co-Rec or RecWell)—There is a fee involved, but this amazing on-campus facility offers A LOT of opportunities to stay physically, mentally, and financially fit. You should at least take an in-person tour and check out all that it has to offer (virtual tour)—from various wellness programs, massage & light therapy, personal training and fitness certifications, one-on-one wellness/nutrition/financial coaching, club and intramural sports, dance, fitness, workout equipment, aquatics, climbing & bouldering, safety training and so much more!
- West Lafayette Wellness Center—A West Lafayette Parks & Recreation Center, that offers aquatics and fitness programs and has a membership fee.
- Lilly Nature Center & Celery Bog Nature Area—Free. Close to campus and offers paved trails (bicycling permitted) and natural paths through woods, savanna and prairie. West Lafayette has other community parks as well, including Happy Hollow Park which is also close to campus and offers trails, shelters, and a playground area.
- Purdue Horticulture Park—located west of campus it offers a nice escape to relax and enjoy nature.
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