Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
Dear Student:
At Pace University, we are committed to offering the best health and accident insurance benefits at the best rate to students who do not have existing health coverage.
In March 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the blue print for national health care reform, was signed into law. United Healthcare, the insurance company that underwrites the Pace student health insurance plan, is required to comply with the act. Because of this, certain benefits must be changed for the 2012-2013 school year. Most of these changes will provide enhanced coverage or services to students who participate in the plan.
Following are some of the more important changes that insurance companies must implement for the 2012-2013 academic year:
· Insurance companies must cover all essential benefits including hospitalizations, emergency medical care, laboratory services, mental health care and prescription medications. A complete list of essential benefits can be found at: www.healthcare.gov/using-insurance/understanding/services/
· Preventative services such as: vaccinations, physicals and screenings as well as contraceptives must be covered and cannot include co-pays, deductibles or co-insurance requirements. A complete list of preventive services can be found at: www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/07/preventive-services-list.html
· Pre-existing conditions cannot be excluded for any covered persons younger than the age of 19.
· Students can remain covered under parents’ health insurance plans up to the age of 26.
Because of this federal health care legislation, the cost of the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan for 2012-2013 will increase by $118 to $1,013 per calendar year for domestic students; the cost of the program for international students will increase from $672 to $766 for the year. These costs are a fraction of what a student would pay if securing individual coverage outside of Pace’s group rates and are the result of negotiations with the insurance carrier. Pace staff did a comparative survey of other colleges and universities and most are experiencing larger increases this year. Plan purchase costs go directly to the insurance carrier and service providers, not to Pace.
The specific details of the plan and the certificate of coverage brochure have not yet been finalized but we expect them to be available by June 1. Updates will be posted on the Student Health Insurance website: www.pace.edu/health-insurance.
For more information on health insurance coverage for young adults, visit: www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/young-adult-coverage/index.html
As always, full-time students have the option of waiving coverage if they have insurance through a different plan. Participation by part-time students is voluntary. Full-time students have until September 21, 2012, to waive out of the insurance plan for the coming academic year. You can do this online through the Pace portal at http://portal.pace.edu.
We wish you good health and success!
Sincerely,
Dr. Marijo Russell-O’Grady, Dean for Students New York, (212) 346-1306
Dr. Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo, Dean for Students, Westchester, (914) 773-3351
Angela D’Agostino, Esq., Dean for Students, School of Law, (914) 422-4146
