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Accident & Sickness Insurance

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Summary

Because our institution is concerned with the promotion of good health among our students as well as adequate medical health coverage in case of an unexpected accident or illness, we require all of our full-time, undergraduate and master's in teaching (MIT) students to provide evidence of health-insurance coverage.

Even if you carry primary insurance on your son/daughter, we recommend our plan because it is designed to supplement your primary coverage as follows:

• In some cases, students are insured by an HMO or PPO with no network providers in our area.
  
  
• Our plan costs less than your deductible, and it provides first-dollar coverage. It is designed to cover deductibles and co-insurance balances. For this reason, our plan has no deductible. The cost of our plan is offset with the first medical claim filed. In order to keep the cost of the plan down, a small co-pay may apply for certain services.

The mandatory Basic Accident Plan provided by Whitworth is designed to cover accidental injuries at 100 percent of the Usual Reasonable and Customary (URC) fees to a maximum of $5,000 per accidental injury. Enrollment in this plan is mandatory for current full-time domestic undergraduate students and MIT students. The cost of this plan for 2008-09 is $80 per year.

The Supplemental Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan is mandatory for every full-time undergraduate and MIT student unless he/she can provide evidence of current primary insurance coverage. If the student already has coverage, the university-sponsored medical insurance plan may be waived by completing the appropriate section of the E-Packet and submitting it to the Student Accounting Services Office prior to the first day of classes at the beginning of the semester. After the first day of classes, students may waive the insurance by contacting Whitworth Student Accounting Services directly prior to the tenth day of classes. No waivers will be accepted after the tenth day of classes. This waiver must be completed every year the student attends Whitworth. If the student has no health insurance, Whitworth's coverage MAY NOT be waived. The annual cost of this plan is $240. Please note: Students dropping from full time in fall semester to part time in spring semester will be dropped from the school's insurance coverage and no refund will be given.

Under this plan, all benefits combined may not exceed the aggregate $10,000 maximum for any one illness. The benefits under the Supplemental Accident and Sickness Plan include:

• Inpatient hospital benefits payable at 100 percent of the first $500 and at 80 percent thereafter to the maximum benefit;
  
  
• A $1,000 outpatient drug & mental-health benefit available with a referral from the Whitworth Health Center;
  
  
• A $1,500 outpatient sickness benefit that covers hospital emergency room, physician's-office visits, diagnostic, lab, and prescription charges at 100 percent with a referral from the Whitworth Health Center.

Please refer to your student brochure for a detailed explanation of the coverage.

Intercollegiate athletes are covered at no cost to them for up to $25,000 for accidents incurred during supervised practice or play. Additional information on this coverage is available through the Whitworth Athletics Department.

Finally, all international students are required to participate in the International Insurance Plan, which includes accident and sickness benefits and which extends the accident and sickness benefits for international students to $50,000, for a cost of $659 per academic year plus applicable student fees. Participation in this insurance plan may not be waived. The coverage under this plan is active for currently enrolled international students while they are in the United States.

For more information regarding the coverage provided through Whitworth, please contact Janet Bynagle at 509.777.4450 in the Whitworth Health & Counseling Services Center.