Medical Insurance

The California State University (CSU) system requires that all non-immigrant international students maintain continuous insurance coverage for health care, medical evacuation, and repatriation while enrolled at a CSU campus. Humboldt State University has arranged coverage with a policy via CSUHealthLink (benefits provided by Anthem Blue Cross) which exceeds the CSU minimum requirements at a reasonable cost.

International students will be automatically enrolled in CSUHealthLink upon enrollment at HSU. Each academic term, the fee for the coverage will be assessed to the student’s account and paid when the student is paying for other campus-related fees.

The CSUHealthLink plan operates as a “Preferred Provider Organization” (PPO). This means that patients receive the highest level of benefits if they choose a health care provider (doctor, clinic, hospital, etc.) within the “network” (the PPO). In many cases, the co-payment for services is 0%. But if the care provider is NOT in the “network” (not a Preferred Provider) then the co-payment may be as high as 25%. A $100 (paid once in the policy year) deductible applies in most cases whether or not the health care provider is in the network. An additional $50 deductible applies to each use of the Emergency Room (ER).

The campus Student Health Center (SHC) is a Preferred Provider and students are required to visit the SHC first, if the SHC is open and the student’s condition is not life-threatening. A student may be referred by the SHC to a health care practitioner in the local community, but that referral may or may not be to a Preferred Provider.

Included in the plan benefits is the NURSE ADVICE LINE. Available 24 hours every day of the year, you are urged to call 1-800-977-0027 at no cost to you to describe to a nurse your symptoms and get advice about what to do next. The nurse can also help you find a Preferred Provider in your local area.

Complete details about the benefits covered by the CSUHealthLink policy (and limitations and exclusions) can be found by downloading a brochure at www.csuhealthlink.com or you may ask for a brochure at the HSU Center for International Programs or the HSU Office of Distance & Extended Education. 
 

 Costs

Definitions

Co-payment: Part of the Maximum Allowed Amount the patient is responsible for paying. Mostly applicable to services of non-Preferred Providers (out of “network”).

Deductible: Part of the Maximum Allowed Amount the patient must pay for Covered Services before any benefits are available. Once paid during the Policy Year, it does not need to be paid again during the same Policy Year. However, there is an additional $50 deductible for each use of the Emergency Room unless admitted to the hospital.

Emergency Room (ER): Part of a hospital that’s open at all hours, every day, to treat severe and life-threatening conditions. When you believe that your condition may permanently endanger your health or lead to your death if not treated promptly, use of the ER is appropriate.

Preferred Provider: Any hospital, physician, ambulatory surgical center, durable equipment outlet, clinical laboratory, skilled nursing facility, or diagnostic imagining services facility that has a Prudent Buyer Plan Participating Provider Agreement with Anthem Blue Cross in effect at the time services are provided to the patient. Use of a Preferred Provider will save the patient money when compared to the same services of a non-Preferred Provider.