Healthcare
Quick Links:
- Introduction
- Requirements
- Deadlines
- Health Records
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Spouses, Partners, and Children
- Healthcare Costs at Gannett
- Dental and Vision Care
Introduction
Gannett Health Services is an accredited health-care facility right on campus that provides medical services, counseling, and health promotion services for all Cornell students. Student spouses, same sex partners, and children over the age of fourteen also are eligible for medical care at Gannett.
Gannett health care providers (doctors, nurses, counselors, and others) understand how important your health and well-being are to your overall adjustment to life at Cornell and your academic pursuits. The staff is committed to treating each individual with respect, compassion, and sensitivity to your experience, values, and choices, so that the care you receive is well-suited to your needs.
They also recognize that getting used to a new environment, and learning about a health care system that is quite different from what you are accustomed to, may present challenges. Gannett provides special assistance to international students and others who are learning about accessing health care, paying for services, using health insurance, meeting requirements, and accessing specialty care. Gannett provides a free language translation service (with over 170 languages) to make communication during appointments easier for patients who desire it. Visit the Gannett website for a more complete introduction to Gannett. Be sure to look for the information developed specifically for international students and their families (click here).
Requirements
Every new student is required to satisfy a series of health requirements, including the provision of information about your personal and family health history and documentation of necessary immunizations. All of this information is gathered via Cornell’s Health History Form, which must be filled out online (at http://newstudents.cornell.edu), printed, completed, and mailed to Gannett. The Health History Form is confidential. It provides Gannett with health information necessary to comply with state and federal laws, and to assure quality care for you while you are at Cornell. Undergrads will receive an e-mail reminder to complete the Form soon after accepting Cornell’s offer of admission.
Experience tells us it will take you some time to gather all of the information needed to complete this process, so start planning now. Immunization requirements include the following:
- getting vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus
- reviewing information about meningococcal disease in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to receive vaccination
It’s likely you have already received most of the required vaccines, so you can ask your health care provider or your school to supply a copy of your official immunization records. If you do not have one or more of the required vaccinations, you’ll need to get them. We encourage you to make an appointment with a health care provider in your home country to receive vaccinations before the due date (see Deadlines, below). If you wait until coming to campus, you will not be registered, and you will have to pay the (possibly more expensive) U.S. cost of the vaccines as well as a $100 late fee.
Finally, Cornell requires that all international students, except those from Canada, be screened for TB at Gannett Health Services, or elsewhere in the U.S. within three weeks of arrival at Cornell. Call Gannett (255-5155) or stop by to make an appointment to satisfy this requirement as you are settling in on campus. Consider the trip to Gannett a good opportunity to learn more about health services at Cornell.
If you have questions about the Health History Form, immunizations and related costs, TB screening, deadlines, or services available at Gannett, please contact the Gannett Health Services Requirements Office at (607) 255-4364 or (607) 255-6951, by e-mail at immunization@cornell.edu or online [search: “requirements”].
Deadlines
Postmark Deadlines for the Cornell Health History Form:
- Fall first-year students-June 12, 2009
- Fall transfer students-August 1, 2009
- Spring entrants-December 18, 2009
Upon receipt of the printed form, Gannett Health Services will review your Health History Form to make sure you have met all requirements. If your form does not demonstrate full compliance with all requirements by August 14, 2009 (January 15, 2010 for spring entrants), you will not be registered and you will be charged a $100 late fee.
Be sure to bring a copy of your completed Health History Form with you when you come to Cornell. This way, if there has been a problem with international mail, you will be able to drop off at Gannett your copy of the Form, with all the required signatures, and fulfill your requirements before you register.
Health Records
Plan to bring copies of your health records (and the health records of any family members who are accompanying you). It is important that you keep these records with other important papers so they will be available if health needs arise. All records should be in English. If necessary, please have them translated before you come to Cornell.
Health Insurance Coverage
Due to the high cost of medical care, Cornell University policy requires every full-time registered student to have health insurance. Health care services are much more expensive in the U.S. than in most countries, and individuals are responsible for all of their own health care expenses. Parents are responsible for their child(ren)’s medical expenses, including newborn hospital expenses, immunizations, and well child exams. It is essential that you have insurance that will provide adequate protection for you and your dependents in the event of illness or accident.
We strongly encourage you to purchase Cornell’s Student Health Insurance Plan for yourself, as well as for your eligible dependents (i.e., spouse/partner and child/ren). All students registered with the Graduate School, the Law School, the Johnson School of Management, and the College of Veterinary Medicine will be automatically enrolled in the SHIP*.
This plan has been developed especially for Cornell University students, and provides access to convenient, high-quality health care that complements services offered on campus. Cornell’s SHIP is an accident and sickness policy designed to:
- provide extensive coverage at a reasonable cost for most on- or off-campus medical care.
- guard against catastrophic expenses.
- cover pre-existing medical conditions.
- provide coverage 24 hours a day 365 days a year anywhere in the world from August 17, 2009 through August 16, 2010.
- provide medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.
- provide convenient insurance assistance adjacent to the campus.
- meet or exceed all F-1 and J-1 visa requirements.
- provide optional dental and vision plans.
This plan is considered an excellent value in the U.S. The SHIP premiums* for 2009-10 are expected to be higher than the following 2008-09 rates:
- Student: $1514
- Spouse/same sex partner: $3182
- One or more children: $2032
- Optional Dental (student): $271
- Optional Vision (student): $148
Only those students who can demonstrate that they have health insurance that meets all of Cornell’s criteria will be approved to waive enrollment in SHIP. If you believe you have other insurance that meets all of Cornell’s criteria for adequate health insurance, you may appeal the SHIP requirement. To meet Cornell’s criteria another health insurance plan must:
- be provided by a company licensed to do business in the United States and has a U.S. claim payment office and a U.S. phone number.
- provide coverage in the Ithaca area for outpatient and inpatient medical care. (A policy that provides coverage in the Ithaca area on an “emergency care only” basis does not meet this requirement.)
- provide coverage in the Ithaca area for outpatient and inpatient mental-health care.
- have a maximum benefit of at least $500,000 per year.
- remain in force as long as you are a registered student at Cornell.
- cover pre-existing conditions (known or not known by you).
In early July, you will receive a mailing with detailed information about coverage, fees, deadlines, and the enrollment/waiver process. This information will also be on the website of the Cornell University Office of Student Health Insurance. You can contact the office by e-mail at sicu@cornell.edu or by phone: (607) 255-6363.
*Graduate and professional students: the charge for the SHIP premium (annual fee) will appear on your July bursar bill. The Graduate School will pay the premium for all graduate students registered with the Graduate School who are receiving full tuition and a full stipend from or through Cornell. Students who are responsible for the premium have until September 30 to choose to pay in monthly installments (with a small service charge).
To understand more about health insurance in the United States, check the Gannett website [search: “US Health Care”].
Spouses, Partners, and Children
Gannett offers a wide range of services to students spouses, partners (of the same or different gender), and children over the age of 14. You will need to identify a pediatrician in the Ithaca area for any children under the age of 14. Our staff can help you locate a pediatrician. Be sure to plan for health insurance coverage for your dependents (see Health Insurance Coverage section above).
If you are bringing children with you to Ithaca, please be aware that New York State has immunization requirements that must be met before a child may enter school or day care programs. Parents must bring written proof (in English) of a child's immunizations from a health care provider or clinic at the time of school registration. Learn more about New York State's requirements here [search “school entry”].
Healthcare Costs at Gannett
Many Gannett visits involve only a $10 charge (subject to change) for enrolled students and eligible dependents with the Student Health Insurance Plan SHIP. Fees are charged for x-rays, lab analyses, medications, routine physicals, and other services, but many of these are covered by the SHIP. Fees that are not covered by insurance can be paid for with cash, personal check, or credit card (VISA, MasterCard or Discovery); during the academic year, students can apply any charges to their bursar bills. If you are considering other insurance, be sure it provides the coverage you need for services at Gannett and those incurred at other health care facilities. If you have concerns about expenses related to medical or mental-health care, you can discuss them with a Gannett billing representative before or during a visit to Gannett.
Dental and Vision Care
Dental and vision care in the U.S. can be costly, so we recommend that you access services (if they are available) before leaving your home country. Dental and vision care are not included in most health insurance plans, including the SHIP. However, those enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan can purchase optional dental and/or vision plans.)