The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Cornell students will be administered by the Chickering Group for the fourth year in a row, announced Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services, and Fred Rogers, senior vice president.
"The renewal of the Chickering contract allows us to provide continuity in coverage for students already on the plan and offer an outstanding value to every student in need of health insurance," Murphy said.
Cornell administrators are pleased that this agreement holds the rate increase to 10 percent.
"Early estimates had predicted an increase of 20 to 24 percent," said Allen Bova, chair of the Student Insurance Advisory Committee. "In the renewed contract with Chickering, the rate increases will be 10 percent for individual students, 9 percent for spouses/same sex partners and 8 percent for children."
The Student Insurance Advisory Committee is composed of undergraduate and graduate student representatives, university administrators and University Health Services staff.
Jean Ahn, a graduate student who served on the advisory committee, summarized the process and outcome: "The committee reviewed bids on the Cornell contract from 11 different insurance companies," she explained. "We had seven good proposals and interviewed two finalists. From the committee's perspective, Chickering came through with the best proposal: It includes the lowest price and best access to providers and service to students."
Rogers added, "We appreciate the diligence of the Student Insurance Advisory Committee in conducting the research that supports this decision. Their commitment to securing a health insurance plan that provides extensive coverage at the most reasonable cost will benefit every Cornell student who relies on this insurance."
The SHIP is developed especially for Cornell students and meets the student health insurance standards developed by the American College Health Association (ACHA). The SHIP is an accident and sickness policy designed to provide extensive coverage at a reasonable cost for most on- or off-campus medical care and to guard against catastrophic expenses.
Pre-existing medical conditions are covered. Plan members are covered 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world. Medical evacuation and repatriation coverage has been added this year for a nominal amount, a significant benefit to the many Cornell students who come from or travel to other parts of the world. (This coverage assists students with emergency medical transportation.)
Like many other universities, Cornell requires that all students have health insurance. As Ithaca is "out-of-network" for many private insurers, more and more Cornell students are opting for the SHIP. At $809 for individual coverage in the Ithaca area and anywhere in the world, this plan represents an outstanding value for comprehensive student health insurance in New York, administrators said.
The Chickering Group, third party administrator of the SHIP for the past three years, specializes exclusively in the student health insurance business. They have a partnership with Aetna U.S. Healthcare (AUSHC) to provide comprehensive, affordable health insurance to college students. The partnership provides access to AUSHC's national physician, hospital and pharmacy networks.
Chickering first won a bid to provide health insurance for Cornell students in 1996, by providing a reduction in the price of the plan and adding a very popular prescription plan. By the terms of the original three-year contract, the rate increase per year has been held to a modest 5 percent, which turned out to be below the commercial cost of the plan. The rate increase of 10 percent reflects the actual costs of this plan and is consistent with national increases in health care expenses.
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