Call: 713-348-5544
Email: studentinsurance@rice.edu
Rice Student Health does NOT administer the health insurance. Please contact Rice Student Insurance above. Rice Student Health Insurance is available through Aetna. Please view their website for more general information about their company. Specific details about the Aetna plan for Rice University students can be found at Rice Student Health Insurance.
New Students
All students at Rice are required to have health insurance. Many students choose to utilize the health insurance plan sponsored through Rice University, which is provided by Aetna. Please note that this health insurance plan is not administered by Student Health; therefore, questions regarding coverage, claims, etc. should be directed to the Rice Student Insurance department, not to Student Health Services.
Parents
If you will be using your own health insurance plan to cover your son or daughter while at Rice, please carefully review the specific details of your plan, particularly the level of coverage provided and the flexibility of that coverage. If you are enrolled in a managed care plan (e.g., an HMO), there is a significant risk that your student may experience delays or denials in coverage for laboratory testing, imaging (radiology), or specialist services when they are needed. Many restrictive plans may state that “emergency services are 100% covered while out of network,” which may appear reassuring; however, this can leave significant gaps in coverage. Most healthcare needs experienced by college students are not classified as emergencies. In addition, insurance companies typically define “emergency” care as services provided in a hospital emergency department.
The following example illustrates the challenges associated with restrictive insurance plans:
Example
A student suffers a knee injury during an intramural basketball game. After evaluation at the Rice Student Health clinic, it is determined that the student requires specialty care from an orthopedist. In some cases, the student may have already visited an emergency room.
This is not the time to discover if your insurance plan only covers “in-network” providers. While the initial emergency room visit for the injury may be covered, any subsequent care may not be, unless the student returns home to see their primary care physician and obtains a referral to an in-network orthopedist. This process can result in significant delays (weeks or even months), added inconvenience, and missed class time. Although the student may consider the situation urgent, the insurance plan may not classify it as an emergency.
Situations like this are among the most common challenges faced by college students with restrictive insurance plans. If you are enrolled in a managed care plan, you are strongly encouraged to consider purchasing a supplemental insurance plan for your student while they are attending Rice University.