University Rolling Back Out-of-Pocket Increases for Student Insurance

University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds has announced plans to alleviate increased out-of-pocket student health insurance costs.

On Thursday, June 6, Bounds explained in a letter to students a one-time solution that will hold student’s out-of-pocket limits to $2,200 from the current year.

Other insurance updates, which included rising student premiums as well as prescription drug copayments, is still a concern the university continues to work on as they move forward. Deductibles, however, will hold at $500.

The student healthcare updates are the result of a renegotiation with UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, the vendor used system wide by the University of Nebraska. Graduate assistants and international students are most affected by the increases.

Since January 2019, the University of Nebraska has partnered with UMR, a UnitedHealthcare company, for its self-insured benefits plan offered to employees. The employee plans are not linked to the student plans and will not be changed by the renegotiation.

President Bounds regrettably informed students that this is a one-time solution until the university has a chance to explore further options.

“Healthcare costs continue to escalate, and I’m not optimistic that we will be able to prevent significant price increases in the future.” Bounds said, but he assured that university leaders have already started planning for student insurance coverage for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Students are encouraged to explore other resources to make informed decisions and manage potential healthcare costs.

Nebraska Medicine hospitals and clinics are in-network with this plan and Nebraska Medicine’s Patient Financial Counselors can provide information on financial assistance options and cost estimates. Free and discounted care is available based on family income. Patients can apply for assistance at any point in the scheduling or billing process.

Students who wish to find out more or register for insurance coverage can do so by visiting the UNO Health Center or visiting unomaha.edu.