Health care in the US is always expensive, and for graduate students at Notre Dame, having health insurance for the student is not optional. Graduate and international students are automatically billed for the student health plan unless they provide proof of alternate insurance.
Some departments require their graduate students to sign up for the school's plan, some departments subsidize the cost, and some departments do neither. Those whose departments do neither have the option of signing up for private insurance, which can be less expensive, but may also not cover as many services. The Graduate Student Union announced a subsidization for the student health plan for the '08-'09 school year, making it somewhat cheaper than last year. Information about the student health plan is available at:
http://uhs.nd.edu/html/MegaLife.htm
The state of Indiana provides free or low-cost healthcare to children with US citizenship and to pregnant women with US citizenship through their Hoosier Healthwise Medicaid program. Anyone interested in this plan should contact the Family and Social Services Administration office. The FSSA will need a lot of documentation (ID, proof of residence, utility and rent statements, birth certificates, SSNs, and bank statements) every six months, but many families find this program very helpful.
Some families have a hard time getting the Hoosier Healthwise pediatrician or primary care physician they want, particularly if they will only live in-state during the school year. This is common, and unfortunately the system is not built for families who will be in state 9 months of the year and out of the state during the summer. Those who leave the state for internships will likely be dropped from the program, lose their doctor, and will have to reapply.
The address for the closest office to campus is:
2004 Ironwood Circle, Suite 160
South Bend, IN 46635-1885
Telephone Number: (574) 247-2670
Fax: (574) 247-2679
http://www.state.in.us/fssa/
Some departments require their graduate students to sign up for the school's plan, some departments subsidize the cost, and some departments do neither. Those whose departments do neither have the option of signing up for private insurance, which can be less expensive, but may also not cover as many services. The Graduate Student Union announced a subsidization for the student health plan for the '08-'09 school year, making it somewhat cheaper than last year. Information about the student health plan is available at:
http://uhs.nd.edu/html/MegaLife.htm
The state of Indiana provides free or low-cost healthcare to children with US citizenship and to pregnant women with US citizenship through their Hoosier Healthwise Medicaid program. Anyone interested in this plan should contact the Family and Social Services Administration office. The FSSA will need a lot of documentation (ID, proof of residence, utility and rent statements, birth certificates, SSNs, and bank statements) every six months, but many families find this program very helpful.
Some families have a hard time getting the Hoosier Healthwise pediatrician or primary care physician they want, particularly if they will only live in-state during the school year. This is common, and unfortunately the system is not built for families who will be in state 9 months of the year and out of the state during the summer. Those who leave the state for internships will likely be dropped from the program, lose their doctor, and will have to reapply.
The address for the closest office to campus is:
2004 Ironwood Circle, Suite 160
South Bend, IN 46635-1885
Telephone Number: (574) 247-2670
Fax: (574) 247-2679
http://www.state.in.us/fssa/
Health care insurance through the state of Indiana is now available for low-income adult US citizens residing in Indiana at http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/. Applicants can expect to pay a small monthly premium, must be without insurance for 6 months prior to applying, and must not have insurance provided by their employers. Children and pregnant women will apply for the Hoosier Healthwise program.
Indiana Health Center at 1901 Western Ave. in South Bend provides low-cost health and dental care on a sliding fee scale. Patients do not need to be US citizens. They do ask for income documentation, and those who are not employed will need to bring proof from the WorkOne office.
By way of example, I will share how we have solved the health care issue in our family. My spouse and I have a major medical private insurance plan that costs about $2000/yr. Our children qualify for Hoosier Healthwise, which covers everything their pediatrician agrees to, and we've had nothing denied. In case of pregnancy, I can qualify to have Hoosier Healthwise cover just the pregnancy. In case of illness, my husband can go to the student health center, and I can go to Indiana Health Center. This works for us because we're all healthy, and it certainly won't work for everyone. We have the private insurance in case of catastrophic illness or injury, not for routine care. If we do have a major medical incident, our usual tax refund is about the same as our deductible, so we won't be financially devastated.
Indiana Health Center at 1901 Western Ave. in South Bend provides low-cost health and dental care on a sliding fee scale. Patients do not need to be US citizens. They do ask for income documentation, and those who are not employed will need to bring proof from the WorkOne office.
By way of example, I will share how we have solved the health care issue in our family. My spouse and I have a major medical private insurance plan that costs about $2000/yr. Our children qualify for Hoosier Healthwise, which covers everything their pediatrician agrees to, and we've had nothing denied. In case of pregnancy, I can qualify to have Hoosier Healthwise cover just the pregnancy. In case of illness, my husband can go to the student health center, and I can go to Indiana Health Center. This works for us because we're all healthy, and it certainly won't work for everyone. We have the private insurance in case of catastrophic illness or injury, not for routine care. If we do have a major medical incident, our usual tax refund is about the same as our deductible, so we won't be financially devastated.
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