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The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

University changes health insurance provider

The University switched its student health insurance provider this summer amid concern the old plan was too costly and did not include enough benefits, administrators said.

Since 1997, Aetna was the University’s main student health care provider. Representatives from Student Health Services said the rising cost of health insurance made it necessary to find a more affordable option. Negotiations began with United Health Care more than one year ago and it became the new provider on Aug. 23 of this year.

“We have many more people enrolled in the new plan,” said Isabel Goldenberg, director of Student Health Service. “So that means that now that the plan is more affordable, more people are joining, which was the goal of the change.”

Only about 1,700 students were signed up for the old insurance plan, compared to the roughly 2,471 who are signed up now. Goldenberg said she expects the number might grow even larger since open enrollment doesn’t end until Oct. 15.

About 80 percent of the students enrolled in the plan are graduate-level students, she said. International students are another popular demographic.

“Most undergraduates have insurance through their parents,” Goldenberg said.

United Health, which also offers insurance to other universities in the District, is about 20 percent cheaper than Aetna. Students now pay up to $1,400 a year, as opposed to $1,699 under the old plan.

Goldenberg said the University has had a student health insurance plan for at least the Past 30 years.

“This is a service that we offer to the students because it’s a necessity,” Goldenberg said. “It’s a need that the patient should have.”

In order to switch from one plan to the other, students had to re-register with the new company. Only one letter about this was sent to students – through United Health Care. Goldenberg said they advertised at Colonial Inaguration and orientations, as well as on the Student Health Web site.

Graduate student Elvis Oxley, who used the old plan, was not told of the switch and was without health insurance for three weeks.

“I contacted Aetna, and I asked when I should renew it and the representative told me that Aetna was no longer insuring GW,” Oxley said. “I was kind of set back by that because it was already September, and apparently my coverage with the previous provider had run out August 23.”

Oxley said he first signed up for student health insurance around the same time he began as a graduate student in August 2006.

“It left me without coverage,” Oxley said, “which is not in my best interest and certainly not in my family’s best interest.”

Oxley said he never received the letter that was sent out by United Health and never saw the notification online.

“Apparently, there was a letter that was sent out but was not received by me,” Oxley said. “I didn’t see the online notice because no one told me it was online.”

Goldenberg said that the notice of the insurance provider change appeared on the Student Health Service Web site three months before the old plan ended. She also said someone in Oxley’s situation would have been without insurance regardless of the switch because health insurance has to be renewed each year. The deadline for the Aetna renewal was also Aug. 23.

“It seems students were getting the message,” Goldenberg said. She added that one parent called saying they received no information about the change.

“Up to now, we are satisfied with the plan,” Goldenberg said. “It is much better for the students. The benefits are richer.”

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