Over the past year, the economic crisis has had a negative effect for many college students seeking medical attention. Many families have lost their insurance coverage or they have had significant changes to their coverage, compromising student access to health care while attending college. This not only places the student at risk it also places the community at risk. For this reason Universities across the country are mandating annual insurance waivers to verify that their students have insurance.

Part of the mission of the Student Health Center (SHC) is to remove barriers to obtaining health care in order for the students to achieve their academic goals. Three of the main barriers that are very prominent on this campus are; access to health care, transportation issues and affordability. All too often students have arrived at the SHC ill and have been unable to find a provider in the area to be seen promptly or, they are unable to afford the cost of the office visit fee required by their insurance or, they do not have transportation. This has resulted in unnecessary delays in treatment and in many cases high health care fees.

In order to address these issues the Student Health Center, in collaboration with Residential Life, has instituted a $90 bi-annual Student Health Center Supplemental Plan that will provide onsite primary care for all resident students. This plan covers 100% of all ill visits in the Student health Center including prescriptive medication prescribed by the SHC. It also provides coverage for required vaccinations, and flu vaccinations. Many of the students already have voluntarily signed up for this supplemental plan. For those that do not voluntarily enroll, the fee will be added to their student account. This plan is not designed to replace your primary insurance plan. All students residing in university provided housing are required to have a health insurance plan that covers primary care at offsite providers.

We respect your rights to have your child seek health care off campus for a variety of reasons; therefore, the student will be given an opportunity to waive out of the supplemental plan. In order to waive out of this plan the following are required:

1. A signed and approved primary waiver stating that your child has adequate insurance to be seen by a provider in the south Florida area (this waiver must be signed on an annual basis.) There are times that a student may require more advanced care that cannot be provided at the Student Health Center therefore; the supplemental plan does not remove the requirement of all students residing in university housing and all students attending classes on an F1 or J1 visa, to be adequately insured in the State of Florida.
2. Completion of the Supplemental Waiver (on this waiver, you will be required to enter your child's current Barry University vehicle registration number. This is the registration number that has been assigned to your child (you may not use your friends vehicle). Or, you may provide the name and phone number of a family member in the local area (near campus), that will pick your child up and take them to their health care provider.
   
3. The name and phone number of the local health care provider that your child will be using for primary health care.
4. Your child must be up-to-date on all university required vaccinations.

Information regarding immunization requirements as well as links to both the primary and supplemental wavier are located on this website on the menu tabs above, or on your child's MyBarry page.

Important! The supplemental waiver does not remove the requirement for the primary waiver. You must also complete the primary waiver that is available at www.SRStudentcenter.com or on your child's MyBarry page. This waiver serves to demonstrate that your child has adequate health care coverage while attending the university. Failure to complete a primary waiver prior to your child moving into campus housing may result in a non-refundable automatic billing of the Barry University primary insurance plan.

We strongly recommend that you do not waive out of this supplemental plan.  No one anticipates being sick, however it happens. When it happens you want your child to be seen as quickly as possible.  If you choose to waive out of this supplemental plan you are waiving your child's access to onsite primary care.  Your child will be entitled to self help and referral services in the SHC.

THE DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION OF BOTH THE PRIMARY WAIVER THE SUPPLIMENTAL WAIVER FOR SPRING 2010 IS 1/27/10.

In Good Health

The Staff of the Student Health Center