Western’s Student Health Center will be switching to an insurance-based billing model, and with it comes a way to help under-insured students pay for their healthcare on campus.
The Bridge Program is a discount program for Western students who have no insurance, insurance with a high deductible, out-of-state insurance, or have insurance that is not accepted by the Student Health Center. As the switch to an insurance billing model leaves some students in need of aid, the Bridge Program aims to fill those gaps.
Formerly, Western’s Student Health Center allowed students to receive most kinds of medical care for free. This was made possible by the health center fee included in student tuition. After Feb. 2, the Student Health Center is sending medical charges to student insurance instead.
As of Feb. 2, the Bridge Program is also open for enrollment. For a quarterly fee of $84, students can access most of the services at the Student Health Center for $20 per visit. While this is not an insurance replacement, this solution should help most students access health center resources.
“If a student wants to be on the Bridge Program, they could reach out ahead of time, or they could wait until the next time they come see us and enroll that day or the day before their visit,” said Lucia Pearson, associate medical director at the Student Health Center.
As long as the student is not covered by any state-provided insurance, such as Medicaid or Apple Health, they are eligible.
In the event that a student requires more aid than the Bridge Program offers, Western has a financial hardship policy that an affected student can apply for before or after accessing the services of the Student Health Center. This program can be applied for through the student portal and is granted in accordance with certain eligibility criteria.
“Having access to healthcare is a big part of being able to have a healthy learning environment,” said second-year Western student Madelyn Woodke.
With rising healthcare costs and decreased federal funding for education, colleges are having an increasingly difficult time keeping their own health costs affordable for their students. Western is no different.
“The operational costs of the health center have been increasing, as health services have been increasing everywhere,” said Pearson.
The Student Health Center “can’t continue to sustain services that they’re doing at the price we’re paying now,” said Student Senator Devin Seaman.
Even though Medicaid remains an option for many students in need, federal cuts to the program will likely result in many currently covered students losing that coverage. The Bridge Program has the potential to operate as an alternative source of aid in this scenario.
“There’s a bunch of hurdles coming our way that the federal government is throwing up, which is going to create a lot of inequity for students,” said Joel Schwartzkopf, executive director of student health services at the University of Washington.
The funds from the health center fee in student tuition will continue to fund the services of the Student Health Center, even though student medical expenses will no longer be paid this way. While this allows the center to be more sustainable in its operations, it leaves gaps in student access to health services. The Bridge Program is an effort to fill those gaps.
“The Bridge Program is a solid enough step to try and address some of the inequities in the healthcare system,” said VP of Student Services Taylor Carnell.
Elliot Nicoletti is a second-year journalism and history student at WWU. He covers campus news at The Front. Outside of school, he plays and listens to music or modifies his clothes. You can reach him at elliotnicoletti.thefront@gmail.com.
