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A referral is necessary for any local care outside of the
Student Health Service, except routine gyn exams or obstetrical care. Referrals cannot be backdated.
Our insurance premiums are low because the clinicians in the SHS care for most acute and chronic illnesses,
minor injuries, preventive health care and women's health. Similarly, you are entitled to 10 mental health
visits on site at no charge.
If you need care SHS can’t provide, we'll refer you to a doctor or other health care provider who
belongs to an Aetna provider network.
Emergencies
You do not need a referral to go to any emergency room, but if the ER doctor refers you to anyone else,
you MUST get a referral from the SHS first.
Out of the Area
If you are more than 50 miles away from New York, either on vacation or a rotation, you do NOT need a
referral to see someone. Be sure to choose an Aetna provider to maximize your benefit. If you are outside
of the United States, all providers are considered part of the Aetna network.
Preferred Providers
Aetna’s national network includes family physicians and internists, as well as specialists,
hospitals, laboratories and other health care facilities.
- Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com and click on Students, then find Your School. Your school number is 812835. Click on Columbia University Medical Center and enter DocFind from the menu at the left. You can use DocFind to find doctors or facilities in any area.
Using an Aetna provider saves both you and your fellow students money. You will pay only a $20 co-pay.
Members of the network have agreed to accept lower prices than they charge, so the overall costs to the
Student Insurance Plan are also substantially lower. This will mean lower premiums for you.
Remember, using preferred providers saves you money because preferred providers agree to accept
negotiated fees that may be lower than what non-preferred providers would charge. Also preferred
providers do not charge more than the reasonable charge for a given service. The Plan pays benefits
for reasonable charges only. If a non-preferred provider charges more than the reasonable charge
allowance, you must pay the difference.
Preferred providers are independent contractors and are neither employees nor agents of
Columbia University Health Sciences Campus or Aetna.
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