Effective Tuesday, September 2, 2008, we are pleased to announce the launch of an innovative new model for psychiatric medication management services at the Student Health Center (SHC) that will provide students with access to psychiatric medication services THROUGHOUT their NYU career at a maximum out-of-pocket expense of $20 per visit. As you may know, the Counseling and Behavioral Health Services at SHC has always offered free short term counseling (talk therapy) to NYU students; these services will remain free of charge and will not change with the introduction of this new model.
In the past, students received 6 free psychiatric (medication assessment and management) visits at the SHC and were then referred to community psychiatric providers for ongoing medication management. Based on extensive student, parent, and faculty feedback, we have determined that a majority of students utilizing this service require treatment beyond six visits, and it is often challenging for them to identify accessible and affordable psychiatric services in the NYC region. This new model makes psychiatric medication services both accessible and low-cost for all NYU students.
From past experience, we know that many of our students prefer to utilize the services of the SHC because of our convenient location, availability of hours, and the quality of our clinical staff. With this new model, psychiatric medication services will be available to all matriculated full-time and part-time students enrolled in a degree-granting program who require assessment and treatment with psychiatric medications. This applies to:
- Students currently enrolled in short term psychotherapy (talk therapy) with the NYU Counseling and Behavioral Health Service
- Students who currently are receiving psychiatric medication care in the community and wish to transfer their care to the new service at the Student Health Center
- Students requiring a new initial psychiatric medication evaluation and ongoing care
In all cases, psychiatric professionals at the SHC will work with you to determine the best course of treatment for you and if your care can be managed appropriately at SHC.
Insurance and Billing
University policy requires that all matriculated students maintain health insurance coverage which includes medical and mental health benefits for treatment in New York City. The new, expanded SHC psychiatric service is designed to work in conjunction with the benefits that your health insurance provides.
As with all other medical specialty services at the SHC, we will bill your insurance carrier for psychiatric assessment and treatment provided by SHC psychiatrists and nurse practitioners. We know that costs for short and longer-term psychiatric care can become financially burdensome because mental health benefits within insurance plans can be associated with higher out-of-pocket costs. These costs can become deterrents to continued care. For this reason, the SHC will cap students' out-of-pocket costs at $20 per visit (inclusive of applicable co-pays, co-insurances, and deductibles).
For example, many students who receive psychiatric care in the community may be responsible for copays at each visit which can vary from $10 to $40, a 40-50% coinsurance requirement for an out of network provider, and possibly an annual deductible. These out-of-pocket costs for each visit can be daunting especially when considering how difficult it is to locate a psychiatric provider that participates with specific health insurance carriers in NYC. The Health Services Fee paid by all matriculated students will be used to cover student's out-of-pocket costs in excess of $20 per-visit, up to an annual maximum of $1000. The annual maximum pertains to any expected costs borne by students in deductibles, copayments, co-insurance and other patient responsibilities in excess of the $20 cap per visit. Please know that the SHC is committed to working with any students who may face difficulty in meeting these expenses.
Of note, the new model and its cap on out-of-pocket costs only pertains to psychiatric services provided by Student Health Center medical personnel--students will continue to be responsible for ALL out-of-pocket costs for psychiatric care received from providers outside the NYU Student Health Center at 726 Broadway.
Students who wish to schedule an appointment for a psychiatric evaluation should call the Counseling and Behavioral Health Services at the Student Health Center at 212-998-4780.
Short-term Counseling and Crisis Care
As mentioned previously, short-term counseling (talk therapy) sessions at Counseling and Behavioral Health Services will continue to be provided without charge. In addition, the Counseling Walk-In Service at SHC (Wellness Exchange) will continue to provide a safety net for students in crisis situations; same day counseling assessments and psychiatric (medication and assessment) services received through the Wellness Exchange will continue at no cost to students. However, medication prescriptions written by psychiatric professionals during walk-in hours at the Wellness Exchange will be limited to a 5-day supply to address urgent situations only. For continuous psychiatric care and medication management, students will be referred to the new psychiatric services model described above, or to another provider in the community as requested. The Wellness Exchange is located in the SHC, on the 4th floor of 726 Broadway, and can be reached at (212) 443-9999.
We believe this new initiative responds directly to feedback received from students and families asking the SHC to ensure that accessible and affordable psychiatric care is available at the SHC for any matriculated NYU student in need of these services. Please contact the Wellness Exchange at 212-443-9999 between the hours of 9am and 5pm Mondays through Friday if you have questions about this new model.