Student Life: Health Benefits

                     SICKNESS AND ACCIDENT
                         INSURANCE PLANS

All enrolled tuition-paying students of Western States Chiropractic College (WSCC) are required to have health insurance. WSCC offers two health insurance plans through USI Northwest that the students can purchase. Plan I Health Insurance is $219.00 per quarter and Plan II Health Insurance is $304.00. For a detailed description of the plans and contact information for USI Northwest, please contact the Student Services Office or please refer to the following to learn more:

• Contact USI Northwest (for any questions at all):
  • Patricia Wylie: phone 502-224-8390 or e-mail patricia_wylie@usi-insurance.com
  • Brysis Boyd: phone 503-224-8390 or e-mail brysis.boyd@usi.biz
    
• CCN Provider Network (find a provider): Call 800-226-5116 or visit www.ccnusa.com
• Associated Administrators, Inc (claims inquiries): Call 800-770-6672
• EBRx Network (prescriptions): Call 888-274-6214; or visit www.ebrx.com; or call the pharmacy helpline at 800-406-0015

When students arrive on campus their tuition statement automatically charges them for Plan II Health Insurance ($304.00 per quarter). This will not be removed from their tuition and fee form until the student completes a health insurance waiver form and shows proof of other health insurance. Also, students can choose to downgrade to Plan I Health Insurance but must complete a disclaimer form - available in the Student Services Office.

DEPENDENT COVERAGE is available to all dependents of students enrolled under either Plan I or Plan II health insurance. Students are billed for their dependent coverage each quarter.

DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN

We now have a new option for students in regards to dental insurance. We are working with AmeriPlan USA to provide optional dental insurance. To learn more contact the Student Services Office.

For more information on health insurance plans available to students of WSCC, please contact the Director of Student Services at (503) 251-2802.

[ top ]

Counseling Services
Counseling services for WSCC students are available at no cost to students through the Psychological Service Center (PSC) located at 511 S.W. 10th Avenue, 4th floor, Portland, OR.

Hours of operation are:
Mon-Thurs 8:00am-8:00
Friday 8:00am-6:00pm
Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm

To access this service, a Western States student should call PSC at 503-220-0390, identify him/herself as a WSCC student, and ask for an appointment. The receptionist will confirm your enrollment with a list of WSCC students. Be prepared to show photo identification when you check in for your appointment (preferably your WSCC student ID card). This service is totally confidential. The names of WSCC students receiving services will not be released to WSCC.

What is PSC?
PSC is the off-campus clinic for students from the School of Professional Psychology at Pacific University. PSC therapists hold a master's degree or are in their second year of intensive graduate training. Many have had a career in mental health before returning for their doctoral degree. Therapists are supervised by licensed psychologists so that clients benefit from professional consultation.

Selecting a Therapist
Your assignment to a particular counselor will be at random unless you make a particular request. The intern staff is constant for each academic year, and, under normal circumstances, you will be seen by the same counselor during follow-up visits. Because of our established agreement with PSC, WSCC students get preference in scheduling to the extent it is available.

[ top ]

Emergency Intervention
During hours that PSC is closed, an answering service is available. If an emergency exists, the answering service will attempt to contact either the student's therapist, or the therapist's supervisor. If this is not a problem, the answering service will forward the caller to MetroCrisis, Inc., which is contracted by PSC to provide emergency intervention as necessary. In this way, 24-hour coverage is provided daily.

Limits on the amount of psychological service at no charge
The agreement that WSCC has with PSC covers an intake session plus eight additional sessions at no cost to the WSCC student. This limit was arrived at under the policy that WSCC is interested in providing counseling services on an intervention basis. WSCC is not prepared to assume the cost if a student needs, or wishes to pursue on-going therapy. PSC's standard rate for counseling is $70 per session, with discounts based on ability to pay. If a WSCC student continues therapy through PSC beyond the limit established in the WSCC agreement, the student may do so at the maximum discount rate of $20 per session.

The established limit applies to each academic year. For the cost of therapy for an additional problem to be covered by WSCC, it must be judged by PSC as clearly distinct from the original issues. Typically, this would result only from some clear crisis situation.

To what extent can student household members access this service?
"Significant others" may be involved in joint treatment with the student when it is deemed clinically useful in addressing the student's problems or issues. PSC will determine who is included in the category of significant other. A significant other may be accepted for individual treatment for problems not related to the student, but charges for such treatment will be billed to the student at the $20/hour rate.

Holidays
PSC is closed for major holidays and for three one-week periods each year: Winter holidays, Pacific University's Spring Break, and the last week in August.

Additional Information
Brochures and cards for PSC are available in the Student Services Office and the Student Health Center. Students are welcome to contact the Director of Student Services at (503)251-2802 for further details about this information.

[ top ]