United Healthcare chosen as benefits provider for graduate staff for 2022-23 academic year

The provider for Purdue University graduate staff benefits for the 2022-2023 academic year is changing from Anthem to United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR), a national carrier with additional resources in mental health that will be available to the Purdue student body.

A review of the medical plan was completed and UHCSR was selected, effective Aug. 1. UHCSR’s medical plan is identical to Anthem’s plan in terms of coverage and services; however, due to the increase in healthcare costs across the nation, premiums will be increased for the plan year. Rates can be found here for graduate staff and student plans.

Open enrollment for graduate staff and students ends at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 6. Elections made during the annual open enrollment period for the 2022-2023 academic year will be in effect from Aug. 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this change made? 

Purdue was alerted that Anthem planned a rate increase of more than 25% for the 2022-23 academic year. The decision to change carriers came after Purdue attempted to negotiate lower premium rates without success. It was determined that the increase was too great and that a new provider needed to be found.

A committee comprised of representatives from the Purdue University Student Health Center, Purdue Graduate Student Government and Human Resources staff from the West Lafayette, Northwest and Fort Wayne campuses was assembled for a Request for Proposal (RFP) and decided on United Health Care as the new provider.

Because United Health Care is a national network like Anthem, we were not concerned with the network access, but we still completed a standard review of the network to find a 100% match for inpatient and outpatient services between the Anthem and United Health Care networks. While the majority of primary care and specialty providers will be covered through UHCSR, there may be some providers that were in-network with Anthem that are not in-network with UHCSR.

Where can I find a full summary of benefits?

All benefit summaries can be found on the AHP portal

• Landing Page: https://purdue.myahpcare.com/
• West Lafayette Landing Page: https://purdueu.myahpcare.com/
• West Lafayette SHIP: https://purdueship.myahpcare.com/
• West Lafayette Graduate Staff: https://purduega.myahpcare.com/
• Northwest: https://pnw.myahpcare.com/
• Fort Wayne: https://pfw.myahpcare.com/

Detailed plan documents are currently under development by UHCSR. Once they are complete, they will be available at the above links.

My provider is out-of-network with UHCSR – will I be covered? What can I do?

For the first 12 months of coverage, UHCSR will pay out-of-network claims the same as in-network. During this transitionary period, the out-of-network provider has 12 months to enter into an in-network agreement with UHCSR. After Aug. 1, 2022, providers can reach out to UHCSR to begin the in-network agreement process.

My specialist is out-of-network with UHCSR – what do I do?

For the first 12-months of coverage, UHCSR will pay out-of-network claims the same as in-network. During this transitionary period, the out-of-network provider has 12 months to enter into an in-network agreement with UHCSR. After Aug. 1, 2022, providers can reach out to UHCSR to begin the in-network agreement process.

How will the 12-month transitionary period work?

If the out-of-network provider is identified before the claim processes, UHCSR will flag that provider to process as in-network and process the claim accordingly.

If a claim processes out-of-network, then it will be reprocessed as in-network through the appeal process.

Additional information on how the above requests can be made will be shared in the coming weeks.

How can providers speed up the process of being brought in-network? 

See process above. After Aug. 1, 2022, providers can reach out to UHCSR to begin the in-network agreement process. Providers have 12 months to transition to in-network.

Are deductibles at the Purdue Pharmacy increasing?

No. There are no plan design changes, meaning the deductible, out-of-pocket maximums and co-insurance levels remain the same with the new plan year.

Will gender-affirming care be covered?

Yes. There was no change to the services covered.

Where can I find a breakdown of which drugs are in each tier?

This is still pending with UHCSR. Once the breakdown has been finalized, we will share the information.

My mental health provider is not in-network with UHCSR – where do I go?

You can access a complete list of mental health providers (292 unique providers serving at various locations) that are in-network with UHCSR within Tippecanoe County. You can complete a provider search for other locations or other services by clicking here. The network for the medical plan is UHC Choice Plus.

Additional details are available on the FAQs web page. More information on graduate staff enrollment is available on the Graduate Staff Enrollment website.

For questions about the change or UHCSR, please contact hr@purdue.edu.