Starting in Aug. 1, the copay for mental health visits in the Exclusive Provider Network (EPN) for students enrolled in the Student Health Plan (SHP) has been reduced from $20 to $10 for the Year Plan 2024-25. The plan also fully covers the cost of the initial EPN consultation, meaning students in the plan can initiate mental health care with an off-campus provider.
In addition to these changes in mental health benefits, University Health Services (UHS) shared more and clearer information about international travel protection and fertility preservation.
The 2024-25 SHP annual fee for undergraduates has increased to $3,510 – an increase of $360 from last year.
While undergraduate students can opt out of SHP, enrolled students automatically see the service.
In May 2024, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) discussed mental health initiatives during their final meeting of the 2023-24 academic year. During this meeting, the cost of copays was highlighted as a major concern.
According to Graduate Student Government (GSG) Executive Committee Vice President Christopher Catalano, plagiarism was also identified as a critical issue with GSG’s participation in the Ivy Plus conference, a conference that involving participants from all the Ivy League schools as well as some of the elite. institutions such as MIT and UChicago.
“One of those topics [came] above [during the conference] is health care, especially mental health care,” Catalano said in an interview with the Daily Princetonian. “We found that many of our peer institutions have comprehensive coverage for mental health care. the beauty of the mind. Some of our peer organizations, for example, take the first fifty-two visits free of charge.
Catalano added that, compared to Princeton’s peer institutions, SHP’s mental health coverage was “accessible and vague.”
After raising this concern, a legislative proposal was prepared advocating the reduction or elimination of copays and sent to the office of Vice President of Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun. This presentation included research findings, testimonials from undergraduate and graduate students, and cost estimates for various financing options.
The proposal clearly highlights the disproportionate effects of copays on “low-income students, students with chronic mental illnesses and other disadvantaged populations.”
In one testimony, one former student said he “stopped going to therapy because of the copays.”
“My family is struggling financially and I feel like the school gives enough money for financial aid, but I don’t understand why the generosity isn’t there for maintenance of the mind,” the student added.
According to Catalano, the University administration was “very receptive” to the proposal. On July 12, the University Health Department (UHS) announced that the EPN copay has been reduced from $20 to $10 for the 2024-25 Plan year, and that primary care physician visits will 100 percent covered.
The announcement said that the decision to cover the cost of the first doctor’s visit was made to allow students to “assess whether the doctor is a good fit for them without spending a lot of money.”
According to Catalano, an SHP student who sees a general practitioner once a week and a psychiatrist once a month will now save $600 a year. These benefits also apply to dependents of enrolled students.
“I don’t think I can overstate the importance of that,” Catalano said. “I’m proud that we were able to do this, and I’m excited for the benefits that will be seen by all students now and going forward.”
“This effort has lasted almost a year, so we are very grateful to the University for putting mental health first and understanding the importance of our concerns,” Catalano added. “[The GSG is] we look forward to continuing to work with USG on health care, mental health care, and making the campus a place where all of its students can thrive and succeed. ”
Ava Fonss is a staff reporter for ‘Prince.’
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