Dental care was a major issue for us in the last few years. Recently, an agreement was reached to provide dental insurance through United Concordia. For the details of the plans available, check out the school's Dental Insurance page, or some of the other links on our Useful Links page. We are concerned, as many students are, about the cost and quality of our health insurance ($182/month in 2006-2007). We have raised this issue with school administrators and have been told that they are looking into alternatives for us. It is too late to make any changes in the overall plan for the 2006-2007 school year; however, a change may be made next year if we can find the right plan at the right cost. All students will be welcome to participate in the decision-making process when it is time to make a final decision. If you have any interest in helping us with this project please contact us. There is currently no single source of information regarding our student health benefits. One brochure describes University Health Services, but information on student health insurance coverage is located in a separate document. And the written information that does exist is cumbersome and not very user-friendly. Plus, information on the school's website is not very clear or comprehensive. We have created our own trifold brochure (currently being updated; check back soon) to help answer some common questions about our health benefits, but have been pushing for the school to create "official" language. We are happy to report that the Student Accounts Office has agreed to make improvements to student health benefits information on their website. Furthermore, the student health reps have been working in concert with University Health Services to create a comprehensive and clear document that can be given to all students. See the links at the left for documents regarding our health insurance, and contact information for the various offices involved. Under our current plan, mental health benefits are covered at a lower level than physical health benefits. Maryland, like many other states, has passed parity legislation requiring that mental health benefits be on par with physical health benefits. However, as a self-insured entity, Hopkins is exempt from this law and has chosen not to provide equal benefits to its students. We have not been able to ascertain exactly why this decision was made. We believe that the school offers tremendous resources for students seeking counseling, such as the Student Assistance Plan and Student Mental Health Services, but for students who require ongoing treatment for chronic mental health conditions, the current plan is inadequate. Furthermore, confidentiality is at risk for students seeking care on campus. These students may choose to seek mental health care outside of the Hopkins system, but they face considerably higher out-of-pocket costs than students seeking treatment for medical care. We have brought this issue to school administrators and they will look for mental health parity when examining new options for our overall benefits. Furthermore, Student Mental Health Services is currently reviewing proposed improvements to their services and will be making final decisions over the summer. Be sure to check back on this site for updates. A guide, Useful Information for Student Mental Health Services, is available in Student Accounts, Student Affairs, and on our bulletin board by the student lounge. | 
