Last Monday, Stamps Health Services started accepting all forms of insurance.
This change has been nearly two years in the making. Previously, the pharmacy at Stamps only accepted Student Blue, which is the Tech student health insurance plan, in an effort to keep drug prices low.
“Billing insurance adds a level of bureaucratic complexity,” said Dr. Gregory Moore, Senior Director of Stamps Health Services. “With Student Blue, there’s no middle man, so that was a big deal. However, there still are a majority of students who are insured through their parents.”
Accepting only student insurance and cash at Stamps allowed the pharmacy to keep prices for pharmaceuticals at low, wholesale levels. However, it was often inconvenient for students who wished to continue under their parents’ or another coverage plan.
“We’re excited about it because a lot of students would go into town somewhere so they could use their insurance,” Moore said. “They didn’t particularly not like our pharmacy — it’s certainly convenient — but it was cheaper to go into town.”
Students are now able to use cash, Student Blue or external insurance for any drugs they choose to purchase at Stamps. Students who wish to transfer prescriptions from their home pharmacies to Stamps here at Tech now have a means to do so.
Second-year CS Keshav Parwal described the move as very “forward” and beneficial as now the student body does not need to worry about paying for any potential health expenses at Stamps. Additionally, second-year CHBE Andrew Krohn felt that the move was a much needed one that should have occurred sooner.
Not only will this change result in the Stamps Health Services becoming more convenient for most undergraduates students — as undergraduates are more likely than graduate students to be insured on their parents’ plan — but it may also be financially beneficial to paying members of the Tech community.