Studentcare has met the same standard of health plan coverage as the previous provider, Morneau Sheppell, according to Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) vice-president (finance) Michael De Luca.
In the 2011-12 school year, less than 2 per cent of dental claims filed under the CUSA health plan with Morneau Sheppell — totaling just over $18,000— went through the company’s network providers, who offered discounts on dental work.
Claims made at other dental providers were just over $900,000, according to CUSA’s Morneau Sheppell data. Carleton’s on-campus dental office was not part of the Morneau Sheppell network, and 45 per cent of total claims were made at that office, amounting to over $400,000 of all dental claims, according to the same data.
That office is also not part of the extended discount network of CUSA’s new health plan provider, Studentcare.
Founder and executive director of Studentcare Lev Bukhman said the network is new and more offices “in the pipeline” will be added in the coming weeks.
“We will continue to expand network membership in the coming months to reflect students’ needs, and to ensure that students are aware of and make use of this valuable benefit,” he said.
Students who visit dental offices that are part of Studentcare’s extended discount network save an additional 20-30 per cent. Between 10 to 80 per cent of each claim is covered regularly.
There are three dental offices in Studentcare’s extended discount network in Ottawa and five in Gatineau.
There are also five offices in the vision network, one in Ottawa and four in Gatineau, where students can save on eyeglasses, prescription eyeglasses, and laser vision correction. These locations are searchable at the provider’s website, Ihaveaplan.ca.
There is also a network of prescription and house brand item discounts at Shoppers’ Drug Mart outlets.
Bukhman is hopeful the Studentcare network will benefit students more than the Morneau Sheppell network.
“The old network consisted only of a few dentists, and students didn’t really know anything about it,” he said.
“Basically, the network existed only on paper but provided almost no actual benefit to students.”
Although it was questioned whether Studentcare met a Sept. 1 deadline to establish a certain number of network offices, CUSA vice-president (finance) Michael De Luca says CUSA’s standards were met in time.
“All that CUSA required by Sept. 1 was the equivalent of what we had with Morneau Sheppell,” he said. “We’ve gotten that in terms of networks and a lot more in terms of savings, communication campaigns and easier opt-outs.”
He also said this new provider is saving students money, and cheques will be mailed out with reimbursements to students in the future.
