Duke Graduate Student Union Announces Health Insurance Update

On Monday, June 8, Duke officially announced the details of our new Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP).

There are a number of concrete wins! Several demands made in the continuity of care petition have been met, including expanded network access, vision care, and elective abortion coverage. However, we have remaining concerns that the administration has not yet addressed.

Duke has met some, but not all, of our demands. Our wins so far include (1) restored elective abortion coverage, (2) restored vision coverage, along with the $100 reimbursement for glasses or contacts, (3) sustained mental healthcare copay of $10, and (4) expanded coverage network, which incorporates the Triad Health Network to our highest coverage tier.

And, finally, DGSU has secured a meeting with Duke administration to address outstanding concerns.

While we’ve secured these critical wins, our work is not done. According to the SMIP (1) the annual limit on physical therapy visits has been reduced from 50 to 30, (2) continuity of care with current providers is not guaranteed, and (3) new annual visit limits have been introduced for preventive and specialty care – including physical exams, OB-GYN visits, and substance abuse counseling.

Visit this link to take action in pressuring Duke to meet our remaining demands.

This article was first published by Duke Graduate Student Union.