Kent State announced this morning, through a mass-email to university students, that it’s launching a collaboration with Northeast Ohio Medical University to operate DeWeese Health Center starting July 1.
Through this partnership, care might look different.
Senior Vice President for Student Life, Eboni Pringle, wrote in the email that the new change “will expand the care available to you and ensure students continue to have access to high-quality medical services—including acute care, comprehensive primary care and preventive services—when and where you need them.”
Through NEOMED, students at Kent campus will have access to physician and nurse practitioner visits with co-pays covered under student fees.
There will be a new dedicated student health fee implemented based on the number of credits being taken in the semester.
The fee, according to Pringle, “ensures that every student—whether living on campus or commuting—has access to medical care at DeWeese Health Center provided by NEOMED Health Care. Students paying the fee will receive access to visits to the health center without the need to present a co-pay at the time of services.”
Students can exempt themselves from paying the health fee if they are in the following groups: students studying abroad, CCP students, all-online students, students in the College of Podiatric Medicine or students in dissertations.
However, students who do not pay the fee will be required to pay per visit.
“This approach keeps Kent State’s model significantly more affordable than peer institutions, which require students to carry health insurance costing $2,000 or more annually,” Pringle wrote.
The Student Health Fee is not an insurance policy; it is an access fee, according to the email. The university is offering a tiered student fee structure: $90 per semester for full-time students, $35 for part-time students and no fee for those below part-time enrollments.
“We know you’ll have questions about this change,” Pringle wrote. “We’ve prepared a detailed FAQ webpage with information to address common questions about how this fee works and how it complements existing health coverage.”
There will be a virtual informational session at 6 p.m. on April 16 where anyone can ask questions about the new system. Kent State and NEOMED Health Care leadership will be in attendance.
This is a developing story.
Ari Collins is the beat editor. Contact her at [email protected].
