Confidentiality

Grafton Campus Student Health Services staff, like all healthcare professionals, are bound by law and professional ethics to protect the confidentiality of your medical information. 

We will not disclose information about your care or treatment to deans, professors, or other university staff unless we are required to by law or if there is a serious danger to you or someone else. We will not discuss your care with your friends, parents, or other family members without your consent. No one may have access to any of your medical information without your permission. 

Billing and Confidentiality

Student Health Services staff may not provide any information regarding health services charges on the Bursar’s bill without the student’s permission. This is the case even if students are covered by a parent or guardian’s insurance plan. We will reach out to parents/guardians and involve them in the discussion about an episode of illness if the student requests this and provides consent. Students should speak with their clinician at the time of their visit to let the clinician know what information may be shared, if any. 

When services are billed to a health insurance plan, the plan may generate Explanation of Benefits (EOB). EOBs may contain any of the following: provider names, procedures performed, and diagnosis codes. Students may contact their insurance company using the number on the back of their insurance card for more information on what is included in an EOB. Students may also be able to request that the EOB be sent directly to them rather than to the insurance subscriber. Each insurance company is different. Some insurance companies provide a statement to the policyholder (usually a parent or guardian) detailing the services received.  Students are responsible for knowing about their insurance plans. We are unable to answer detailed questions about insurance plans.

Services charged to a student’s tuition bill are available for review on their SIS account within 1-2 weeks. To protect confidentiality, any charge will be listed as a “Health Service charge" with no further detail. Once the charge appears on the SIS account, it can be downloaded and printed using the Health Service Statement from the ”Patient Portal" and may be submitted to the student’s insurance company for reimbursement.  

Policy on Universal Consent

Student Health Services may receive inquiries from parents or spouses about having their student sign an unlimited consent that allows disclosures of health information by Student Health Service providers under all circumstances. Our policy is not to accept blanket, unlimited permission to discuss all medical matters.  We abide by federal and state privacy laws under all circumstances.  If a student does not want us to share medical information, we honor their request, unless we have serious concerns for their life and safety. 

We encourage parents, spouses, or whomever the student chooses to have a power of attorney (POA) in the event the student is at the hospital and unable to make decisions for themselves. POAs should keep this documentation in a safe place and be able to send it to the hospital where the student is being cared for.