Anna Gelfius, DePaul’s new student insurance coordinator, helps students navigate health insurance. (Keeton Holder/DePaul University)
DePaul’s Student Health Insurance plan launched this fall, giving every undergraduate and graduate student access to affordable, comprehensive coverage. As part of Designing
DePaul, all degree-seeking students are now required to have health
insurance and can enroll in the Student Health Insurance plan on the
Academic HealthPlans website. Those with existing coverage must submit a waiver to
opt-out by Sept. 20, or they will be automatically enrolled.
Navigating health insurance can be confusing. That’s where Anna Gelfius,
DePaul’s new student insurance coordinator, comes in.
Gelfius joined the university over the summer and is the go-to for student
questions. She also coordinates with campus stakeholders and partners at
Academic HealthPlans, which handles the waiver and enrollment processes. In
this Q&A, she shares more about the student health insurance plan, and
how she’s working to make health care more accessible for all students.
What led you to this role as the health insurance coordinator at
DePaul?
I graduated from the University of Michigan with my B.S. in Neuroscience
hoping to work in health care. As I spent time working in primary care, I
noticed the lack of accessibility to insurance, especially for those
without full-time employment. I am passionate about removing barriers to
care access and educating the public on how to use the American health care
system, so this role seemed like a great way to further my impact in that
realm.
What are the key features of the health insurance plans available to
students?
DePaul’s plan through UnitedHealthcare is comprehensive for a great price.
The highlights are free preventative care, 24/7 telemedicine access and
outstanding mental/behavioral health coverage. It also covers vaccinations
and prescriptions. I recommend reading more about the plan benefits on
Academic HealthPlans website
. There are a lot of perks students may not know about!
What are some of the biggest challenges students face regarding their
health?
It’s difficult to be on your own for what is most likely the first time,
and it’s easy to let your health take a backseat. Physical and mental
health are crucial to student success, but I think many students are not
sure where to start. I plan to be a resource that students can go to when
they need help navigating the health care system by guiding them through
the process to acquire and use their insurance, getting established with a
primary care office, finding a mental health provider and everything in
between.
How do you ensure that information about health insurance options is
accessible and understandable for all students?
We provide students with information in as many ways as we can. We update
our website
almost weekly at this point with new FAQs based on the inquiries I get from
students and parents. Students and parents also receive frequent
communication via email with important information and deadline reminders.
My personal favorite, though, is through
HPW’s Instagram, @healthydepaul, because I get to interact with students directly through
Instagram stories (and make fun graphics starring DIBS).
What are the most common questions you get from students about health
insurance?
Probably the most common ones are about how to opt out of DePaul’s plan if
you already have insurance. Students who already have comparable, active
insurance coverage can submit a waiver by
logging into the Academic HealthPlans website
and selecting “I want to Waive.” The process takes about five minutes if
you have your card handy.
But it’s important to know that
the deadline to submit a waiver is September 20. After that, students will be automatically enrolled and billed the $800
quarterly premium.
I’d say the second most common is about what the plan covers, to which my
answer is a lot! The
benefits page
is super helpful if you’re curious about if a certain service is covered.
If a student has a specific question, they can always email me at
studentinsurance@depaul.edu.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is the people. The staff here at HPW are some
of the most fun, supportive and dedicated folks I have ever met. They are
passionate about helping students and will do anything they can to provide
them with support. I wanted to work at DePaul largely because of them, but
also because I love the university atmosphere. Being a recent grad myself,
I know how special it is to be a student, but I know the struggles it brings
as well. Being a resource for them during such a transformative time in
their lives is a privilege and something I wish I had during my university
experience.