Health Insurance and Campus Care

The University of Illinois requires all students be covered by major medical health insurance throughout their student careers.

Students do have options for coverage. Because of the Federal Health Reform law that was signed, children are allowed to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until age 26, whether or not they are enrolled in school. Therefore, many students opt to remain on their parents’ insurance during the majority of their student career.

The Student Health Services Fee is assessed to all students at UIC. The Student Health Services Fee should not be confused with CampusCare, the student health insurance program.

UIC Student Health and Wellness Rockford should NOT be confused with CampusCare. Our clinic is a medical office that accepts all students regardless of health coverage. We are not CampusCare, but a clinic that is the primary location/Network for all CampusCare insured students in Rockford.

Together, the Student Health Services Fee and CampusCare (or your personal insurance) work in conjunction to provide comprehensive medical coverage to our students.

These are your coverage options during your student career:

  • Parent’s private insurance coverage
  • Private individual health insurance coverage
  • Illinois Affordable Health care plans or Public Aid plans
  • CampusCare (Student Health Benefit plan offered by UIC)

A number of students enroll in CampusCare, the student health benefit program that is provided by UIC. This program qualifies under the Affordable Care Act as a self-funded health benefit program. CampusCare is not a licensed insurance company. The CampusCare fee is automatically assessed along with other tuition and fees to the student account (E-Bill) once the student registers for courses. There is no enrollment form to complete.

As a registered student, you will be automatically enrolled in CampusCare and your student account will be assessed the cost of coverage each semester, unless you opt-out of coverage.

Those of you who have alternative insurance coverage as above and do not want CampusCare must submit an online waiver form. An approved waiver is good for one academic year and will need to be resubmitted prior to the Fall deadline date in order to continue to waive the fee. This waiver must be submitted at the start of each academic year (Fall semester) prior to the deadline. If you miss a waiver deadline for a semester, you will be assessed the CampusCare fee; however, you can waive out for the following semester in the same academic year.

Review their website under “Dates and Fees” for details and deadlines: Dates & Fees | CampusCare | University of Illinois at Chicago (uic.edu)

Students who enroll in CampusCare may also enroll spouses and/or dependents in the program by the enrollment period deadlines.

Once enrolled, please note that CampusCare does not send you an insurance card. You can however print the card directly from their website by logging in with your UIC netid and password.

Campus Care
818 S. Wolcott Ave., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60612

Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Phone: (312) 996-4915

  • Opt 1 Referrals, Preauthorization, and Admissions
  • Opt 2 Claims
  • Opt 3 Administration (or below email)

Email: cchealth@uic.edu

The Certificate of Coverage provides details regarding the coverage provided by CampusCare,

with a new certificate released each year on 8/1. The Certificate of Coverage can be accessed through the CampusCare view website.

You are responsible for knowing your benefits and coverage details, therefore read your Certificate of Coverage annually.

CampusCare operates similarly to many HMO insurance plans. Establishing with a primary care provider at an in-network location (i.e. Student Health and Wellness/Noel Pycior APN) is important.

Before receiving any medical service (except for a medical emergency, see Section IV. E.), students with CampusCare must contact their Primary Care Provider (PCP). A referral and approved authorization number is always necessary for specialty care. If not authorized, the visit will not be covered, and you will be responsible for 100% of the bill. There are no retroactive referrals authorized. If you choose to receive care outside of UI Health, you could be responsible for your entire bill. CampusCare is authorized to deny services outside the covered services defined by the Certificate of Coverage and that are not a true life-threatening medical emergency.

Further information included in the Certificate of Coverage:

  • Summary of Benefits and the Cost of Services
  • Covered Services
  • Limitations and exclusions for services provided
  • Definitions of various services
  • Eligibility and Enrollment
  • Premium rates (charged to your student account when enrolled)
  • Appeal procedures
  • How to file a claim
  • Transgender healthcare policy
  • A list of birth control options covered

Located on their website:

Students who obtain CampusCare coverage have the option to cover their dependents. Additional premium charges will be billed to your student account along with your premium for each dependent. You can easily follow the steps to Add/Drop dependents on their website.

Coverage for your dependents(s) or spouse that receives CampusCare will be the same as outlined in the current Certificate of Coverage. The difference between a student and a dependent is simply that your dependents do NOT pay the Student Health Service Fee as they are not registered students, therefore visits are always billed to your insurance (CampusCare) and charged accordingly (i.e. Copayment).

Eligible Dependents

  • Spouse (Marriage License provided)
  • Civil Union Partner (Certificate provided)
  • Dependent child under the age of 26, including a natural or legally adopted child as well as a child for whom the Subscriber or his/her spouse is the legal guardian. (Birth certificate, Hospital certificate, Adoption or legal guardianship papers must be provided).

Students can also add dependents after the Enrollment Period Deadlines within 31 days of the event by filling out the Add Dependent Form AND submitting the required documentation. Review the website for details.

Similar to most insurance plans, CampusCare has a network of pharmacies preferred for your prescriptions.  In addition to this network, medication costs are outlined below and are dependent on brand, generics, and those considered “non-formulary”.

Medication formularies are on the website.

Prescription Copays

  • Formulary Generic: $10 copay
  • Formulary Brand:$20 copay
  • Non-Formulary: $40 copay + 10% co-insurance
    *unless under the exclusions listed in the Certificate of Coverage.

Members will be charged the prescription copay when picking up medications at an In-Network Pharmacy. Please show your CampusCare ID Card or I-Card when picking up prescriptions. Members will need to pay the full cost at Out-of-Network Pharmacies and submit a claim for reimbursement. See information below regarding external pharmacy options & reimbursement.

North Park Pharmacy
7924 North Second Street
Machesney Park, IL 61115

Monday–Friday: 8:30am – 8:00pm
Saturday: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am – 1:00pm

Phone: (815) 633-3431

O’Brien & Dobbins Pharmacy
216 S. State St.
Belvidere, IL 61008

Monday—Friday: 9:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am – 1:00pm

Phone: (815) 544-3433

Downtown Discount Drugs
331 W. State St.
Rockford, IL 61101

Monday–Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am – Noon
Phone: (815) 962-2166

University Village Pharmacy
722 W. Maxwell Street, Second Floor
Chicago, IL 60607

Monday, Tuesday, and Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Phone: (312) 355-2345

Taylor Street Pharmacy
(Eye & Ear Infirmary)
1855 W. Taylor Street, First Floor
Chicago, IL 60612

Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM

Phone: (312) 996-6540

Alwan Pharmacy
311 N. Western Ave.
West Peoria, IL 61636

Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Phone: (309) 676-6333

If you are out of network, you do have access to other pharmacies such as Walgreens or CVS.  You must however:

  • Pay the amount in full upfront
  • Mail in all original receipts, the pharmacy identification sheet, and a cover letter requesting reimbursement.

You will still be responsible for the copay according to the CampusCare Formulary.  Note all details and address/phone for out of network pharmacy claims are located on their website.

In the event that you are urgently ill and need care.  CampusCare members can see care at the MercyHealth Urgent Care facilities locally.

Mercyhealth Urgent Care–Perryville
3401 N. Perryville Rd.
Rockford, IL 61114

Phone: (815) 971-8000

Mercyhealth Urgent Care–Roscoe
5000 Prairie Rose Dr.
Roscoe, IL 61073

Phone: (815) 971-3450

All other private health insurance carriers’ policies should be consulted for Urgent Care and After Hours visits or Emergency Room services. It is your responsibility to research your own medical plan/insurance coverage rules.

Follow Up for Urgent and Emergency Care

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider within 48 hours of hospital/emergency visit discharge, or following convenient care visits.  This helps with referral processes if indicated and allows for better communication and coordination of your health care.

In the event of an emergency, please proceed to the nearest Emergency Department or call 911.  Emergency services do NOT require a prior authorization from CampusCare.

When it is possible it is highly recommended that you seek care from a local in-network Emergency Room.  Our local network here in Rockford is MercyHealth Hospitals and clinics.  It is the preferred hospital for emergency and urgent care services.  As noted earlier and within the certificate of coverage, you will see that there is a $50 copayment for all emergency and urgent care services.

If you choose to receive care outside of MercyHealth Rockford, you could be responsible for your entire bill.  In addition to the primary in-network locations, you must know that CampusCare can deny a service if it is “not deemed a true life threatening medical emergency”.

Life-Threatening Emergency

CampusCare defines a “Life-Threatening Emergency” as such and has the ability to deny coverage for those visits to both an Emergency room/Urgent care facility if it does not meet their criteria for an emergent illness.  This is not uncommon language for insurance companies.

The easy version of this language is: do not seek care at the emergency department for something that is not a true emergency (i.e. sore throat, benign rash, since infection) as they can deny coverage for the visit.

The Certificate of Coverage provided by CampusCare defines a medical emergency as “a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in a condition described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of section 1867(e) (1) (A) of the Social Security Act.”

This is not the easiest thing to interpret, but this is standard language used by insurance companies. The cited material from above (clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of section 1867(e) (1) (A) of the Social Security Act) is included here to clarify that which should be covered:

  • A medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in:
    • lacing the health of the individual (or, with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her unborn child) in serious jeopardy,
    • Serious impairment to bodily functions, or
    • Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part; or
  • With respect to a pregnant woman who is having contractions:
    • That there is inadequate time for safe transfer to another hospital before delivery, or
    • That transfer may pose a threat to the health or safety of the woman or unborn child.

Link to the cited section 1867 of the Social Security Act.

CampusCare Emergency Room In-Network Locations Outside of Rockford

University of Illinois Hospital

Emergency Room
1740 West Taylor Street
Chicago, Illinois 60612
24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year

Phone: (312) 996-7296

Unity Point Health Methodist
Emergency Room 221 North East Glen Oaks Avenue Peoria, Illinois 61636
24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year

Phone: (309) 672-5522

Secondary: For Emergency Room ONLY Locations

Secondary facilities are available to you (Emergency Room ONLY) that will also be covered by CampusCare if a beneficiary receives care at these locations.  However, please be cautionary when seeking care at these facilities.  Hospitals often employ independent contractors in the Emergency Departments which would be excluded from the network benefits described in the Certificate of Coverage.  For detailed information on these locations please see their website.

Out of Network Emergency Services

Should you find yourself urgently needing medical attention out of network – anticipate that CampusCare will cover 70% of the total bill (minus the copayment) and you will cover the copayment and 30% of the total charge.

As documented above, all students have access to an unlimited amount of visits for counseling and student coaching/support services here in our UIC Student Health and Wellness clinic.  You do not need a referral to see our student health counselor Jacqueline Klietz MS, LMFT or for counseling services with Judith Heinschel PhD, MHNP.  You can simply call to schedule an appointment.

CampusCare members who request or require an appointment with a counselor off campus, can do so by scheduling an appointment with Noel Pycior MS, FNP-BC.  This appointment remains confidential and will focus on identifying the best provider to meet your individual needs.  Once identified, you will need a referral and a prior authorization from CampusCare.

Referrals for such services typically take a week to approve.  These approvals or “prior authorizations” expire in 6 months and always have a set number of visits approved during this time.  For example, a 6 month approval of 12 therapy sessions with an in-network provider.

It is your responsibility to note which number of visit you are on, and when the authorization will expire.  Copays are expected for these visits – and remain 15$ per visit.  When you are in need of additional visits, you’ll again schedule an appointment with Noel Pycior APN as your PCP.  Review the above sections for additional details under Counseling and Psychiatry.  If you have questions about your benefits – student health fee or insurance, always reach out by calling the clinic or email 815-395-5870, npycio1@uic.edu.

Students enrolled in CampusCare have access to a dental care discount program through United Health Programs. See the CampusCare Benefits > Dental section and it’s website for more information view here.

You will print off your ID card and then “Locate Dental Provider” by zip codes to access a convenient location and tier discounted program.  If you have additional questions, please review the webpage for details and contact information.

CampusCare enrolled students also have access to an annual routine eye examination at our in-network local health system MercyHealth.  See the CampusCare Benefits page > Vision section for details view here. You do not need a referral for an annual comprehensive eye examination.  However, please note that the contact lens exam and fitting is not covered and is an additional fee.

CampusCare does not cover expenses for frames, lenses, or contact lenses eyewear. Please see the CampusCare website for in-network providers through United Health Programs for a discount on your glasses or contacts.  Many students shop around for sales locally and online for all eyeglasses or contact lens wear.

For any questions regarding your services, bill or a claim should be directed to your insurance provider or the healthcare facility which rendered your services. The contact information for the CampusCare student benefit can be found at the beginning of Section IV. All CampusCare billing, medical, and pharmacy claims should be mailed to: CampusCare PO Box 8030 Westchester, IL 60154

CampusCare website has a set of frequently asked questions, which may be useful to you. Visit the link for timely answers to your questions!