No. 5 Letters

NOTE: Since responses to questions may take up to one week, "Paging Dr. WEBster" is not designed to be an emergency service or a replacement for counseling or psychotherapy. This question-and-answer forum is designed to provide information and assistance on a variety of issues. If you are in crisis, please link to the Urgent Situation? page now for more immediate help. If you feel you need counseling soon, call or drop by the Counseling Center (Shoemaker Building, 301-314-7651) or the Mental Health Service of the Health Center (301-314-8106). If you do not live in the College Park area, or you are not a student of the University of Maryland, please check your local telephone book for services in your area.

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Question of the Week:

Dear Dr. WEBster,

I am a graduate student also employed by my department. I am new in this country and at this university. I did not sign up for the "prescription plan" for 1997 while signing up for the MDIPA insurance plan, and the last date for the open enrollment is over. I now cannot sign up for it through the department or the open-enrollment office in the university. Does the signing-up *have* to be through the employer only? Is there any way for me to try to sign up for some sort of a drug-plan for the next year?

Lost in the Medical Maze

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Dear Lost in the Medical Maze,

It is unfortunate that you missed the Open Enrollment deadline for signing up for prescription coverage, as this is the easiest, and seemingly only, way to obtain coverage. After discussions with Louise Arsenault in Personnel Benefits, your only recourse in getting prescription coverage through the university would be to write a letter explaining the situation and sending it to her at the Department of Personnel Services, 1101H Cheaspeake Building. She would then review it and send it on to the State of Maryland Personnel Office. She says, however, that obtaining coverage in this way is unlikely.

Another possibility would be to inquire of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, or some other provider of prescription coverage (e.g., MDIPA), if you could sign up as an individual rather than in the university group. Check in the Open Enrollment handbook for those companies providing prescription coverage and their telephone numbers. If you no longer have your booklet, you can probably get one from the Department of Personnel Services office (301-405-5654). I don't know if the medical/prescription providers would accept such a request, but you have nothing to lose. I would also expect the premiums you would pay as an individual, if you are accepted, would be higher than the rate for being part of a group, perhaps significantly higher. Depending on the cost of the medication you need, it may or may not be worth paying these premiums.

I hope this has been some help to you.

Dr. WEBster

This document is maintained by Jonathan Kandell at the Counseling Center of the University of Maryland. Comments, suggestions, feedback, etc., should be directed to jkandell@umd.edu