Reader question:

I attend Columbia University and know that you have to get a referral to go off campus. Is this the case for everything?

Griselda

Nope.

Just because you are a registered full time student covered by the University of Columbia’s health insurance doesn’t mean that there are no exceptions to the many rules that they set out for you. It is true that in most cases if you go to an off campus physician you need to be able to pay for it all yourself, and that if you want to be covered, you have to first be referred by the campus clinicians before you are able to seek outside coverage. The main exception to this is for emergencies, but there are many more. Here are some situations in which you would not need a referral first. You may not need a referral, but if you look for service off campus, it would be wise to let the campus clinicians help you find it.

• Emergencies. If you have to go to the hospital there is no way to demand a referral, but once you have been treated and released, if you need follow up care you have to go to the on campus clinicians.
• Pre-natal care.
• OB/GYN appointments.
• Abortions.
• Mammograms are covered off campus with one between the age of 35 and 40, and one yearly once you reach forty. You can get more if you have a personal or family history of breast cancer and are recommended to get more by a doctor.
• If you attended Columbia before and got a referral for a certain condition, when you go back you are able to continute with the treatment of this condition using the same referral, without having to get a new one.
• Yearly pap smear and OB/GYN visit. You can get a pap smear on campus without a copay, and if you go off campus you will have to pay a co payment. If you go off campus to get a pap smear and are given other treatment or tests, it is acceptable so long as it is reasonable and you won’t have to get a referral for it.,

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.