Frequently Asked Questions

Call the front desk receptionist at 801-581-6431 and press option #3 or make an appointment online through our patient portal. (Note: some appointment types are excluded from online booking due to special circumstances or instructions that need to be given.)

Yes.  Certain appointments can be done using Zoom for Healthcare.  We do require you to be in the state of Utah at the time of your visit. Please contact our office to schedule and for information on telehealth visits.

If you are outside of the state of Utah, you can schedule a virtual visit through United Healthcare Student Resources teledoc option.  Click on the link "telehealth4students" listed on our home page for more information.

Yes. Currently you can make appointments online for Primary care, immunizations, titers (blood tests for immunity), Tuberculosis (TB) screening, and New International Student Check In. Some appointment types are excluded from online booking due to special circumstances or instructions that need to be given.  If you do not see your appointment type listed-please call the receptionist to schedule.

All visits are by appointment.  Please call our office for an appointment. Students who arrive without an appointment will be scheduled for the next available appointment and triaged by nursing staff as appropriate.

Call the front desk receptionist at 801-581-6431 and press option #3. Notification of cancellation must be received at least one hour prior to your appointment time to avoid a no-show fee.

When you don’t cancel an appointment, you prevent another student from potentially being able to be seen.  Given our small size, every appointment is needed to care for our student population.  Always remember to call to cancel your appointment.

We are not currently open on weekends.

No. You must be a currently enrolled student with the required credit hours to be seen at SHC.  Graduated students on the student health insurance plan may be seen thru the end of their policy period.  Students who select the student health insurance continuation plan upon graduating cannot be seen at the Student Health Center, and should seek care with an in-network provider on that plan.

SHC is only contracted with the student insurance plan through United Healthcare Student Resources and Wellfleet Insurance for international students.  All other insurances are considered out of network and cannot be billed by Student Health Center.

Yes, if you are a currently enrolled student or spouse/dependent of a student.

The Student Health Center has discounted provider visits fees which are approximately 50-60% less than those in the community.

An appointment with a Provider will cost $40-$85, depending on what you’re being seen for.  If you have any labs, x-rays, shots, special testing, procedures, etc. there will be additional fees.  These can vary greatly in price and can change without notice.  The Receptionists cannot quote you a price as it will depend on what happens in your visit and what the Provider orders.  You may ask your Provider the cost of any lab/test/x-ray etc. before it is performed.

You must fill out a medical release form to receive a copy of your records.  You can request the form from the front desk and must show picture I.D.

It can take 2 to 4 weeks to receive your medical records once we receive a medical release form.

You can send a message to your provider through the patient portal. Click on Messages, and then your provider name in the drop-down bar.

If it is an emergency please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room (broken bones, trouble breathing, chest pain, allergic reaction etc.).

If you have the student insurance plan you can go to any University of Utah Hospital urgent care or emergency room.

If you have other insurance, check with your insurance company to see where you will get the best coverage.

Telehealth options are also available. Tele Doc is a free service for students on the Student Health Insurance Plan (United Healthcare Student Resources). Both medical and mental health services are available.  Students not on the student insurance pay just $40; mental health visits vary in price (https://go.healthiestyou.com/student/). Other community telehealth provider links, U Health and Intermountain, are on the homepage.

Yes.  You can see your current statements on the patient portal. Log in to your patient portal then click the statements tab.  

The SHC is only in-network with the Student Health Insurance Plan.  Thus your insurance paid according to their out of network benefit – and sometimes they don’t pay anything.

For clinics to be in network, they have to accept each plan’s terms and schedule of benefits (how much they pay) and this is different for each insurer.   Given the number of students from around the country and all the different plans they are on, it’s impossible for our small staff to negotiate with each insurer.

The SHC is subsidized by a small student health fee.  That allows us to discount things we can control (office visit prices).  However, for things like lab tests, x-rays, and immunizations we are charged the full price so must pass that cost on with a very small markup to cover staff time to administer a vaccine or draw a lab test.

CALL US!  We can set up a payment plan (no interest payments) with you.  Just make sure to pay every month.  We never want to send someone to collections!

Provider staff consist of both nurse practitioners and physicians. Nursing staff consist of registered nurses (RN) and medical assistants (MA).  Physician specialties include pediatrics, internal medicine, and sports medicine.

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) with advanced education and training.  They work independently but in collaboration with physicians and other medical professionals to provide you with comprehensive care.

They can do many of the things physicians do, including:

• Obtain health histories
• Perform physical assessments and examinations
• Order & interpret diagnostic/laboratory studies
• Diagnose & treat common illnesses and minor injuries
• Make referrals to specialists
• Counsel on health promotion
• Prescribe/manage medication therapy
• Provide continued/follow-up and coordinate care for both acute & chronic illnesses

The clinic offers services typically seen in a general medical practice. Please click the Services tab for a detailed list.

No.  You will need to establish care with a local allergy clinic.  Check with your insurance to see what allergists are covered by your policy.

When you don’t cancel an appointment, you prevent another student from potentially being able to be seen.  Given our small size, every appointment is needed to care for our student population.  Always remember to call to cancel your appointment.

Yes. The Madsen Pharmacy is in our building. In addition to prescription medications it also has some common over the counter (OTC) medications.  The clinic has medications to provide during patient appointment visits only.

If you need a medication refill follow these steps:

1. Call your pharmacy and ask if you have any refills remaining, if not, most pharmacies can send a refill request to your provider.
2. If no more refills are available, ask the pharmacy to request a refill for you.  You may also login to your patient portal at  https://studenthealth.utah.edu/ and message your provider, this usually is the fastest way to get a response if done during normal business hours.

Please keep in mind that the Student Health Clinic requires 24-48 business hours notice for refills (72 hours if requested over a weekend). 

If your medication was prescribed by another provider outside of the Student Health Clinic, we will not be able to refill your medication. You will need to make an appointment with one of our providers in order to establish care.

Call or go into the pharmacy you wish the prescription to be transferred TO and give them the information for the current pharmacy. The new pharmacy will do the rest.

Yes, if you are a currently enrolled student or spouse/dependent of a student.

It depends.  Typically, we only do labs for providers WITHIN Utah.  It is cheaper for those on the Student Health Insurance Plan to have their specialist lab orders done at the Student Health Center as they only need to pay their copay.

If you are from out of state, schedule an appointment with one of our providers to discuss what you need.  Having a copy of your medical records makes this easier.

If you have labs that have been ordered from an outside provider/specialist IN UTAH you will need to follow these steps:

1. Upload your lab order into the Patient Portal on the Student Health website https://studenthealth.utah.edu/ or have your doctor’s office fax the lab order to 801-585-5294 (the Student Health Center is not connected to Epic which means the staff is unable to get the lab orders from Epic).
2. Please call the Student Health Center @ 801-581-6432 to make sure lab orders have been received and reviewed by a nurse. Please do not just walk-in with orders as following the above steps will make the process more efficient and your wait time shorter.
3. Outside lab orders will only be accepted from outside providers if they include: the provider’s name and signature (can be electronic), fax number, and your diagnosis list with the diagnosis code (ICD10).

An appointment with a Provider will cost $40-$85, depending on what you’re being seen for.  If you have any labs, x-rays, shots, special testing, procedures, etc. there will be additional fees.  These can vary greatly in price and can change without notice.  The Receptionists cannot quote you a price as it will depend on what happens in your visit and what the Provider orders.  You may ask your Provider the cost of any lab/test/x-ray etc. before it is performed.

If you had labs done at the Student Clinic,

1. Through a Student Health Clinic provider: the provider will message you through the patient portal.
2. As a nurse visit for titers or TB blood test: you will receive a message through the patient portal from the nursing staff with a PDF attachment that you will be able to upload to your program.
3. As a lab ordered by an outside clinic/provider: you will need to get your results from the doctor who ordered the labs.  Student Health sends those results back to the ordering provider.
4. Labs usually take between 48-72 hours for results.

Due to HIPAA laws, LAB RESULTS CANNOT BE GIVEN OUT OVER THE PHONE.

1. Please follow these steps on how to upload immunization documentation
   1. Go to the Student Health web site, https://studenthealth.utah.edu/ and select “patient portal.”
   2. Login to the patient portal. If you are having trouble logging in please call 801-581-6431 option #3 and   the receptionist will be happy to help you.
   3. After logging in, select “Uploads"
   4. Choose “Lab/Titer (blood test) Results” to upload titer results, choose “Scanned Immunization Records” to upload your immunization record, or “COVID vaccine card” to upload COVID vaccine card.
   5. Please check “Already Uploaded Files” to make sure your document has uploaded correctly.
2. If you have forms for a physical exam or outpatient lab orders please follow the steps below:
   1. Go to the Student Health web site select patient portal at https://studenthealth.utah.edu/
   2. Login to the patient portal. If you are having trouble logging in please call 801-581-6432 and   the receptionist will be happy to help you.
   3. After logging in, select “Uploads.”
   4. Choose “Staff Review Prior to Health Provider Visit” to upload your physical exam form or your outpatient lab orders.
   5. Please check “Already Uploaded Files” to make sure your document has uploaded correctly.

Please give the nursing staff 24-48 hours to look over paperwork before calling to make a walk-  in appointment for labs or pre-physical. 

If you have forms for a physical exam please follow the steps under the question How do I upload documents (like physical exam forms)?

• Eligible student cannot be denied as long as they are meeting the minimum credit hours required for the policy
• Fully ACA compliant
• Coverage will last thru the end of the policy period – even if the student needs to withdraw or leave school – provided they attend the first 30 days of classes
• Eligible students who buy the annual, or Spring/Summer plan can be seen at the Student Health Center even if not attending Summer semester.
• Large nation-wide provider network thru United Healthcare.

• Premium- The amount of money you pay for the policy you select. Premiums are usually paid on a semester or yearly basis.
• Claim- Your (or your doctor’s) written request for payment by the insurance company for a cost incurred and covered by your policy.
• Deductible- The initial portion of a covered expense which must be paid by the insured person before the insurance policy pays its part of the expense.
• Co-Payment- The portion of a covered expense, after the deductible is paid, which must be paid by the insured individual. The co-payment is usually expressed in a percentage, for example, if the insurance company pays 80% of covered charges the co-payment is 20%.
• Exclusion- Any condition which is not covered by your insurance policy and for which no payments will be made.
• Covered Expense- Any expense that is included in the coverage of your policy, either full or partial.
• Insurance Policy- The written contract which spells out the plan, what it covers and does not cover, eligibility requirements, and all benefits of the plan as they apply to individuals covered under the policy.

For clinics to be in network, they have to accept each plan’s terms and schedule of benefits (how much they pay) and this is different for each insurer.   Given the number of students from around the country and all the different plans they are on, it’s impossible for our small staff to negotiate with each insurer.

Click on the Insurance tab above and select Student Health Insurance Plan for details on the plan and links to the policy page.  International students SHOULD NOT sign up for the plan.  You will be automatically enrolled.

Yes, you can.  Information is available on the insurer’s website.  Please remember that spouses and children are subject to the same plan rules.  They must be seen at the Student Health Center.  So, if you want your children to continue to be seen at their regular pediatrician’s office, this plan might not be your best option.  Call us if that’s the case.

SHIP requires a referral (insurance authorization) from a Student Health Center provider to see a provider outside of the Center.  The referrals are per condition and per policy year.  So if a problem continues you need to request a new one with the start of a new policy year (after August 15th each year).  Per condition means that if you get a referral for something like a broken leg, everything associated with that broken leg should be covered – but if you then broke an arm, that would require another referral. Call us if your bill doesn’t look like that happened.

NO.  Please schedule an appointment with a provider as soon as possible to make sure your post ER care will be covered appropriately.  Patients never seen in the SHC will need to come in.  If you have an established provider in the SHC, message them thru the patient portal about the ER visit.  For most situations, they can assist you that way with the referral.

See a provider at the Student Health Center!  If you don’t have a referral, those visits ae billed as an out of network provider per the policy (high deductible and co-insurance).

Emergency care, when the student health center is closed, pregnancy related care, mental illness treatment and substance use disorder treatment, or when medical care is received more than 25 miles away from campus.

Contact your graduate department to make sure you are enrolled. 

Click here to learn more about how to submit your prescription claim online.

No. You will be enrolled automatically.  If you have your own plan with the same or better coverage you can request a waiver.

Once you are enrolled in the health plan (usually the week prior to the beginning of the semester), you will receive a umail from us.  The umail will have online waiver instructions attached.  Waiver instructions are also listed under the International Tab on “flow chart”. You will not be able to apply for the waiver until you are enrolled in the insurance for the semester(s).

Fall semester waivers are available from August 15 through September 12.

Spring semester waivers are available from December 2nd through February 10th.

If you miss the online waiver deadline, you will not be eligible for a waiver under any circumstances.

You will need a copy of the benefits of your insurance along with the dates of coverage document and your health insurance card.

You will find the requirements under the International Students tab.

If your waiver does not meet all of the requirements, or begins after the date the student policy started, you will be given the opportunity to request coverage changes from your insurance company.  If they are unable to help you, you will be required to purchase the student plan.

The premium for summer will be billed during spring enrollment.  Graduation is the only event in which a refund will be considered.

You must turn in your graduation application to Student Health no later than May 11 to have your refund considered.

If you are enrolled for summer or fall classes after graduation, you will not be granted a refund.

There are many different types of insurance plans that students may have.  It is impossible for our staff to know all the different insurance policies, therefore, it is your responsibility to know your policy and where you will be covered.  The Student Health Center is only contracted with United Healthcare Student Resources.  Any other insurance may only make a partial payment or may pay nothing at all.  Any balance not paid by your insurance is your responsibility.

Click on the Immunization Requirement icon for complete details.  Medical, dental, and other clinical health science students have additional requirements which will be provided by your program (the student health center only manages the requirements for the medical and dental students).

If given as a child, the first dose is given on/after your first birthday and then again when you are between 4-5 years of age.

Otherwise, the two required MMR vaccinations should be given 4-6 weeks apart. Example:

 1st MMR on 01/01/2020

 2nd MMR should be given on 02/01/2020 or after

You can be later than 6 weeks in getting your 2nd MMR but you CANNOT be earlier than 4 weeks to get your 2nd MMR.

Yes. Pursuant to Utah law, students may indicate a medical, religious, or personal exemption from receiving mandatory vaccines.  Please click on the immunization requirement icon for instructions on how to request an exemption.

Click on the Patient Portal icon, and then click on the Forms tab once in the portal.  The questionnaire will be listed if not completed.

Schedule an appointment with the Student Health Center for a test. You can either call the office, or click on the Appts tab on the Patient Portal.  Select “International Student Check In” as the type of appointment.

Nursing staff will contact you to schedule an appointment with a provider for a chest x-ray.  Once this is done your requirement is complete.  The provider will discuss what a positive test means as well as the results of your x-ray.

Yes, we do, along with a full range of other vaccines.

The Schedule for HPV/Gardasil vaccinations is as follows:

1st, 2nd dose given 1-2 months after first, and 3rd dose given 6 months after your first and at least 4 months after your second.

Example:  

• 1st HPV/Gardasil 01/01/2020
• 2nd HPV/Gardasil 02/01/2020 or after
• 3rd HPV/Gardasil 07/01/2020 or after

You will not be able to get the 2nd HPV/Gardasil earlier than 4 weeks from the 1st, but you can get it any time after 4 weeks.

You will not be able to get the 3rd HPV/Gardasil earlier than 6 months from the 1st but you can get it any time after 6 months.

The schedule for Hepatitis B Vaccination (HEPLISAV-B)is as follows:

2 dose series: 1st shot then 2nd shot 1 month or later after your first vaccination.

Example:

• 1st  Heplisav- B   01/01/2024
• 2nd Heplisav- B    02/01/2024 or after

You will not be able to get the 2nd Heplisav- B before 4 weeks but can get it any time after 4 weeks.

The CDC currently recommends waiting until your symptoms have resolved and you have completed your isolation period. While you typically will not be re-infected in the first 90 days after your infection, immunity will wane. So get your vaccine as soon as you are able.