Information for Families
Health care at Butler focuses on maximizing students’ wellbeing; we help students manage illnesses, we provide immunizations, we help them manage stress, and we consult on the adoption of healthy habits. While students are striving to meet their academic and extracurricular goals, we serve as an additional resource.
In order to meet your student’s healthcare needs, Butler provides a conveniently located clinic on campus. We are housed adjacent to Counseling and Consultation Services on the south end of the Health and Recreation Complex (HRC). Care is provided by RNs, a full-time and part-time physician, and a full-time nurse practitioner/physician assistant. We are an appointment-based clinic, so it is preferred that students call 317-940-9385 to schedule a visit.
Insurance
Students are required to have an up-to-date student health record on file with us; they are also required to have health insurance. See other areas of our website for specific information about the available student health insurance plan. If your student is on your insurance policy, please check your policy and benefits to make sure there is coverage while they are at school.
Our goal is to maximize your health insurance benefits. We keep our costs as low as possible but we do collect co-pays and bill residual charges to students. Even more importantly, we build relationships with students and provide high-quality, consistent care during your student’s entire Butler career. Our scope of care is broad enough to cover routine health concerns. If something falls beyond our scope of care, we refer to off-campus providers.
Here are some ways for us to partner in the health insurance endeavor:
- Educate your student before they come to campus this fall on the basics about your family plan. If he/she is signed up for the University offered plan, talk through how to use it. In either case, students need to know if there is a co-pay and what it is, if there is a deductible and how it figures in, and if you have a preferred provider or need to be conscious of a health care network.
- Send them to campus with a copy of their health insurance card.
- Pre-identify the Indianapolis hospitals/specialists that are in your network.
- If you are a part of a Point of Service (POS) plan, a referral form may need to be completed by their primary care physician (PCP), which will allow us to seek reimbursement for services. This advance leg work can alleviate confusion and help you to more fully use your plan.
- If you are part of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), your plan may not cover your student while they attend this university. Contact your insurance company to see if they will allow your student to switch their PCP to our physician for the academic year.
FERPA & HIPAA
It can be upsetting when your student calls home to tell you they are feeling ill. We understand your concern and your desire to help. Please know we will do all we can to assist them. If your student is over the age of 18 we are constrained about sharing health information directly with you due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
If you have any questions, please contact the Health Services Office.