Central State University charges students $1630 per year for health insurance. Summer school students pay $317. Many students wonder what they get in return.
The University Health Center tests students for sexually transmitted diseases, performs pap smear tests for women, provides flu shots, and removes sutures and ingrown toe nails. It also provides physicals for student athletes and members of Greek organizations. It conducts pregnancy tests and prescribes some drugs.
Nurse Practitioner Connie Helmuth said that most students visit the Health Center due to the flu, sprains, and sexual and reproductive health. Student Kyla Croom visited the Health Center after developing the flu. She said that nurses checked her symptoms and gave her Tylenol, hand sanitizer, and cough drops.
Student Kiersten Johnson also went to the Health Center with the flu. She said that she was given cough syrup and advised to rest. “They followed protocol, but I guess I expected more,” she said.
The Health Center partners with outside agencies to provide more advanced services, such as dental and vision care, allergy and insulin shots, and prenatal care.
Students are required to have health insurance to attend Central State. If they do not have private insurance, they must buy the health insurance offered by the university.
Central State University also offers mental health counseling that does not require students to have health care coverage. The Office of Academic Empowerment and Accessibility also provides services to students with a documented disability.