FAQs

ID cards are usually available 5-7 business days after you receive your enrollment confirmation email from HSAC.

• Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com
• Go to the Purple Get Started block, select "Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences", then click view your school.
• On the PNWU page, select "Get your ID card"
• Complete the form with your PNWU Student ID and Date of Birth

To set up your account:

• Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com
• On the top right of the website, click on the link for "Aetna Member Website."
• Click on the blue "Register or login" button

To find a preferred provider:

• Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com
• Select "Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences" in the purple "Get Started" block, then click view your school.
• On the PNWU page, select "Find a doctor, hospital, or pharmacy".
• Click on "Go to Provider Search".
• Click on "Login to Secure Site" if you have already set up your account, or "Register Now" to create your account. You may search for providers as a guest, however, logging in as a member will ensure the search results are tailored to your specific school's policy
• You will then be able to search for Providers.

Follow these steps:

• Go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com
• Select "Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences" in the purple "Get Started" block, then click view your school.
• On the PNWU page, select "View your insurance plan details".
• Scroll to the bottom of the page for "Plan Documents and Benefits".

No, the plan does not include dental or vision coverage. Aetna Student Health offers individual coverage for dental and vision. Please see the link under Resources & Links. Enrollment is voluntary and the premium is self-pay.

Yes! The student insurance plan covers you when you are off-campus, traveling, on rotations, and studying abroad. Most importantly, always carry your ID card with you. Before traveling, if you have any questions, please contact HSAC at 888-978-8355 for further assistance.

Your coverage will terminate at the end of the policy term, which is June 30th, following your graduation. To request a Certificate of Coverage, please go to www.aetnastudenthealth.com log in to your account to access your certificate.

No, the PNWU student plan does not offer dependent coverage.

Yes. PNWU offers a mid-year open waiver submission period before the start of each Spring semester. Please see the Waiver Form page for dates and deadlines for submitting your Spring waiver.

Coverage for the Fall semester terminates 12/31 if an acceptable waiver is submitted and approved, and late waiver submissions will not be processed.

Except in the case of medical withdrawal due to Sickness or Injury, any student withdrawing from school during the first 31 days of the period for which coverage is purchased will not be covered under the student health insurance policy. A full refund of Premium will be made, minus the cost of any claim paid by Aetna Student Health. Students withdrawing after such 31 days will remain covered under the PNWU student health insurance policy for the duration of the term purchased, and no refund will be allowed.

Students who are currently covered under the health plan of a parent but who will age out of this coverage during the upcoming year may use their current coverage to waive enrollment in the student health insurance plan, assuming the parent's plan meets all PNWU waiver requirements. Approximately 30-45 days before their 26th birthday, HSAC will reach out to applicable students to determine if they wish to enroll in the student health insurance plan at a prorated rate, or if they would like to continue their PNWU health insurance waiver using coverage from another health insurance provider. Effective enrollment in the PNWU plan will be based on the date of loss of prior coverage.

If a student wishes to waive with coverage from another carrier, the coverage must meet all requirements set forth by PNWU and must be submitted to HSAC for verification within 30 days of termination of existing coverage. New coverage must be effective within 24 hours of your previous health insurance coverage.

If you waived out of the student health insurance plan but lost your health insurance coverage due to an involuntary loss of coverage (i.e., aging out of your parent's plan, loss of employment, divorce, etc.), you may enroll in the PNWU student health insurance plan. Effective enrollment in the PNWU plan will be based on the date of loss of your prior coverage.

If you would like to enroll, please contact Health Sciences Assurance Consulting (HSAC) directly at pnwu@hsac.com. In your e-mail, include your student ID number, the reason for loss of coverage, and dates of coverage required. HSAC can provide the prorated cost of coverage based on your coverage dates.

If your program is DO or DMD, then NO.

Due to the possibility of changes to assignment locations and the higher risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens for clinical DO and DMD students, students in either of these cohorts may not waive with any HMO or Medicaid policies during their clinical education year(s). The coverage area offered by these types of policies is limited and will not suffice for a waiver approval.

Clinical DPT and MSOT students can waive with a WA HMO or WA Medicaid if their clinical site assignment(s) will be within Washington state.

Once assigned, placement sites for DPT and MSOT student do not change during the school year. Students in these programs will not experience the same exposure risks as the clinical COM or DMD students.

Neither PNWU nor HSAC can determine whether a student is eligible for Medicaid enrollment; only the Medicaid office can determine this information and only after a completed application is received from the student

**SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

1)     Maintaining multiple state Medicaid policies concurrently is considered Medicaid fraud and can prevent you from obtaining your medical license

2)      Per the state of Washington: only students who expect to remain within the state of WA after they complete their education are eligible for WA Medicaid enrollment

Please keep in mind that applying for WA Medicaid when 1) you are not expected to remain in WA after your education or 2) when you are expecting to accept a residency/work position outside of WA after graduation is considered Medicaid fraud and can prevent you from obtaining your medical license

3)     Applying for a Medicaid policy for a state in which you are not a current resident is considered Medicaid fraud and can prevent you from obtaining your medical license

Coordinating a student health plan for their students allows PNWU and Aetna to ensure that all students have equitable access to a reasonably priced, comprehensive policy while attending PNWU. This allows both the students and PNWU to maintain the COCA accreditation requirements required of their university and its attendees.

1)     Potential changes to Medicaid and Marketplace plans due to the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) –

a. Medicaid benefits throughout the country could become more limited, more closely monitored, or could disappear in some areas altogether. Effectuations from the BBB may result in the shutdown of many local facilities that accept WA Medicaid as a form of insurance, leading to more limited access to in-network providers

b. Tax subsidies for marketplace plans may no longer be available for 2026. Marketplace policy holders are projected to see a doubling of insurance premium cost effective 1/1/2026.

2)     The student health plan offers student access to a more reliable network of providers than WA Medicaid

a. Aetna’s PPO network offers access to over a million in-network providers throughout the country, not just within Washington

b. The wait time of admittance for a PCP or specialty provider is usually significantly less than what is seen for Medicaid recipients. Some WA Medicaid providers even limit the number of Medicaid recipients it will accept as established patients

c. Effectuations from the BBB may result in the shutdown of many local facilities that accept WA Medicaid as a form of insurance

d. Not all students attend clinical/research locations that accept WA Medicaid as a form of insurance. Access to the PNWU plan ensures all clinical students are able to meet their clinical site(s') requirements for insurance coverage