{"id":1557,"date":"2026-06-02T13:36:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=1557"},"modified":"2026-06-02T13:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:36:05","slug":"duke-switches-health-insurance-for-students-steering-them-to-preferred-providers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=1557","title":{"rendered":"Duke switches health insurance for students, steering them to preferred providers"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hello Higher Stakes<\/b> subscribers! I\u2019m higher education reporter Jane Winik Sartwell<\/b>, back in your inbox with this week\u2019s news.<\/p>\n

Read more Krispy Kreme is giving away doughnuts \u2014 again. How to get a free one & when<\/a><\/p>\n

Are you ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight? I know I am. I\u2019ll be there covering it! Make sure to keep up with our comprehensive coverage all night.<\/p>\n

This summer, Duke University<\/b> is switching providers for its Student Medical Insurance Plan<\/b> from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina to Aetna.<\/p>\n

The new Aetna plan incentivizes the use of WakeMed, Cone Health, and the university\u2019s own Duke Health system over other in-network medical providers. The Duke, Cone Health, and WakeMed systems are in a special tier dubbed Select Care, which comes with better deals compared to other in-network providers.<\/p>\n

Some students are concerned this tiered system will increase costs for in-network providers and complicate access to care. North Carolina\u2019s State Health Plan made a similar switch<\/a> from Blue Cross to Aetna last year, and recent projections show the state will spend much more than it intended on the contract<\/a>. Now, the plan has opened a new bidding process that could lead to another switch.<\/p>\n

For its Duke contract, Aetna has no deductible at Duke Health, Wake Med, and Cone Health facilities, but charges a $250<\/b> deductible at other in-network providers. With Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, all in-network providers had a $0<\/b> deductible.<\/p>\n

Copay and coinsurance costs also increase at in-network providers that aren\u2019t in the Select Care tier.<\/p>\n

The copay for a visit to urgent care at one of the Select Care systems will cost $45<\/b> \u2014 what it cost with BCBS \u2014 but at other in-network providers, it jumps to $90<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The pattern is similar with other common services. For a regular visit to the doctor, the copay at Select Care systems is $25<\/b>, while at other in-network providers, it\u2019ll come to $35<\/b>. For an inpatient surgery, Aetna will pay 80%<\/b> of the negotiated charge at a Select Care hospital, compared to 70%<\/b> at other in-network providers.<\/p>\n

This setup disadvantages students who see specialists outside of those three providers or work at Duke\u2019s marine biology lab more than two hours away from the Triangle, some graduate students say.<\/p>\n

But Rachel Kaufman<\/b>, president of the graduate student union at Duke, says all graduate students who see in-network providers that aren\u2019t in the Select Care tier have reason to feel cheated. Kaufman sees the tiers as a way to gain more market share over competing providers like UNC Health.<\/p>\n

She worries in particular about continuity of care for mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of us who see specialists in the UNC system would be expected to pay a lot more. Everyone with therapists and psychiatrists have all been set up with Blue Cross Blue Shield, and [it\u2019s possible people will] lose the relationships they\u2019ve developed with their doctors,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to flood the system when it\u2019s already completely overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more List: Watch parties for the 2026 Stanley Cup around the Triangle for Canes fans<\/a><\/p>\n

Duke announced the switch on their Student Affairs website. It will occur Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very excited to share that we will be partnering with Aetna to serve as our new Student Medical Insurance Plan carrier,\u201d Duke\u2019s website reads<\/a>. \u201c… Aetna brings a wealth of student insurance experience to this partnership and has more than 40 years of experience serving colleges and universities. They have a robust team of more than 200 professionals dedicated to their student insurance work, which results in resources, tools, and service that is more specific to university students and their distinct needs in an insurance plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially, Duke shared a draft plan with students that caused outrage among some graduate student workers. The plan indicated that elective abortions will no longer be covered by insurance, in a more restrictive stance than what state law requires.<\/p>\n

Now, Duke promises that coverage will continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn incomplete draft plan shared with students as part of Duke\u2019s notification requirements did not include all of the updated benefits, which caused some confusion,\u201d a statement from a university spokesperson reads.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent medical insurance plans are renewed and benefits are updated each year to manage costs while providing outstanding coverage,\u201d the statement continues. \u201cAs part of our renewal process this year, Duke is transitioning from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Aetna Student Health for our student medical insurance coverage. Our coverage for most core services \u2014 including reproductive health care \u2014 will continue as it has in our previous plan, in several cases with improved benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duke did not provide further information on how that inconsistency occurred.<\/p>\n

Duke says that students with questions about the new plan should address them to the Student Insurance Support Team at shs-insurance@duke.edu.<\/p>\n

A bill<\/a> making steady progress through the legislature could provide $295 million<\/b> for NC State to begin redevelopment on Cates West, a 27-acre<\/b> area in central campus. The university plans to demolish what\u2019s there, including three residence halls, and build more modern facilities with expanded capacity. It will help NC State deal with enrollment growth and the requirement that freshmen must live on campus.<\/p>\n

Cates West, when the redevelopment is finished, will be pedestrian-oriented and replete with green space, according to plans. Eventually, there will be 3,000 beds<\/b> and a 1,100-seat dining space<\/b>.<\/p>\n

When all is said and done in about 10 years<\/b>, the redevelopment will cost more like $750 million<\/b>. But if the Senate passes this initial funding for Phase I, it would mean the ball is rolling.<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading! See you back here next week.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jane Winik Sartwell<\/b><\/p>\n

Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Higher Stakes in your inbox each week: newsobserver.com\/newsletters.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Lawmakers focus on Charlotte, again + NC\u2019s unaffiliated former Democrats<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Duke is switching student insurance to Aetna on August 1; plan favors Duke Health, Cone Health, WakeMed with different deductibles and higher costs elsewhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nDuke switches health insurance for students, steering them to preferred providers - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=1557\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Duke switches health insurance for students, steering them to preferred providers - 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