Moving to HBS and the Greater Boston Area
The complete description of benefits, costs and other helpful information is available at the HUHS website. All information provided below is intended as a courtesey only, and is not a guarantee of benefits.
There are two common ways of obtaining health insurance while you're at HBS:
1. You can find a job that provides medical benefits to you. In this case, you will be completely separate from your student's insurance at HBS. (Your employer may or may not give you the option to have your student on the plan.)In this situation, regardless of what you choose to do, your student will be required to pay the HUHS service fee, even if they are covered in full through your employer’s plan.
2. You can enroll in the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS)/ Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) plan. Although these two components work together to form a complete insurance plan, they are charged separately, and you, as a partner (and additional dependants) can opt to have only the HUHS coverage. Keep in mind, however, that you are limited to purchasing only the identical coverage that your student purchases (for instance, if you want insurance through HBS, and student purchases both HUHS & BCBS, you are also required to purchase both components).
HUHS/BCBS Heath Plan
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
Pediatric Care
Area Hospitals
Pharmacies
Former Partner Experiences
Common terms used in this section:
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| HUHS |
Harvard University Health Services. This is the main student insurace at HBS. It covers things like vaccinations, if you get a cold, or need a consultation; generally the equivalent of a family pratitioner. It also covers OB/GYN care and pediatrics. All students are required to pay this fee. |
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| BCBS |
Blue Cross/Blue Sheild. This is the major medical component to the student health insurance plan. This is what will cover you if you need a trip to the emergency room or need to see a specialist. This component is optional to the student, however the student will have to provide proof of other insurance coverage (ie: through your employer, or elsewhere) in order to opt out.
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| OB/GYN |
Obstetrics & Gynecology. Obstetrics is care for pregnant women, and gynecology is women's reproductive health. |
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| PCP |
Primary Care Physician |
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| NP |
Nurse Practitioner |
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| ER |
Emergency Room: severe injury/emergency, life-threatening |
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| Urgent Care Center |
Most injury care treated here, walk-in or call ahead. |
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| Holyoke Center |
Harvard University's health care center, located in Harvard Square |
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| Co-Pay |
Co-Payment; Money owed at the time of medical service |
HUHS/BCBS Heath Plan
There are two components to the HUHS/BCBS plans, and they both work together to form a complete health care plan.
1. The first piece is the HUHS component. This plan covers all basic care. It might be equivalent to your general practitioner back home. HUHS has two clinics used by HBS students, partners and their families. HUHS has a small clinic on the HBS campus, and a larger one across the river on the Harvard campus (Holyoke center). All pediatric care is at the Holyoke Center. There are no office visit limits and all visits are free from co-pays.
HUHS covers your primary care. When you register, you will select one doctor who will be your primary care physician. He or she will treat you for colds, aches & pains, preventative care, diagnostic testing, mental health care, etc. Holyoke Center also has an Urgent Care Clinic. HUHS will cover the cost for accidents & injuries, physical therapy, asthma & allergy care, as well as obstetrics and gynecology. The HUHS fee also covers prescriptions, although they must be filled at a local CVS pharmacy, or the pharmacy at the Holyoke center.
2. The second piece is the Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) in-network component. It is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. (This component is mandatory for your student unless he or she can provide proof of coverage under another insurance plan, such as with your new employer or with a previous employer). BCBS will cover any hospitalizations you may need, ambulance fees, maternity services, and emergency room visits. Co-pays may apply, and in-network hospitals & physicians must be used. (If you choose to see an out-of-network provider, you will have a deductible, as well as the possibility of lower coverage. Please see the website for more details on this.)
General Plan Information
Health insurance coverage begins on August 1st, and continues for 12 months through July 31st. It renews again on the following August 1st. It is imperative that your student physically go to the Holyoke Center and add you to the insurance plan in August if you choose to participate. You will not be automatically added to your student’s plan. If your student does not add you in August, you will have to wait until the next open-enrollment period, in November.
There is no dental insurance provided for through the HUHS/BCBS plan. Dental insurance is available to purchase separately, or you can receive dental treatment and pay for services out-of-pocket. There are limitations and co-pays for all services under the dental plan.
Prescription drugs are covered separately from the health plan through PharmaCare (the cost of this coverage is included in your HUHS health fee). Prescriptions must be filled at a local CVS pharmacy or in the Holyoke Center pharmacy. There is a maximum term benefit on prescriptions of $3750 per academic year, and it is allocated per semester. This means that you only get $1,875 of prescription drug benefit per semester.
The complete description of benefits, costs and other helpful information is available at the HUHS
website.
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Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
Hospitals in Boston are among the best in the country for delivering babies, and the physicians who staff the HUHS OB/GYN clinic are top doctors who teach at Harvard and have private practices at the hospitals.
There are two ways most female partners get their OB/GYN care while in Boston: at the HUHS OB/GYN clinic, or from an outside provider.
1. HUHS has an OB/GYN clinic at the Holyoke center. In this practice, there are five or six rotating physicians who will see you throughout the course of your pregnancy. You will be encouraged to choose one primary physician, however you may see all the doctors in the practice. Any of these physicians could be the one who delivers your baby. This care is covered by the HUHS health fee.
2. Some women choose to see an OB outside of the Holyoke Clinic. This is perfectly acceptable so long as they accept BCBS insurance and have delivery rights at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
The delivery of your new baby will be at Brigham and Women's Hospital. This hospital was recently rated #3 in the country for maternity care by "US News & World Report". Maternity care is covered by the BCBS portion of the health plan.
Non-HUHS Obstetricians Used by HBS Partners:
Fresh Pond Women's Health Associates
185 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge
617-503-1000
New England OB-GYN Associates
One Brookline Place, Brookline
617-731-3400
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Pediatric Care
Pediatrics is handled in a similar way that the OB care is. There is a HUHS Clinic at the Holyoke Center which consists of a group of three pediatricians and three nurse practitioners. Visits are scheduled so that you alternate between a nurse practitioner and doctor for well-baby appointments. For example, your child's six-month check-up might be with a nurse and your nine-month check-up would then be with a doctor (you will be told which doctor or nurse practitioner you are scheduled to see when you make your appointment). Appointments are easy to schedule and when your child is sick they are very good about getting you in right away. If your child needs to see a specialist they are also very good about giving you a referral.
After hours care is available through HUHS Urgent Care, and if the problem is of a serious nature they will refer you to Children's Hospital in the Longwood Medical area (near Boston University, about a 10 minute drive). The care at Children's Hospital is very good and most things are covered by BCBS. HUHS also provides a 24-hour nurse hotline to assist with those late-night crankies.
If you choose not to use the HUHS Clinic, you can choose any Pediatrician that accepts BCBS. The only limitation to this is that the plan only covers a limited number of visits each year (if your baby gets sick, services may not be covered).
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Area Hospitals
Mount Auburn Hospital -- 617-492-3500
Cambridge Hospital -- 617-498-1000
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center -- 617-667-7000
Boston Medical Center -- 617-534-5000
Brigham and Women's Hospital -- 617-732-5500
Children's Hospital -- 617-355-6000
Massachusetts General Hospital -- 617-726-2000
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Pharmacies
Most grocery stores have pharmacies located inside. There is also a pharmacy located inside the Target at Watertown Mall. However, if you are subscribing to the HUHS insurance plan, you may only fill your prescriptions at The Holyoke Center or at a CVS Pharmacy.
HUHS Pharmacy in Holyoke Center
Open Monday through Saturday, closed holidays and Sundays
617-495-9988
CVS 24-Hour Pharmacy
36 White St, Cambridge - Porter Square
617-876-5519
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Former Partner Experiences
Insurance
"The worry we had was whether our insurance would cover the birth of our child. I had heard that giving birth in the States was really expensive ($15,000 or more). Thankfully Blue Shield/ Blue Cross, which is the standard Harvard insurance, covers all aspects of antenatal care and the birth, even though in my case it was a "pre-existing condition". It also covers an unlimited number of pediatrician visits once the child is born. Be aware that other medical insurance policies will only allow a certain number of visits per year per child. I heard of one family paying $400 for their seventh visit to the doctor when their daughter had an ear infection, so it definitely pays to check out the small print of the insurance policy."
ER Visit
"My son took a nasty fall and I called for the paramedics. They checked him out in our apartment, and although they thought he was ok, they suggested visiting a doctor in the ER. They gave us a choice of hospitals, and not knowing which were on my insurance, I told the paramedics that they should take us to the closest ER with a good pediatric record. We went to St. Elizabeth's where Jack was thoroughly checked over. After the experience, I admit I was worried about the bills that would come in. Without the BC/BS coverage, we would have had to pay for the ambulance out-of-pocket; instead, it was completely covered because the incident was deemed an emergency. As far as the hospital goes, I later realized that it didn't matter which hospital we visited because, with an emergency, the only cost incurred is a $50 ER co-pay."
Harvard University Health Services OB/GYN
In terms of medical care, I used the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) Obstetrician/Gynecology department at the Holyoke center, which is a 15 minute walk from HBS. This group of nurses and doctors work a rotating shift at both the Holyoke Centre and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This means that, depending on the day you give birth, you could have any one of the five or six doctors who work at Holyoke. I tried to organize my prenatal visits so I could meet as many of the doctors as possible but in the end I only managed to meet a couple of them. This was because I arrived pretty late in the pregnancy and so I ran out of time before I could meet everyone. I found the OB/GYN practice extremely busy that year. I don't know if it was a bumper year or not but most of my appointments were double-booked (making waiting times around 30 minutes) and the time spent with the doctors was usually about five minutes. My solution was to book the earliest slot of the day and arrive 10 minutes early. They also run an invaluable 24 hour telephone advice and in most cases my queries could be answered by the nurses, who are superb.
Brigham and Women's Hospital
"When it came time for the delivery everything went smoothly. I did not give birth in the cab (as I had feared) but instead at one of the top women's hospitals in the world; Brigham and Women's. Boston is probably one of the best places in the world to give birth because of all the amazing hospital facilities within 5 miles of HBS. Harvard Health Services delivers only at Brigham and Women's but there is none better in the US. I would really recommend the guided tour of the hospital before you go there in labor. You get to see the triage, delivery rooms, and the private rooms where you stay after the birth. My confidence level soared after seeing just how state-of-the-art the facilities were. During the actual birth my HUHS obstetrician was fantastic, the nursing staff was thorough and supportive, and the facilities were world-class. After a natural birth you can stay at hospital for 48 hours, after a C-section you stay for 96 hours. This means that for first-time moms there is very little time to learn the ropes (like breastfeeding, home care, first aid etc) so don't expect to leave knowing everything you need to know about kids!"
HUHS Pediatricians
"Of course, another aspect of having a child is the pediatrician care. HUHS has a number of excellent doctors and nurses in the Holyoke center. Again, the nurses there are a fabulous resource if you are having difficulty with a cranky newborn and they are also part of the 24 hour telephone hotline service. As with the OB/GYN, you are not assigned a regular doctor but generally get whoever is working that day. Regular health checks, immunizations and the usual childhood illnesses will ensure that you become very, very familiar with the pediatrics clinic."
Massachusetts Children's Hospital
"As soon as you have children you start having to know about hospitals. We got to visit the Children's Hospital within the first few months of arriving in Boston. Darran decided that he wanted to be a piggybank when he grew up, so he swallowed a quarter. Our visit to the Children's Hospital was eventful but positive. The staff was lovely; kind and humorous and professional. And we were whisked from triage to exam rooms to X-ray units in a few hours. Each room had entertainment of some sort for a sick child, and the fact that Darran was at ease during the whole process is proof that they did a great job. And we got our quarter back, eventually."
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