FAQ

Health Services is currently closed and has ended all clinical operations for the summer. Administrative staff will be available for limited hours. Please email health-admin@mtholyoke.edu with questions regarding forms, records, or insurance.

All current MHC students. Services are not available to students who are on leave from the college or who have graduated.

Services are available to all current MHC students. There is no charge to see the nursing or clinician staff. There are charges for lab work, nutritional counseling, allergy injections and physical therapy services. If you do not have the student health insurance plan or the supplemental pre-paid health center option, these charges will be placed on your student bill. The entry will state Health Center charge and a dollar amount. Cost of medications are handled through your insurance plan. We do not bill any insurance plans. Please discuss details with the health center staff.

To make an appointment or schedule a time to speak with the nurse: call 413-538-2121 to schedule with a clinician or with our nursing staff. Some appointment types can be made online using MyHealthConnection. You can also send a secure message to the triage nurse through MyHealthConnection. They will call you back to provide advice or an appropriate appointment.

Please refer to our Patient Bill of Rights & Responsibilities.

Prescriptions are filled by Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy.

 First, you will need to set up an account with Walgreens. You can do this through an online account or by downloading their mobile app and signing up for the Pharmacy Services. 

1. Make Community, A Walgreens pharmacy (619 Chestnut St Springfield, MA) your preferred store.
2.  Add in your insurance information (Name, ID #, Group #, RX Bin #)   
     *The prescription can NOT be processed until your insurance is received
3. Add a credit/debit card information to pay for any copayments due.  This can be done online, by phone or through Community's mobile app.  (Health Services does not accept OneCard payments)

Health Services has a close working relationship with Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy to deliver prescriptions regularly to the Health Center. You may pick-up your prescription during the Health Center's regular hours of operation. The cost of the medication is determined by your health insurance plan. Please consult your plan for details on co-payments and coverage.

For delivery notifications please sign up through the Walgreens mobile app.

Payment method: Prescription copayments or other costs must be paid through a charge to a credit or debit card prior to delivery.   Please enter your credit/debit card information into your online account or through the mobile app  when a prescription is ordered. If any questions or problems or to pay by phone please call Community at (413) 271-9990.

Health center staff do not accept or maintain credit card information. For more details, see our pharmacy services.

You can refill or transfer an existing prescription from your home pharmacy to Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy through any of the ways listed below:

1. Request prescription refills or transfers through the Walgreens mobile app or through your account on www.walgreens.com. 
2. Have your provider from home call or fax the prescription to:

Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy
619 Chestnut St, Springfield MA
Phone: 413-271-9990; Fax: 413-271-9992

3. Bring a paper copy to Health Services and we will fax it to the pharmacy for you.

Yes.

Contraception: Our clinicians counsel and provide prescriptions for oral contraceptives, Nuvaring and patch. We provide counseling and refer to area providers for IUD placement, Nexplanon, and tubal litigation. The cost of oral contraceptives is covered by the student’s specific insurance plans. We will work closely with the student to find the oral contraceptive that works for them and if possible has low or zero co-pay per month. The cost of IUD, Nuvaring, and Nexplanon also varies by insurance plan. Under the student health insurance plan these are covered with zero co-pay. The visit to an in network specialist is covered without a co-pay.

This testing can be done by our lab staff after consultation by our clinician staff. The charge is $20 and is covered by the student health insurance plan and the supplemental or prepaid health center option. 

For students who have waived these options the lab charges will be placed on the student bill. Arrangements can be made to pay the health center directly for these lab charges.

Yes. Routine screening includes chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV. This testing usually does not involve a “pelvic exam”. Testing for Herpes, Hepatitis C are done based on individual symptoms and risks. 

All tests/studies done at the health center are covered by the Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan or Prepaid Health Center Option. If these have been waived, the student is responsible for the cost and these will be placed on the Student Bill monthly. 

Yes. The type of testing and exam will vary but usually involves STI screening for all students who have been/are currently sexually active. Pap smear screening is recommended for those over 21 years of age. There is no charge to visit the health center. All lab work is covered by the student health insurance plan and the supplemental or prepaid health center option. For students who have waived these options, the charges will be placed on the student bill. Arrangement can be made to pay the health center directly for these lab charges.

The staff of the Health Center provides a range of services related to sexual assault. All services are confidential. If there are charges related to lab testing or medications, arrangements will be made to avoid any charges to the student bill. For more information, see our Sexual Assault Services, contact the Title IX office, or Public Safety and Service at (413) 538-2304.

Yes, health center nursing and clinician staff provide services for a full range of primary care services, both urgent, routine, follow up and preventive. We refer to specialist for evaluation and treatment for situations and conditions that are outside the primary care scope of practice, i.e., ADD and ADHD evaluation and management, orthopedics, neurology, cardiology, x-ray etc.

Some tests are performed on site, i.e., throat and urine cultures, STI testing, pregnancy tests, etc. Blood tests and cultures are sent to a reference lab with results in 24 hours. All labs require clinician order. If you have lab work that is ordered by a provider from home, make an appointment with a Health Center clinician to discuss the specifics of these tests. All lab work drawn and performed at the Health Center must be ordered by a Health Center clinician. Lab results will be faxed to other providers if a signed release of information is in place. Notification of lab results will be sent by the ordering provider via secure message in MyHealthConnection.

These services are provided at the Health Center. An appointment with one of the Health Center clinicians is required to obtain a referral for these services. The charges for each visit varies with length of the visit and type of services provided. These charges are covered by the student health insurance plan and the supplemental or prepaid health center option. Students who have waived these plan may be referred and can use these services. The charges will appear on the student bill.

Find out more about nutritional services and physical therapy. 

Yes, the health center staff administers flu shots. The cost of the flu shot is covered by the student health insurance plan. Students not covered by this plan will be billed $20, to the student bill. Log on to MyHealthConnection to print out a copy of your bill to present to their insurance for reimbursement.

You are welcome to bring a family member or a friend to an appointment with you. There may be times when we ask that this family or friend step out during a portion of the visit. We will always confirm that you are comfortable with the presence of this individual during all aspects of the visit. 

All tests/studies done at the health center are covered by the Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan or Prepaid Health Center Option. If these have been waived, the student is responsible for the cost and these will be placed on the Student Bill monthly. If you anticipate requiring frequent or repeated lab work.  Carefully, consider the Pre-paid Health Center Insurance Option. In this case, charges for lab testing, infirmary, physical therapy, nutritional counseling, medication/allergy injections and medical supplies billed to the student. Explanation of charges are mailed to the student's MHC address. Charges are not submitted to outside insurance carriers. Co-pays are not charged or collected.

We strongly encourage all students who are travelling abroad to schedule a travel visit with our clinician staff. Please see Traveler's Health Info for more details. You will be asked to complete a travel visit questionnaire prior to the visit so that we can provide you with specific recommendations regarding vaccines, prescriptions and order any testing required by the country to which you are travelling. There is no cost for the appointment but vaccines and testing will be covered based on your insurance.

There are some immunizations required for some countries that we are not able to provide; specifically yellow fever and Japanese Encephalitis. We are able to administer or prescribe other immunizations and recommended medications.

All travel visits require an appointment with one of our clinicians. We are not able to do this service on a walk-in basis. Please call 413-538-2121 to schedule an appointment.