Christie Rishworth

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our office directly at 401-456-8055 or healthservices@ric.edu.

Please be aware, that there is no email correspondence with staff regarding medical issues. Any messages left on the Health Services answering machine will not be retrieved until regular business hours, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Health Services FAQs

For on-campus emergencies, please contact Campus Police at 401-456-8888. For all other emergencies dial 911.

The H.O.P.E. Line

Students in distress can call 401-456-4673 (HOPE) to confidentially speak with licensed clinician. This service is available to students 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

We offer information on how to live a healthy lifestyle and encourage making positive behavior choices. We strive to achieve this mission by:

  • Being a resource center for Rhode Island College students to obtain information and services needed to improve and maintain their health
  • Advocating, creating and maintaining a community that encourages environmental, physical, social, intellectual, and emotional wellness to support a healthy lifestyle and encourage student success
  • Creating and implementing health initiatives aimed to improve individual and community health at Rhode Island College.
  • Collaborating with students, faculty and staff, and other organizations on and off campus to encourage and foster health initiatives on campus
  • Maintaining cultural competence and expanding the understanding of the links between culture, identity, and social justice as determinants of health
  • Offering confidential individual consultation and referrals for students in need
  1. Student Union - near Campus Card, First Floor
     
  2. Physical Plant - Stairwell, First Floor
     
  3. Browne Hall - Student Health Services Office
     
  4. Donovan Dining Center - First Floor in eating area
     
  5. Roberts Hall - First Floor - Main Floor, all the way down hallway from front entrance
     
  6. Adams Library - Main library - to the right of the Information Desk

Any student, undergraduate or graduate, living in the residence halls or a commuter, may use Health Services, regardless of insurance status.  

There is no charge for on-site exams and lab tests completed in Health Services. However, if additional lab testing or x-rays are needed, your insurance company will be billed by the outside agency performing the tests.  

Due to strict federal and state privacy laws, the staff of Health Services is unable to release any information without specific, written consent from the student. This does not mean that we do not want to hear from parents or cannot discuss general issues that do not violate confidentiality. We do encourage parents to call if they have concerns and are able to discuss specific issues with the student’s written permission.  

Visits are available on an appointment basis. Acute care and illness visits are generally scheduled for the same day. Urgent issues are seen immediately.  You can now schedule an appointment with Health Services ONLINE from the Medicat Patient Portal accessed through your MyRIC account or you can call Health Services at 401-456-8055.

If there is an immunization block on your registration, you have not supplied Health Services with immunization information required by the Rhode Island Department of Health for full-time students in college. Call Health Services at 401-456-8055 for assistance.  

STD testing is part of an evaluation done for sexual health concerns or routine screening. The specimen(s) are collected in Health Services and sent to our contract lab for processing. Your insurance company will be billed by the lab for these services. When available, Health Services is able to offer free oral HIV testing in the office. 

Once you are a student on campus you may obtain vaccines through Health Services. Additional information about cost and availability of vaccines can be obtained by calling our office, at 401-456-8055.  

Tuberculosis (TB) testing (Quantiferon Gold) is also available for students by appointment. 

Health Services is a certified state-vaccination site. Students may qualify for free state-supplied vaccine. Information about cost and availability of vaccines can be obtained by calling our office, (401) 456-8055.

Call Health Services to learn more. 

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at risk for HIV take daily medicine to prevent HIV. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. When taken daily, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV from sex or injection drug use. "Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken daily. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken daily."

School Health Insurance

Understanding Your Insurance

A private insurance company administers a low-cost student health insurance policy for Rhode Island College students. University Health Plans Inc. administers this year’s policy, the preferred provider group is PHCS Provider Network (a division of Multiplan) and our participating pharmacy network is WellFleetRx.  

The Student Health Insurance plan is not required to utilize Health Services. 

Automatic & Elective Enrollment

Automatic enrollment 

Students pre-registered for 9 or more credits by July 1 will automatically billed for and enrolled in the insurance program.  

Students can opt to waive the insurance coverage if they have comparable coverage. A Waiver Form must be submitted by the fall deadline 

Note: If your status changes to fewer than 9 credits after you’ve been assessed the insurance charge, and you do not want the insurance, you must be sure to waive out of the insurance plan prior to deadline date. 

Elective Enrollment 

Part-time, non-degree and graduate students carrying a minimum of six (6) credit hours are encouraged to enroll in the Rhode Island College Student Health Insurance Plan. To purchase coverage, you may enroll online:

  1. Go to www.universityhealthplans.com
  2. Click Rhode Island College
  3. Select "Voluntary Enrollment Form"

You can enroll and pay by credit card, or you may download the application and mail it in with a check for payment. 

Please Note: Enrollment deadline date for Fall semester (2021 deadline TBA) (Spring Semester deadline TBA) and no enrollment will be accepted after this date. 

What You Should Know

The student health insurance does not cover dependents including spouses or children. If you need dependent coverage, we recommend you investigate what non-group policies are available in Rhode Island.  

The insurance plan covers the following,  

  1. Office visits for sick visits or mental health - $20 co-pay
  2. Preventative/Wellness visits (e.g. annual exam) are paid 100% in-network (no co-insurance, deductible or referral needed); out-of-network at 90% with a referral from Health Services (80% if no referral)
  3. Urgent Care - covered 90% with referral or 80% without; $100 deductible waived with referral
  4. Emergency Room - $50 co-pay and then paid at 90% after $100 deductible (deductible waived with Health Services referral)
  5. Lab and X-Ray - $15 co-pay; no referral needed; paid at 100% after co-pay in and out-of-network (deductible waived if labs are drawn in Health Services)
  6. Inpatient hospitalizations, surgeons, anesthesia - 90% with referral, 80% without. ($100 deductible waived with Health Services referral)
  7. Chiropractic/P.T. (Pre-certification required) - 90% with referral; without referral 80% plus $100 deductible. No co-pay. (Pre-certification for chiropractic) 
  8. Prescription Drugs - $15 generic/$35 bran name at participating pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco and Target
  9. See website for vision and dental information 

Policy Information  

  • Policy Number: #W12021RISHIP64 
  • Group Number: #ST0894SH 

Prescription Drug Benefits

After a co-payment of $15 for generic or $35 for a brand name drug (per 30 day prescription) the cost of prescription drugs is payable in full up to the plan maximum for the policy year (when filled at a participating pharmacy). Generic Contraceptives are covered with no co-payment. Prescriptions must be filled at an WellFleetRx participating pharmacy. Insured persons will be given access to an online PDF copy of their health insurance card to use for medical appointments and to use at a participating pharmacy. 

Rhode Island College students may order maintenance medications (those that are taken for long periods, such as for heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, etc.) through mail order. After a co-payment of $30 for generic or $70 for a brand name drug (per 90 day prescription) the cost of prescription drugs is payable in full up to the plan maximum for the policy year. Because of volume buying, WellFleetRx, the mail order pharmacy, is able to offer Covered Persons significant savings on their prescriptions. 

Participating pharmacies: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Target.

Preferred and Non-Preferred Care

Preferred Care

When obtaining a covered prescription, you should present your Student Health Insurance ID card to the WellFleetRx participating pharmacy, along with their applicable Coinsurance payment. The pharmacy will bill WellFleetRx for the cost of the drug, less the copay or coinsurance amount.

When you need to fill a prescription and do not have your ID card, you may obtain your prescription from a WellFleetRx participating pharmacy, and be reimbursed for covered medications by submitting a completed WellFleetRx Prescription Drug claim form. A claim form is available by visiting University Healthcare. Click on "Rhode Island College" and you will see the claim form under “Prescription Information 2019/20 Policy Year” on the left -hand side of the page. You will be reimbursed for covered medications directly by WellFleetRx.

Non-Preferred Care

Prescriptions will not be covered if filled at an out-of-network pharmacy. In-network pharmacies currently include CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco, Target and other.

The Rhode Island College (RIC) Student Health Insurance Program includes coverage for asthma and allergy medications including inhalers and diabetic supplies such as insulin and syringes. All FDA approved prescription contraceptive drugs and devices are also covered through WellFleetRx. Not all medications are covered. 

Annual Fee

Cost for 2021/22 year (starting August 15th): $1,268.00 ($634 per semester)

If you have paid for the policy but are not able to access your card, complete the mandatory enrollment form found in the left menu. Once confirmed, which may take 2-3 days, a card can be printed.

If you have any problems, call Liz Bonomi at University Health Plan (1-800-437-6448 ext. 6114). 

The deadline for waiving or enrolling in the school insurance plan is TBA for the Fall 2021 semester and TBA for the Spring 2022 semester. 

Rhode Island College entrance

Contact Us

Center for Health and Wellness

We are here to provide confidential and holistic primary health care and counseling to enhance the academic potential of our students. Telehealth Appointments Available.