Health Resources and FAQs

HNO (Health Network Only)

- Standard plan most CWRU postdocs are enrolled in.

- Broad spectrum of doctors including, but not limited to, MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals. 

OAMC/POS (Open Access Managed Choice/Point of Service)

- Broad spectrum of doctors including, but not limited to, MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals.

- Upgraded plan to include more choices of doctors and a wider radius of care. Good for postdocs working long distances from CWRU and outside of the general Cleveland area. Also a good option if you require care by a doctor not on the HNO plan, but is either In-Network or Out-of-Network on the OAMC/POS plan.

- The deductibles and coinsurances are higher on this plan than the HNO; so you will pay more when visiting the doctor or having a procedure or test done. 

To see specific items covered by your plan and compare the costs between HNO and OAMC/POS plans, you can view the following documents:

• Summary of Benefits and Coverages (SBC)
  • HNO
  • OAMC/POS
• Plan Design & Benefits
  • HNO
  • OAMC/POS

Emergency Room:

Copays - $100 HNO / $200 POS

Ambulance transport - $0% coinsurance HNO / 10% co-insurance OAMC/POS

(life or limb threatening emergencies - chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting or change in mental state, severe burns, car accident, deep lacerations, severe broken bones, etc.)

* Usually open 24/7

* Updated October 2022

Health Emergency Fund

In addition to the existing student emergency fund, the university has created a separate fund to provide resources for health emergency-related travel, lodging and care (including for emergency healthcare not available in Ohio). Postdoctoral scholars and fellows also are eligible to apply for this assistance.

To request assistance, log into myhealthconnect.case.edu, click "Messages" on the left column, then click the “New Message” box on the top of the main screen. Finally, select the "Student Health Emergency Fund" option on the following screen.

Urgent Care:

Copays - $35 HNO / $75 OAMC/POS

(non-life threatening emergencies - broken bones, fevers or flu symptoms, urinary tract infections, chronic coughing/respiratory infection, small wounds, etc.)

* Check the times online or call to see if they are open prior to visiting.

* All of these are covered under the HNO and OAMC/POS plans

* Updated October 2022

Walk-in Clinic:

Copays - $15 HNO plan / $10 OAMC/POS plan

(CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid - unscheduled, non-emergency illnesses and injuries - vaccinations, sprain, cough/cold, minor cuts or burns, etc.)

* Check the times online or call to see if they are open prior to visiting.

* Updated October 2022

Primary Care Physician (PCP) - Annual wellness exams or moderate pain you need diagnosed.

Specialist - When you are experiencing pain in a specific region of the body (muscular, gastrointestinal, bone/joint, ocular, skin, ears/nose/throat, etc.). Ulcers, rash, digestive issues, frequent UTIs, dermatology, elevated levels, etc.

A referral from a Primary Care Provider is NOT required to visit a Specialist on the HNO or OAMC/POS plan. 

Please contact CWRU's Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office as soon as possible to inform them of the incident. 

If you are injured while traveling, either domestically or internationally, go to the emergency room if it is truly an emergency. You will be responsible for the emergency room copays based on your policy. If it is not an emergency, but you need care, you can go to urgent care, but may be charged (you can always discuss these charges with Aetna to determine if they can cover those costs). 

Medical: When you enroll in your benefits plan upon starting employment at CWRU, you will receive your Aetna medical card in the mail. This card has your name on it and Aetna medical ID number. 

Dental and Vision: You will not receive a dental or vision card in the mail. You can print a generic dental ID card here; there is no vision ID card. 

Be sure you are only using the appropriate medical insurance card when you see a provider (for instance, do not give a dentist your Aetna medical card). This could result in incorrect billing. 

1. Use the Find A Provider instructions in the Gallagher Benefits portal to find providers for the Dental, Vision, and HNO or OAMC/POS medical plans.
2. When searching for a provider, you can narrow your search by geographic area, specialty, sex of the doctor, language of the doctor, etc. 
3. We suggest creating a short list of 2-3 doctors in case some are not accepting new patients or there are no available appointments in the immediate future. You can look up ratings or more information online for each of the providers you are interested in to ensure you're booking with someone who is right for you. 
4. Once you have a short list of doctors you would like to see, start calling their offices to book an appointment. When you call, you can say something like "Hi, I am [name] and am on the [Aetna HNO or Aetna OAMC/POS] plan, can you please verify that I am covered for care?" Provide them with your SSN to look you up in their system. They will verify if you are covered by the doctor, then you can proceed with booking an appointment. 

* TIP: When asked by the insurance company or doctor's office for your SSN to verify your identity/plan coverage, some international postdocs may have signed up with their CWRU student ID number, that is the number you should provide (if they can't find you with your SSN). 

You can receive a 90-day supply of your maintenance medications by mail.

Find more information about the program here or complete the order form here. 

You have 30 days from the date of hire or the qualifying event (marriage, birth, adoption, entering the country, or involuntary loss of coverage) in order to add yourself and/or family member/s to your health plan. 

To add or remove a dependent to your postdoc benefits, go to the Gallagher Benefits Services Portal, then click Begin Enrollment on the left side. Click Begin Enrollment to fill out the Enrollment Form.

• Be sure that you have access to the address you list on the form; this is where Aetna will mail any medical cards
• For Department Contact, input your Department Assistant, not your PI
• You do not need to fill in the Billing Information
• In section 3, select Add Eligible Family Member or Delete Family Member
• In section 4, select the HNO or OAMC/POS plan
• In section 5, enroll or delete your family members
• Agree to the terms and conditions
• Click Submit at the bottom

You will be responsible for the additional monthly costs of adding family members to your plan. The rates can be found here. 

Navigate to the Gallagher Benefits Services Portal and click Benefits Enrollment Form. Fill out the form again with your new address. 

• Department Contact would be your department assistant, not your PI
• You do not need to fill in the billing information
• Do not fill out sections 3-5
• Agree to the terms and conditions
• Click Submit at the bottom

Offered through IMPACT Solutions, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers the following services:

• Mental Health Counseling - managing stress, anxiety, depression, resolving conflict, overcoming substance abuse, personal issues
• Financial Consultation - budgeting, buying a home, paying off debt, managing taxes, saving for retirement, etc
• Legal Consultation - get help with legal matters like estate planning, wills, real estate, bankruptcy, divorce, custody, and more
• Life Coaching - Reaching personal or professional goals, managing life transitions, overcoming obstacles, strengthening relationships, etc
• Referrals - Childcare, eldercare, adoption, special needs support, housing, transportation, education, pet care
• Medical Advocacy - navigating insurance, securing medical equipment or transportation, planning for transition care and discharge

Sign up for the EAP on their website using the code 'postdocs'.

Support via phone is available 24/7 at 1.800.227.6007

Note: The Employee Assistance Program is also available free of charge for members of your household, as well as your parents (domestically or abroad). 

For more information, please visit the employee assistance page on the Human Resources website. The services are free and confidential; information is not reported back to CWRU.

Congratulations! Postdoc parents get Paid Parental Leave (8 weeks/40 working days). In addition to the 8 weeks Paid Parental Leave, they can use any (unused) sick and/or vacation time. Once paid leave is exhausted, postdocs may continue on unpaid leave for up to a total leave time of twelve (12) weeks. You can view the Postdoc Parental Leave Policy here, which outlines the policy and procedures.

If you are taking leave for the birth of your child, it is covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA protects your job while you are on leave caring for yourself or a family member (or child). 

You will need to work with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (postdoc@case.edu) and the Leaves office (leaves@case.edu) to submit your paperwork in advance; please send all forms to both offices. The forms can be found on the CWRU Human Resources website here under the Leave of Absence section.

Forms to submit prior to going on Paid Parental Leave (PPL):

• Certificate of Healthcare Provider Personal Medical (only if birth mother)
  • Fill in Section 1, bring to your doctor and they will fill in Section 2 and return to you. 
• Leave of Absence Form (LOA)
  • Select Personal Medical. Select the Parenting option.
  • Note your current Sick and Vacation balances. Note how many of those days (if any) you will be using in addition to your 8 weeks of PPL.
  • Sign and get your supervisor's signature on the form. 

Submit once your child is born:

• Proof of Birth Documentation - this can be a scan of the crib card, discharge paperwork, or a document on hospital letterhead with the baby's name and date of birth. 
• IMPORTANT: Once your child is born, if you wish to add them to the postdoc health insurance plan, you must do so within 30 days of birth! Log into the Gallagher Benefits Portal and fill out a new Enrollment Form to add your child. 

Form to submit when you're returning to work:

• Certification By A Healthcare Provider for Returning to Work (only if birth mother)
  • Note; You cannot return to work without this form being submitted. 
  • Bring this form to your doctor and they will fill it out and return to you. 
• Leave of Absence Form (LOA) - the same form as before
  • Once you return to work, obtain your supervisor's signature on the bottom section to return to work. 

If you are taking a medical leave for yourself or to care for an immediate family member, the leave would be classified under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA protects your job while you are on leave caring for yourself or the family member. 

You will need to work with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (postdoc@case.edu) and the Leaves office (leaves@case.edu) to submit your paperwork in advance; please send all forms to both offices. The forms can be found on the CWRU Human Resources website here under the Leave of Absence section.

FMLA is not an allotted amount of extra leave time you can take off, it is simply a job protection. You must use your sick leave when on FMLA. If you have exhausted your sick leave, you can utilize your vacation time, then you will need to go on unpaid leave if you have exhausted both sick and vacation time. 

You can use up to 12 days of sick leave to care for an immediate family member. 

Forms to submit prior to going on a Leave of Absence (LOA):

• Leave of Absence Form (LOA)
  • Select Personal Medical or Family Medical as appropriate. 
  • Note your current Sick and Vacation balances. Note how many of those days you will be using.
  • Sign and get your supervisor's signature on the form.
• Certification of Healthcare Provider for Family Member's Serious Health Condition
  • Fill in Section 2, give to your family member's doctor to fill in section 3 and they will return it to you. 

Form to submit when you're returning to work:

• Leave of Absence Form (LOA) - the same form as before
  • Once you return to work, obtain your supervisor's signature on the bottom section to return to work. 

University Hospitals (UH) Cost Estimator

Cleveland Clinic Cost Estimator

MetroHealth Cost Estimator

24/7 Suicide Prevention + Crisis Intervention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Call, text, or chat: 988
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline phone number (1.800.273.8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis

Crisis Text Line

• Text HOME to 741741
• crisistextline.org

The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ youth)

• Phone: 866.488.7386
• Text: 678678
• Online Chat

Veterans Crisis Line

• Phone: 800.273.8255 then press 1
• Text: 838255
• Online Chat

On-Campus Emergencies - CWRU Police

• Phone: 216.368.3333

Community Resources

The following Greater Cleveland area resources can provide helpful information in times of crisis:

• Mental Health 24-hour Referral - 216.623.6888
• Cleveland Rape Crisis Hotline - 216.619.6192

Stay home; do not come in to work. Be sure to let your supervisor or PI know the situation and that you cannot come in to work.

Upload your positive test result into MyHealthConnect and someone from University Health and Counseling Services will be in touch. 

See the CWRU Covid website here