Students on the University of Maryland’s insurance plan who get prescriptions and flu shots at pharmacies off campus may not receive coverage.
The Student Health Insurance Plan will not cover flu shots and prescriptions at the CVS in College Park, according to pharmacist Jessica Lewandowski.
“It’s probably more of an insurance agreement problem between CVS and the insurance provided by the university,” Lewandowski said.
Pharmacy manager Marshall Florence estimated that 80 percent of the flu shots given at the College Park CVS went to college students. Most of the students that have gotten flu shots have been on their parents’ insurance, according to Florence.
About a quarter of students who go come to the pharmacy for flu shots were on the university insurance plan and most were willing to pay for the shot themselves, according to Lewandowski.
The University Health Center has not commented on why the Student Health Insurance Plan does not cover some services off campus.
Wait times for a flu shot at CVS have been around 10 minutes and do not require an appointment, according to Florence.