Independence Blue Cross will begin offering a Student PPO in the fall, an extension of its brand into the colleges and universities in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Daniel Hilferty, president of health markets for Philadelphia, Pa.-based IBC, said more than three-quarters of universities in Southeastern Pennsylvania offer IBC coverage to their faculty and staff so “we are eager to further broaden our reach with colleges, to help students stay well and focused on fit and healthy lifestyles.”

Linda Taylor

Linda Taylor, IBC’s chief marketing executive, added in a statement that the area’s colleges and universities have been “driving the demand for this new type of PPO.”

The new product will be available when students begin arriving on campus in August.

Among the features of the new plan are a 24/7 nurse helpline, an exclusive student health website, discounts for healthy living, and proactive, coordinated case management for students with complex conditions, Taylor said. The program can be provided to students in combination with comprehensive pharmacy benefits, coverage for preventive services, physical and occupational therapy and maternity care, she added.

Dixon Gillis, president of A-G Administrators, collegiate insurance specialists in Valley Forge, Pa., predicted in the IBC statement that the new offering “will have a great impact on college students and the health plan decision administrators. University decision-makers are asking for a student product with the Blue network, which reaches coast to coast and around the world, to offer their students.”

Gillis said most colleges will build a health care plan like the Student PPO into their student tuition fees, making it a benefit that students and their parents can simply opt out of if they have other coverage.

Students enrolled in the Student PPO will obtain access to IBC’s regional PPO network, including 55,000 doctors, and 100 hospital systems. Away from school, students can make use of in-network coverage across the U.S., through the BlueCard PPO network of more than 676,000 doctors and 5,500 hospitals. Internationally, BlueCard Worldwide offers access to care around the globe, as well as emergency travel services.