Healthcare & Emergencies-Department of Biological Sciences - Carnegie Mellon University

Healthcare & Emergencies

Health Records

Make sure you have a copy of your health records (mainly vaccination dates) so that you can fill up the university health forms properly.

Health Insurance

  • All Carnegie Mellon students must have health insurance.
  • It is not mandatory to buy health insurance from Carnegie Mellon, you could continue to be covered under your parents, or obtain insurance frm your spouse's company.
  • The Department provides enough money such that dental and vision can be afforded with the lowest health insurance option.
  • http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/HealthServices/insurance - for more information on the various plans available.

What to do if you get sick

The following information was obtained from an information pamphlet from Office of International Education (OIE)
Check out http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/HealthServices/ to receive medical care and get advice about the strategy you should take for medical treatment. If Health Services cannot treat you there, they will refer you to be a specialist (Note: Dependent spouses and children cannot be treated by the Health Centre)

  • If you are ill and Health Service is closed, you can call the doctor who is on call at 412-623-2458.
  • If you are insured in the university health insurance plan you can call the nurse advice and health information line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by dialing 1-888-258-3428.
  • If you cannot contact a doctor or the nurse advice line and the illness is severe, go to a hospital emergency room. If you are on campus, you can call the campus police to take you to the emergency room. (Note: make sure to check with your insurance company in advance, if you are not so severely sick that you are prevented from doing so)
  • Take medical insurance information with you, including an insurance card if you have one.
  • Take a picture I.D. with you
  • Take a friend or acquaintance that can help you.

    Disclaimer: This list of advice and information was put together by current graduate students of the Biological Sciences department, and does not express the views of the department. Most of the information below has been verified, but some may have changed including URLs, dates, and email addresses, so self-verification of information is advisable.