Grace Lukens, Staff Writer–
Beginning July 1, the Hoaglin Wellness Center adopted a new policy regarding insurance coverage for therapy and psychiatry appointments.
This new policy states that students’ insurance will be billed for the cost of services past the sixth counseling appointment and beginning at the first psychiatry appointment over the academic year, per the Wellness Costs and Insurance Page on Denison’s website.
The previous policy covered all counseling visits and psychiatry visits for students.
Some students have been unaware of the recent changes.
“I heard about it just two weeks ago…from a friend,” Maaike Snyder ‘26 said. “The Wellness Center didn’t tell me, even though I’m a wellness ambassador.”
Liz Frazier, Director of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry at Hoaglin, explained the changes to the policy.
“Historically, Denison has just not implemented [student insurance benefits] and covered the cost of all mental health care,” Frazier said. “This year, they are offering to cover the cost of the first six individual therapy sessions, and after that sixth session, they start billing insurance. For psychiatry appointments, they start utilizing that insurance benefit from the first session.”
Amy Ehrlich, program director for the Denison-Ohio State Partnership, put it simply: the source of funding is changing.
“In the previous model, if you’re already paying your premiums, the insurance was not really taking up their share of the cost,” Ehrlich said. “So this really moves that cost [from Denison to the insurance plan].”
Once insurance is billed, students are responsible for any deductibles or co-pays their insurance plan has.
“That means, depending on whatever insurance a student has, whether it’s student health insurance or people on their parents’ health insurance, any potential cost is linked to that person’s insurance plan,” Frazier said.
Students like Anna Gooch ‘26, who utilize the psychiatry services at Hoaglin, can face charges as much as $200 per session.
“I am seeing somebody at the loss of my bank account quite heavily,” Gooch said. “That definitely has made it difficult, but I found a really good counselor, so it’s been very helpful.”
Another notable change is Hoaglin’s emphasis on goal-oriented therapy. As of Sep. 22, the Hoaglin Behavioral Health and Psychiatry website states the Wellness Center’s approach to counseling “focuses on short-term, goal-oriented treatment rather than long-term, open-ended therapy.”
Ehrlich said that Hoaglin has always focused on short-term therapy due to the “science research backing [its] effectiveness.”
Frazier emphasizes that despite being short-term oriented, “there are no session limits,” meaning students can access therapy services through their insurance as frequently as needed.
Aarnav Jagdhane ‘26 believes that, though there are no session limits, this system will create hesitation.
“Students are going to hesitate even more because finances are difficult,” Jagdhane said.
Sofia Monteleone ‘26 agreed with this, saying that she believes the system incentivizes only going when you’re in desperate need, and argues students should always feel open to going.
Some students who have been using these services for multiple years mentioned seeking alternative options, such as the Granville Counseling Collective, as a replacement for Hoaglin’s services.
Jagdhane and Monteleone both say that the new system may make accessibility tougher.
“Student wellness is more than your worst days, and making that more accessible for people should be a priority,” Monteleone said.
Ehrlich and Frazier both say Hoaglin’s staff are willing to work with anyone who may be affected by the policy changes to provide transparency.
“If someone is seeking services or concerned about seeking services because of [finances or other concerns], please come in and talk to us about it, so we can help support that,” Frazier said.
Students will still maintain access to many mental health resources alongside counseling and psychiatry services. Hoaglin offers emergency drop-in counseling, which does not count as one of the six non-billed sessions. Hoaglin therapists will also pilot various group therapy services, which are free to all students. The Wellness Center continues to offer workout classes and various initiatives run by the Student Wellness Ambassadors.
For students looking for more resources, organizations like the student-run Outlook and Denison University’s Wellness Page provide information on hotlines and initiatives that students may use to care for their mental health.