2024 was a year of optimization for Wellfleet Student, focusing on improving the member experience in several ways.
As we reflect on 2024, it’s evident that this year was a pivotal one for Wellfleet Student, characterized by substantial achievements focused on improving the healthcare experience for our college community.
This year was marked by the launch of innovative tools and the introduction of crucial resources, all of which aim to empower students to navigate their health confidently.
Read on for a snapshot of our key moments from 2024.
Launched WellFinder
We introduced WellFinder, an intuitive digital care navigation tool integrated into the Wellfleet Student mobile app. This tool helps simplify the healthcare journey for college students by providing personalized care recommendations based on individual needs and preferences.
WellFinder empowers students to find appropriate providers easily, estimate care costs, access telehealth options, and schedule appointments—all in one place.
By integrating on-campus, in-network, and virtual care options, WellFinder streamlines the healthcare process and can potentially reduce costs by connecting students with in-network and lower-cost care alternatives.
This initiative underscores our commitment to improving health outcomes, increasing utilization of preventative services, and helping students better understand their health insurance coverage, ultimately making healthcare more accessible and navigable for the college student population.
Launched Wellfleet Student Health Insurance 101
To help empower college students, we introduced Student Health Insurance 101, a resource site designed to educate the student population on health insurance. This initiative reflects our commitment to making healthcare more understandable and accessible for college students.
The site offers a wealth of information on crucial topics such as understanding health insurance basics, coverage details, finding providers, and navigating mental health care options.
By addressing key questions like “What is health insurance?”, “How does it work for international students?”, and “Where should I go for care?”, Student Health Insurance 101 equips students with the knowledge to help make informed decisions about their healthcare both on and off campus.
This resource, coupled with our Wellfleet Student Mobile App, demonstrates our dedication to simplifying the complexities of student health insurance and enhancing the overall healthcare experience for students in higher education.
Increased $0 copay list to include more than 50 highly utilized medications
In 2024, we expanded our $0 copay list from 40 to over 50 highly utilized medications, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to making healthcare more accessible for students.
This expansion aligns with our Wellfleet Rx copay assistance program, which has proven to be a game-changer in helping students manage the costs of specialty medications.
By reducing copays for eligible specialty medications to as low as $0-$10, we’ve not only eased the financial burden on students but also improved access to critical treatments.
This initiative and our other cost-saving measures like prior authorization, quantity limits, and step therapy have resulted in substantial savings for students and schools. This commitment further reinforces our dedication to supporting student health and financial well-being in higher education.
Introduced True Choice
True Choice exemplifies our commitment to making healthcare more accessible and affordable for college students. True Choice goes beyond the traditional provider network approach by allowing students to visit any provider without the constraints of in-network or out-of-network classifications. This flexibility empowers students with greater freedom in choosing their healthcare providers while potentially reducing costs.
The plan provides medical healthcare coverage, including behavioral healthcare, Wellfleet Rx, and telehealth options, all underpinned by a “student health center first” approach.
In addition to being a quality student-centric solution, True Choice plans can provide premium savings of up to 20% compared to commercial PPO plans1, further demonstrating our commitment to lowering the long-term costs of student health care.
Welcomed a new CMO and SVP of Population Health
Continuing our commitment to improving access to care and healthcare outcomes,
Wellfleet welcomed Dr. Carlo Ciotoli, M.D., M.P.A., as its Senior Vice President of Population Health and the Chief Medical Officer for its Student Health division.
Dr. Ciotoli has extensive experience in college health. He most recently served as Vice President for Campus Health at New York University, where he demonstrated an impressive track record of leadership, innovation, and system and service re-engineering. His accomplishments have been recognized with numerous national awards.
In this pivotal new executive role, Dr. Ciotoli will shape Wellfleet’s strategy to advance population health, well-being, clinical benefits, and efforts toward improvement and innovation.
Provided more comprehensive coverage for Gender Affirming care
Another area of improvement can be seen in our progress in providing more comprehensive coverage for gender-affirming care. In 2024, we transitioned from offering two different tiers of coverage to a single, comprehensive coverage option encompassing a wide range of gender-affirming services.
Effective July 2024, our expanded coverage includes medical and behavioral health appointments, hormonal therapy, tracheal shave, cosmetic procedures such as chemical peel and electrolysis, top and bottom surgery, and facial recontouring.
By making our coverage gender non-specific and agnostic to whether procedures aim to feminize, masculinize, or non-conform to gender, we’re ensuring that our policies genuinely reflect the diverse needs of the LGBTQIA+ student population. This approach to gender-affirming care, coupled with our focus on other key student health concerns like mental health and reproductive care, reinforces Wellfleet’s position as a leader in providing inclusive and tailored healthcare coverage for the unique needs of the student population.
What’s ahead
2024 was a busy year, but our work to improve doesn’t end. Here are some exciting things we’re working on in 2025:
- Improving user experience on our student member web dashboard and mobile app
- Dental and Vision solutions
- Offering Hinge Health physical therapy
- Developing additional educational resources for students
- Developing a collaborative to help improve campus population health
As we look ahead to 2025, we are excited to build on these accomplishments, continuing to innovate and advocate for the health and well-being of students everywhere.
Connect with us to learn more about how Wellfleet can create a tailored solution for your students in the new year.
Disclaimers
1Average client savings based on 2022-2023 plan year claims data. Savings vary based on plan structure, performance, and client.
Wellfleet, Wellfleet Student, Wellfleet Special Risk, and Wellfleet Workplace are marketing names used to refer to the insurance and administrative operations of Wellfleet Insurance Company, Wellfleet New York Insurance Company, and Wellfleet Group, LLC (known in California only as Wellfleet Group, LLC dba Wellfleet Administrators, LLC). All insurance products are administered or managed by Wellfleet Group, LLC. Product availability is based upon business and/or regulatory approval and may differ among states. ©2025 Wellfleet Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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