MSU Counseling & Mental Health Services Fund

Frequently Asked Questions

 

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  • Michigan State University (MSU)'s Counseling & Mental Health Services Fund, managed by JND Legal Administration, supports survivors of abuse by former doctor Larry Nassar. JND Legal Administration administers reimbursement of eligible out-of-pocket expenses for mental health treatment according to the provisions set forth by MSU.  

  • Any eligible recipient can receive money if they have eligible expenses. 

    Eligible Recipient means a survivor who received treatment from former doctor Larry Nassar at a MSU health clinic or as a MSU student-athlete. 

    Eligible Guardian means a natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent or legal guardian (as documented by a court of law) for the Eligible Recipient during or after the time the Eligible Recipient received treatment from former doctor Larry Nassar at a MSU health clinic or as a MSU student-athlete. 

    Eligible Spouse means the spouse of an Eligible Recipient during or after the time the Eligible Recipient received treatment from former doctor Larry Nassar at a MSU health clinic or as a MSU student-athlete. 

  • MSU allows reimbursement of eligible outpatient counseling and mental health services, made available by a defined group of mental health provider types.

    The Fund will reimburse eligible out-of-pocket expenses for inpatient hospitalization and residential treatment with a mental health diagnosis.

    The Fund includes reimbursement of prescription pharmacy services for FDA-approved oral and nasal prescription medications prescribed for mental health treatment. Survivors may also submit requests for ketamine infusion therapy administered by a licensed medical professional. Non-FDA-approved medications or medicinal treatments (e.g., psilocybin) will be considered with written approval from a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician.

    All services must be received from a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician. Reimbursement is limited to out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, co-pays or co-insurance. All available insurance coverage must be exhausted to qualify for reimbursement. The Fund is the payor of last resort.

    Expenses not eligible for reimbursement include, but are not limited to:

    • Partial hospitalization that is not related to the treatment of mental health, or for medical procedures for related physical injuries that are not approved by a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician in writing;
    • Hospitalization for conditions other than mental health treatment, or for medical procedures for related physical injuries that are not approved by a licensed mental health professional in writing;
    • Non-FDA*-approved prescription medications; and
    • Referral services, such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
       

    * Non-FDA-approved medications or medicinal treatments (e.g., psilocybin) will be considered with written approval from a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician.

  • You have 3 years from the date of service/treatment to submit a bill for reimbursement.

  • For each reimbursement request, you will need the following: 

    • The name of your provider;
    • Their mailing address and phone number;
    • Their provider Tax ID;
    • Their provider NPI;
    • Diagnosis Codes (check the Eligible Diagnoses page on this website for more information);
    • Code for Services Rendered (check the Outpatient Services page on this website for more information);
       

    For physical injuries related to mental health and their treatments, in addition to all the above, please include:

    • Written approval from your mental health provider, which confirms that the physical injury and its accompanying treatment are related to treatment for mental health.
       

    The diagnosis (DX) and service codes should be included on each bill, invoice and/or Explanation of Benefits. Your bills should be itemized by date and service. 

    If you're covered by a health insurance plan, you will also need the policy holder name, group number, insurance company, and state.

    All reimbursement requests need to have supporting documentation attached. Failure to submit appropriate documents will delay consideration for reimbursement. 

  • For claimants with insurance: You will need an electronic version (pdf, png, jpg) of Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from all insurance companies that covered services for the request and all receipts to support the request for reimbursement. 

    For claimants without insurance: You will need an electronic version (pdf, png, jpg) of a paid invoice or superbill from your mental health provider or primary care physician.

  • No, each provider should be submitted as separate reimbursement requests.

  • A National Provider Identifier is a unique 10-digit identification number issued to health care providers in the United States covered by HIPAA. The NPI does not replace numbers used for other identification purposes, including a provider's Tax ID. 

    If your provider doesn't list their NPI on their Explanation of Benefits statement or itemized bill, you can look it up on the official NPI lookup website (NNPES NPI Registry (hhs.gov)) using your provider's name and address information. Alternatively, you may want to talk to your provider.

  • A Tax ID Number is a unique set of numbers used by the Internal Revenue Service that identifies individuals, corporations, and organizations with respect to their tax obligations. The Provider Tax ID Number is often located on your bill for services rendered. If it is not on the bill or other documents provided to you by your provider, you may want to talk to your provider.

  • An Explanation of Benefits is a statement from your insurance plan describing what costs were covered for any medical care you've received. It will generally include:

    • Demographic and contact information for the insurance company, provider, and patient; 
    • The cost of care you received, including the estimated patient responsibility (if any); and
    • An explanation of your benefits policy.


    For each service and/or treatment that you are requesting be reimbursed, JND Legal Administration needs to receive a separate invoice, itemized bill, or EOB.

  • If you don't have insurance, please submit a paid invoice from your provider along with the Reimbursement Form (outpatient counseling/therapy, inpatient hospitalization or pharmacy services). JND Legal Administration applies an industry-accepted formula using reasonable and customary (R&C) benchmarks to determine reimbursement. You may review this page for further information. 

  • Medications eligible for reimbursement under the Fund must be:

    • Filled at a registered pharmacy on or after April 1, 2020;
    • FDA-approved* medications prescribed for mental health treatment as a result of abuse;
    • Submitted for reimbursement with the pharmacy receipt (not the cash register receipt) OR a receipt from an eligible mental health provider.
       

    Over-the-counter medications are not eligible for reimbursement. To view the eligibility criteria and a list of approved medications, review the Pharmacy Services page on this website for more information.

    Please make sure the supporting documentation for pharmacy reimbursement includes: patient name, pharmacy name, address and phone, date of service, medication name and dosage, and the out-of-pocket cost of the medication. Cash register receipts do not contain sufficient documentation for reimbursement. The receipt(s) for pharmacy services or ketamine infusion therapy must contain the detailed information listed above.

    *Non-FDA-approved medications or medicinal treatments (e.g., psilocybin) will be considered with written approval from a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician.

  • A step-by-step video guide on how to file a Reimbursement Request is available here. A transcript of the video is available here. If you have additional questions, please contact JND Legal Administration.

  • The choice of individual therapist or provider is up to you. As long as the provider is one of the eligible provider types you may continue to see your current therapist or provider with no change necessary to receive reimbursement. See the Provider Types page on this website for more information.

  • Out-of-pocket expenses such as deductible, co-pay or co-insurance are eligible for reimbursement for outpatient services, residential mental health treatment, and inpatient hospitalization with a mental health diagnosis and provided by a defined group of mental health provider types.

    Out-of-pocket expenses for prescription pharmacy services may be eligible for reimbursement. Eligible prescriptions are those that are FDA-approved*, oral and nasal prescriptions prescribed for mental health treatment, and Ketamine infusion therapy services administered by an eligible mental health provider. Reimbursement requests previously submitted to and paid by New Directions (the former Fund administrator) are not eligible for reimbursement by JND Legal Administration. 

    Any claim(s) submitted to New Directions prior to February 1, 2022 will be processed and paid by New Directions. All reimbursement claim(s) you need to submit on February 1, 2022 and after should be submitted through this website and will be processed by the new administrator, JND Legal Administration. If you have any questions, you may contact JND Legal Administration by email at info@MSUHealingFund.com or by phone toll-free at 1-877-250-6408.

    *Non-FDA-approved medications or medicinal treatments (e.g., psilocybin) will be considered with written approval from a licensed mental health professional or primary care physician.

  • Any claim(s) submitted to New Directions prior to February 1, 2022 will be processed and paid by New Directions. All reimbursement claim(s) you submit on February 1, 2022 and after should be submitted through this website and will be processed by the new administrator, JND Legal Administration. If you have any questions, you may contact JND Legal Administration by email at info@MSUHealingFund.com or by phone toll-free at 1-877-250-6408.

  • You may submit requests as often as you want. JND Legal Administration processes reimbursement requests as quickly as possible.

  • Survivors may contact us by email (info@MSUHealingFund.com) or by telephone (1-877-250-6408).

    Providers may contact us by email (ProviderServices@MSUHealingFund.com) or by telephone (1-877-324-2347).

    Please note, regular business hours are Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Pacific.