Patient Advocate

All registered Harvard students who purchase both the Student Health Fee and Student Health Insurance Plan may qualify for financial assistance to help cover the cost of medically necessary health care that is not otherwise covered by insurance. 

We are prepared to meet the healthcare needs of students, faculty, staff, and retirees with disabilities. We recommend early contact with a primary care clinician to establish a base for continuity of care during a student’s active stay at Harvard. A variety of access services are available through the Accessible Education Office, including sign language and oral interpreters. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are located throughout Harvard University Health Services in the Smith Campus Center. The Patient Advocate is available to assist individuals with arrangements for accessible needs and provide an orientation to the practice.

Interpreter services are available for non-English speaking patients. American Sign Language (ASL) is available for Deaf patients.

Under Massachusetts law, individuals who are 18 or older have the right to make their own medical decisions and to make decisions about the privacy of their medical records. Students under the age of 18, but living away from home at college, usually are considered “mature minors” under Massachusetts law, which also gives them the legal standing to make their own decisions about care and privacy. Thus, in general, HUHS will treat students as adults and address issues of concern directly with them. It is students’ responsibility to notify their families of illnesses or injuries, except in the rare situation where students have lost the capacity to make or communicate their medical choices, in which case, next-of-kin will be consulted. In a non-emergency situation, however, HUHS will only respond to questions from family members or others about a specific visit or illness when the student has given us contemporaneous permission, usually in writing, to do so. Waivers can be revoked by a patient at any time, so putting in place an advance waiver does not allow for family notification because students can simply revoke the waiver.

For parents who have concerns about situations in which their child may be in distress and seek information on the student’s medical or mental health status, we want you to know that Harvard University Health Services works very closely with the College when it comes to protecting the student and others in the community from harm. In the rare instance in which a student’s medical or mental health status poses a danger to the student or a threat to others in the community, HUHS professional staff may disclose any relevant information to any appropriate person, including College officials and parents, for the purpose of protecting the student, others, or the community from harm.