Are college insurance plans adding to the problem of underinsured students?
There has been a growing trend among college health centers toward offering student health insurance plans. With budgets being cut and costs continually rising, health centers are trying to find new ways to bring in revenue.
According to the results by the United States Government Accountability Office, about 20 percent of college students aged 18 through 23 were uninsured in 2006. It may seem, then, as through mandatory student insurance plans would be a boon for both students and administration alike, however, an article in The Capital Times reveals that many students are unwittingly left underinsured by taking the university endorsed policy. Some college-offered insurance programs offer low ceilings at $30,000 and “interior caps” on surgery and hospital stays. Many students are able to find better programs off campus.
Often, this is because colleges are torn between trying to find the right balance of affordability and quality. When shopping for a student insurance plan, Dana Mills, MPH, chair of the American College Health Association’s (ACHA’s) Student Health Insurance Task Force and director of the student health center at Wisconsin’s Marquette University makes the following suggestions:
More information on student insurance plan can be found here.