Sunshine State Sue Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I was able to look at ds' Spring 2015 bill today. I noticed a $944 student health insurance charge. I called and asked about it. They said that it ought to be waived by the end of the week. Ds has health insurance through my work. I took another look at his Fall 2015 bill. Yup. I didn't notice it before, but the $944 student health insurance charge was right there among the dozen other fees, and we paid the bill. Ds had to waive the coverage on-line or he would be automatically enrolled. He thought he did waive the coverage. We asked him repeatedly. He knew that it cost 2x what I already pay though work. He says he never got an email stating he had been signed up for the student health coverage. He also says he got so many emails.... The woman in charge finally called me back. There is a good chance that it is too late now. Ds must go in and talk to her this week. She must talk to her boss. There is a slim chance it could be refunded. To make it even more painful, ds was injured playing basketball. So, now that he may have additional insurance none of us knew about, if we wanted to use it in addition to the coverage he has through my work for that injury, we would have to pay the additional $944 for spring semester. Isn't that lovely? :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: What is the lesson here? Don't trust your (adult) child when he says he has waived the student health insurance through the school's complicated on-line system. Scrutinize your bill and be totally OCD and obnoxious and make the school explain every.single.charge on the bill. I am generally so totally OCD about bills. How did this escape me? I am kicking myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 How frustrating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Ugh. I hate those charges for stuff you don't need, and the excessive fees schools charge. I wish they would roll the fees for clubs and stuff into the tuition, so it would be easier to compare college costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Same experience here. DD has waived the insurance every semester. She told me she waived it for Fall but when I went back over her bill trying to find a 'missing' $1100 I found the charge for Student Health Insurance. Argh! She swears she never received an email, a card, or anything telling her she had it or how to use the benefit. There is no health center on campus, the students have to go to the local clinic if they want medical care. It's kind of a crazy system. I will be investigating this week and see what can be done about it. I am hoping for at least a partial credit since DD has never used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Making note of this for future reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 She swears she never received an email, a card, or anything telling her she had it or how to use the benefit. Yup. Same here. I'm sorry you have had the same problem. It makes me feel a bit better to know that I am not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuddleJumper1 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Oh my! Thankfully, at ds' university the opposite is protocol. He has to sign up each semester if he wants the student health coverage. He doesn't need it as he is still covered with ours. We'd easily be in the same boat as you as I've no doubt he'd forget to opt out at least once. So sorry! That is a painful (and expensive) lesson! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We just got our refund showing in dd's quarter bill. It only took since last September! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Dd's school send the email to me, not her. I suspect the school was tired of parents getting upset over insurance they don't need. We have it waived once a year, and it's in the summer like a month before school begins. Way easier to remember when it's that far in advance and they send the email to the parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am sorry - hope it gets straightened out. DD's school has elaborate requirements for insurance and you have to jump through hoops to waive the school insurance (3k per year). They want all kinds of coverage, including a repatriation/evacuation coverage which most plans don't have and we bought in addition, so we could get out of the school's plan. The info is on the website, and coverage must be waived by the 4th week of fall quarter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Yes, we have to make sure DS's insurance through the university gets waived every semester. And to begin with we had to send them all sorts of information and documentation about our own insurance coverage before they'd waive it. We try to leave things to DS to handle as much as possible, but making sure the insurance coverage gets waived is one thing that DH keeps a close check on. His coverage through school isn't nas expensive as the OP's, but we just don't need it. I hope you can get everything straightened out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thank you for sharing this info. It's one more thing we need to watch out for. You mentioned looking at your students' bills. Do your students actually get paper bills from their colleges? At the cc my oldest attends, everything is electronic and only is sent to the student via college email (amidst a bazillion other unimportant emails from the college announcing events). Parents are 100% out of the loop unless their students actually notice the bill and share info, even when the student is a minor. It's aggravating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 This happened to dh a couple of times as a grad student. I usually handle all the bills, insurance, etc., and I think he didn't notice the first time and forgot to opt out by the deadline for the second. The frustrating part is that it included dental, which he could have used, but didn't realize he had coverage until it was too late to use it (end of semester). So, it can happen to anyone, especially those unfamiliar with handling such paperwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Opt-out is absurd. I am sorry that happened to you. Slightly off-topic but... Don't your students have an online portal with everything they are paying and receiving, which is in the same place as where they look at their grades? With tabs--your account, your grades, your courses with assignments and login. If you are paying and the student is incapable of un-checking the insurance box--worst case scenario, no matter how scammy, there must be a box to uncheck somewhere every quarter, even if you have to navigate to a new page--then make them give you access and you do it. Parents are 100% out of the loop unless their students actually notice the bill and share info, even when the student is a minor. It's aggravating. Those of us who work in higher ed cannot believe that parents continue to pay bills without demanding the student's login and password to see all of their payment information. The college cannot send you private information, but you can refuse to pay tuition unless your student gives you the login. It is that simple. We do not have that legal power and we do not own the records (the student does). The power is between the two of you thanks to privacy laws. And the school cannot help you get that information, but they can tell you what you would expect to see as a student, in theory, if you believe your student is not showing you the whole picture. Go to admissions, and ask in general terms, 'what kind of student portal could I expect to see if I were a student, like where do I find my grades, where do I find my financial aid, where do I find my bills, what about health insurance and incidentals, what about discipline.' They cannot give you your student's information but they can tell you where all that will be located for each student, like the name of the web-page. To me, paying thousands of dollars per month for anyone, my own child or another person, under or over eighteen, gives me the right to see how that money is spent. I don't think it's overbearing to insist on the right to check up on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 To make it even more painful, ds was injured playing basketball. So, now that he may have additional insurance none of us knew about, if we wanted to use it in addition to the coverage he has through my work for that injury, we would have to pay the additional $944 for spring semester. Isn't that lovely? Isn't your son an NCAA basketball player? Is his insurance on the hook for any injuries suffered as a result of team activities? Is it just me, or does that not seem right? You hear all the time about college football players who get injured, and need what must be expensive surgeries. I had always thought that the college would cover these expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Dd's school has a online portal with all the billing information and the links to pay online (everything except books and supplies). I've had Dd's login information since the beginning and, until they went to a new system, I also was copied on all her school emails. Anything that looked personal or was from friends I would delete unread, but this made sure I received anything pertaining to bills. We have had to waive the insurance every year. It's not just a box to check - we have to fill out a form with all her current insurance information. She is required to have some form of coverage, either through us or through the school. The school did explain to the parents at orientation about not talking to parents about bills or sending them information directly unless the student and the parent went to the office and filled out a form. I skipped all that and just have dd's login information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Sue, I really appreciate you posting topics like this. I am sorry it happened, but I am grateful you shared the lesson for all of us to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Ug... I hate that, but it is great you shared the reminder. Our student had to opt out via a form available through the online portal. It is not in a particularly obvious or noticeable place on the portal and the school sends only one email informing student so I'm sure it is often missed. Parents of high school seniors - there is a fair amount stuff that will come by email or through online portals and teens don't always think to check it. In addition to the insurance issue, families are sometimes caught off guard by dates for dorm registration or orientation. It can be easy for this stuff to get lost in the shuffle or overlooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thank you for the warning. It sounds like you are far from alone on this Sue and now I will know to watch for it. Ds's insurance will remain free through dh's employer when he goes to college, so we will definitely not want to accidentally spend $1000! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 You mentioned looking at your students' bills. Do your students actually get paper bills from their colleges? Everything is online. The student is able to create a parent account and we have access to a tiny bit of information. Bill and tax info. I really should have paid more attention to the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Don't your students have an online portal with everything they are paying and receiving, which is in the same place as where they look at their grades? With tabs--your account, your grades, your courses with assignments and login. Yes, there is an online sight where ds accesses everything. He honestly thought he had followed the directions to waive the insurance. If you are paying and the student is incapable of un-checking the insurance box--worst case scenario, no matter how scammy, there must be a box to uncheck somewhere every quarter, even if you have to navigate to a new page--then make them give you access and you do it. This is something that dh and I have disagreed about for years and years. I did have access to the bill. Obviously, I should have paid more attention to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Isn't your son an NCAA basketball player? Is his insurance on the hook for any injuries suffered as a result of team activities? Is it just me, or does that not seem right? You hear all the time about college football players who get injured, and need what must be expensive surgeries. I had always thought that the college would cover these expenses. Yes, my son plays basketball. Yes, his insurance that we have through my work pays for his injuries at school. If he had insurance through the school, that policy would pay. In the school's glossy brochure, it says: Separate policy for student participants in Intercollegiate Sports at no additional cost. That said, I know that at the high school level, we had to have some additional insurance through the school (it was very cheap) for athletics. The football players had separate, more comprehensive, and more expensive insurance that the rest of the athletes. So, probaly at the college level, there is something similar. But, you are right. Schools make tons of $$$$ off the football (and basketball) players. Better health care is something that the college football players are fighting for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Sue, Mines did it to ds too. He has to waive it every semester. Thanks, Margaret. Good to know. The lady in charge made it sound like this never happened to anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Everything is online. The student is able to create a parent account and we have access to a tiny bit of information. Bill and tax info. I really should have paid more attention to the bill. Thanks. We had oldest give our email as a 2nd email address, expecting that we would see notifications from the cc about payments due, but that didn't happen and dc either didn't get or didn't see emails about it, either. Fortunately, I knew when the tuition was due and asked to look at the online account when I hadn't gotten anything. It's time now to do some exploring of the student account settings to see if the dozens of useless emails can be eliminated so the important ones will be more noticeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Yes, there is an online sight where ds accesses everything. He honestly thought he had followed the directions to waive the insurance. This is something that dh and I have disagreed about for years and years. I did have access to the bill. Obviously, I should have paid more attention to it. I am sorry you have to negotiate with your husband about that. I think the helicopter-parent discussion has kind of blurred the distinction between financial control and over-control which is unfortunate, because I'm not about controlling kids but college is expensive and that's the parents' money in many cases. The lady in charge made it sound like this never happened to anyone else. I think having that tone of voice as a default is a prerequisite for working in bureaucracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Just spoke with the business office - the fee has been waived and DD's account has been credited. She had signed and submitted the waiver by the due date. The error was on their end! Thank goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks, Margaret. Good to know. The lady in charge made it sound like this never happened to anyone else. At least my son only has to do it once a year. You're definitely not alone! Apparently this annoyance is pretty common. I did see that my son's school will make it easier next year. i'll try to find the article and link to it. They made the process very stressful this year -- they said there would be no appeals allowed (although some parents did appeal, apparently), and the online form was worded in a very confusing way -- very easy to answer the questions in the "wrong" manner and not receive the waiver. OK, found it -- Here is the page on their website talking about the new, "streamlined" waiver process. Student Health Insurance Waiver Criteria has been changed for 2015. This fall, the minimum coverage criteria required to waive enrollment in SHIP presented new challenges for students, parents and UC administrators alike. In response, campus student health administrators, student representatives and Office of the President have developed streamlined, less restrictive waiver criteria to be effective Spring 2015 and may be considered for the next academic term. Some students whose waivers were not approved for fall may be able to waive enrollment in SHIP for Spring 2015. See new Spring 2015 criteria here. Here is the news article I happened to read. Luckily my son and I (after a nail-biting hour or so filling out the online form) were successful in waiving his health insurance for this year, but obviously a lot of parents were hopping mad! Last week, the requirements for students to opt out of the campus health insurance plan were modified in response to student concerns about the process being too difficult this year. ETA: I should add that my other son's school (Utah State) touts their student health plan as a great value, etc., but you have to request it. The way it should be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Opt-out is absurd. I am sorry that happened to you. Slightly off-topic but... Don't your students have an online portal with everything they are paying and receiving, which is in the same place as where they look at their grades? With tabs--your account, your grades, your courses with assignments and login. If you are paying and the student is incapable of un-checking the insurance box--worst case scenario, no matter how scammy, there must be a box to uncheck somewhere every quarter, even if you have to navigate to a new page--then make them give you access and you do it. Those of us who work in higher ed cannot believe that parents continue to pay bills without demanding the student's login and password to see all of their payment information. The college cannot send you private information, but you can refuse to pay tuition unless your student gives you the login. It is that simple. We do not have that legal power and we do not own the records (the student does). The power is between the two of you thanks to privacy laws. And the school cannot help you get that information, but they can tell you what you would expect to see as a student, in theory, if you believe your student is not showing you the whole picture. Go to admissions, and ask in general terms, 'what kind of student portal could I expect to see if I were a student, like where do I find my grades, where do I find my financial aid, where do I find my bills, what about health insurance and incidentals, what about discipline.' They cannot give you your student's information but they can tell you where all that will be located for each student, like the name of the web-page. To me, paying thousands of dollars per month for anyone, my own child or another person, under or over eighteen, gives me the right to see how that money is spent. I don't think it's overbearing to insist on the right to check up on it! This is what we did with our oldest son. He's a working student and a bit distracted. He gave me his login because then we could go over the things he did not understand on the phone while we were both looking at the documentation. There is also paperwork that the student initiates that authorizes the school to share information with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 There is now an $819 credit on ds's account. We had to pay a $125 late fee. Ds now has to request the refund. I am glad we were able to get most of the money back. My mother used to say that it was okay to make mistakes as long as you learned from them. I learned from this one for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Maybe you should make heath insurance his responsibility that way there will be more incentive to not over or double pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Maybe you should make heath insurance his responsibility that way there will be more incentive to not over or double pay. Are you trying to be helpful? How exactly would I do that? Ask the school to bill him separately for that one item? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I am glad you got the money back. This is Colorado School of Mines you say? (And I don't think it's possible to get one paper bill for a single fee. Sorry, but they have tons of forms and you just have to spend a whole morning every quarter sorting it out.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 I am glad you got the money back. This is Colorado School of Mines you say? Yes. And I will scrutinize the bill from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) Yes, my son plays basketball. Yes, his insurance that we have through my work pays for his injuries at school. If he had insurance through the school, that policy would pay. In the school's glossy brochure, it says: That said, I know that at the high school level, we had to have some additional insurance through the school (it was very cheap) for athletics. The football players had separate, more comprehensive, and more expensive insurance that the rest of the athletes. So, probaly at the college level, there is something similar. But, you are right. Schools make tons of $$$$ off the football (and basketball) players. Better health care is something that the college football players are fighting for. NCAA has insurance that covers any injuries an athlete receives due to training or participation in games. It is not something you have to pay for in addition. I was surprised by this when we were at out parents' meeting when dd started school. If his injury was through participation in his sport, the costs should have been covered. ETA: Odd, I swear I edited this post shortly after I posted it! I tried to look up the insurance information for you. Much to my surprise, I found that this was a school by school policy, not general for NCAA. The NCAA only forces schools to cover anything over $90000. DD's school has a policy to cover any injury received during play or practice. The way they had phrased it, it sounded to me like it was standard. It is not. But, it should be. Edited January 27, 2015 by Lolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Yes. And I will scrutinize the bill from now on. You know, re-reading my post it looks like the aside is to you. But I was more referring to the person who suggested you get itemized bills. Sorry about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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