College Health Insurance

[goldberry]

We are on one of the health shares right now because it's all we can afford. It does not cover mental health or prescriptions except acute. We just found out DDs college requires full coverage including mental health and prescriptions.

 

They have a student plan for around during $2400/yr. It's not terrible, but the budget was already stretched, ya know? We thought the health share would cover us.

Edited March 24, 2017 by goldberry

[MerryAtHope]

Interesting...it never occurred to me that a college could require more than the federal government does wrt health insurance. That could be a real additional burden to a lot of families. Have you talked to the health share you're with to see if others have run across this and what they have done? Maybe they know of some supplemental type of ins. that you could add on, rather than having to switch to a full insurance. I know there are prescription drug only types of plans. (How good does the coverage have to be? could a cheap fill-in work, or a free one like GoodRX?) I think I'd call the school as well and explain your situation. Maybe it's not as hard and fast as it seems? 

 

Anyway...how annoying! I'll have this on my radar now for the future...thanks for posting and I hope someone else can be more helpful!

[GoodGrief]

My second daughter's school would not accept our military health insurance, so we had to purchase their plan (they offered extra financial aid to cover it though.)

 

Interestingly, I would have liked to purchase coverage for my oldest daughter from her school, but they only offered it to internationals. They expected everyone else to go through the exchanges (unless they had their own. We do have military, but we had a terrible time finding local docs who would take our insurance.)

[Julie of KY]

My son has to prove he has full insurance coverage (or buy the choice through the school) as well as have immunizations before being allowed to register.

[goldberry]

Interesting...it never occurred to me that a college could require more than the federal government does wrt health insurance. 

 

That's what I thought.  I think healthshares are kind of fringe though, and although got you out of the penalty don't really count as insurance.  I should have known better. 

[plansrme]

I don't know about you, but I actually find that policy kind of offensive.  What business is it of the college's what kind of insurance its students have?  It's not like they're on the hook for mental health and prescriptions your health share doesn't cover, as the administration would undoubtedly be the first to tell you.

[creekland]

My guys have chosen three different schools.  

 

Oldest's school (a Christian school) accepted health share in lieu of their insurance with no problem at all.  

 

Middle son's school (in NY) did not.  I seem to recall being told it was a NYS law to require coverage for mental health and drug/alcohol conditions, so they couldn't make an exception.  My mind is a little shaky on the part about it being a state law and it was 5 years ago, but that's what I'm thinking their reason was.

 

Youngest son's school did not allow it the first two years, but last year NCAA started allowing Health Shares for athletes, so they allowed us to drop school coverage this year.  

 

I agree that it's an unnecessary expense for kids who don't get involved in drugs/alcohol.  I guess NY feels that coverage is important, perhaps because so many students drink and use drugs.  

 

The insurance offered is not only pricey (over 2K for middle son - around 1300 for youngest), it doesn't cover everything.  When middle son wrenched his knee and wanted to get it looked at - we still had to pay for some of it - he paid, so I don't recall exactly how much.  When youngest needed X-rays for something similar, it still cost us $170 above and beyond what insurance paid.  With health share not only would would our costs not have increased the thousands for the premium, both would have been covered in full since costs were more than $300.

 

So... that's our experience.  Many schools changed their stance after the NCAA changed theirs, but I suspect there are still plenty that insist upon additional coverage.

[Bootsie]

  

 

I agree that it's an unnecessary expense for kids who don't get involved in drugs/alcohol.  I guess NY feels that coverage is important, perhaps because so many students drink and use drugs.  

 

 

How does this relate to students drinking and using drugs?  There are many mental health issues and prescription drug needs that are unrelated to drinking and drug use.

[creekland]

How does this relate to students drinking and using drugs?  There are many mental health issues and prescription drug needs that are unrelated to drinking and drug use.

 

There are, but statistically, college students are far more likely to have drinking and drug problems than the other - at least - they are at the schools my boys go to (middle son sees a bit of the problems as an RA).  I actually can understand schools that require insurance covering these things (and mental health) - esp for freshmen (since they'll still get help and someone will need to pay for it) - but once past freshman year I think it really should be up to the parents.  Not all kids choose to drink or use drugs and even of those who do, not all go overboard.  We're extremely confident dropping the school's insurance with youngest now that we can for his junior and senior years.  A parent never really knows freshman year - even if we'd have placed bets correctly in hindsight.

[Julie of KY]

I think schools requiring insurance goes way beyond being able to treat for drug and alcohol problems. It covers students for a meningitis outbreak, campus violence, intramural sports injuries, car wrecks, pneumonia, mono, etc.

 

Whether or not schools should be able to mandate that you have insurance is a completely different question. Should schools be able to mandate this or should families have the choice on financial risks related to health? I have my opinions, but my opinion is really not important.

[creekland]

I think schools requiring insurance goes way beyond being able to treat for drug and alcohol problems. It covers students for a meningitis outbreak, campus violence, intramural sports injuries, car wrecks, pneumonia, mono, etc.

 

Whether or not schools should be able to mandate that you have insurance is a completely different question. Should schools be able to mandate this or should families have the choice on financial risks related to health? I have my opinions, but my opinion is really not important.

 

Remember that this thread is comparing Health Share Coverage to insurance, not lack of any health coverage.  Health shares cover all those things you listed.  Where they differ is with drug/alcohol, mental health, and some prescriptions. (The monthly savings might cover prescriptions pending prescription cost, but the other issues could get more costly if needed.)

[Bootsie]

 

Whether or not schools should be able to mandate that you have insurance is a completely different question. Should schools be able to mandate this or should families have the choice on financial risks related to health? I have my opinions, but my opinion is really not important.

Some of this is the result of additional responsibilities being put on a university than were placed decades ago.  Many universities are under pressure to maintain retention rates and degree completion rates.  Some students drop out because of medical bills; some drop out because of untreated medical conditions, including mental health.   One side effect of placing retention responsibility on universities is that they want to make sure that medical issues don't interfere with retention.  

[creekland]

Some of this is the result of additional responsibilities being put on a university than were placed decades ago.  Many universities are under pressure to maintain retention rates and degree completion rates.  Some students drop out because of medical bills; some drop out because of untreated medical conditions, including mental health.   One side effect of placing retention responsibility on universities is that they want to make sure that medical issues don't interfere with retention.  

 

I think in NYS (or even some colleges) a big part could be just costs.  If students don't have coverage and need assistance, they're going to get it.  If bills go unpaid... someone has to pay them.  That could easily fall upon the state (or the state's hospitals).

[Tiramisu]

My understanding is that student health insurance policy we are required to buy for dd at college (because she was in another state and there were no participating providers for our HMO) does not include mental health or prescriptions.

 

It is a popular national student health insurance program costing about $1600 per year.

[Garga]

I worked for a health insurance company about 15 years ago.  Our company had the account of a very high-pressure elite school.  The company thought it was a great deal for them:  lots of young, healthy people paying in their premiums and very few payments having to go out.  Cha-ching for the insurance company!

 

They had a limited mental health benefit. 

 

Oh my!  Those poor kids had more mental health visits than any of our other accounts.  They wracked up the mental health bills.  We think it must have been the intense pressure those poor things were under.  

 

The company finally had to drop the account because it was losing so much money on the mental health claims because there were so many.  It was either that or up the premiums, and the college ended up going with another company with lower premiums.

 

Don't know how much this story really applies to the OP, but from my very limited exposure to it, mental health insurance can be a very important need for college students.

[mellifera33]

Many mental health conditions manifest during young adulthood. Colleges cannot discriminate due to mental health conditions or force students to withdraw, so they want to make sure that all students at least have the ability to seek treatment. Having attended a campus where students were attempting to hang themselves in classrooms, throwing themselves out of buildings, ODing in their dorm rooms, etc, I can see where they're coming from. 

[creekland]

Having attended a campus where students were attempting to hang themselves in classrooms, throwing themselves out of buildings, ODing in their dorm rooms, etc, I can see where they're coming from. 

 

That sounds like a college I'd be very wary of!  Middle son has been involved in dorm management (usually RA) for 4 years now and never come across the first two.  The only OD in the dorm room was likely a mistake, and very sad to all involved.  Drugs and alcohol are common issues, but that seems to go with the age for many.  Even then, there are also many who don't get involved.  I prefer my guys being at colleges like that!

[mellifera33]

That sounds like a college I'd be very wary of! Middle son has been involved in dorm management (usually RA) for 4 years now and never come across the first two. The only OD in the dorm room was likely a mistake, and very sad to all involved. Drugs and alcohol are common issues, but that seems to go with the age for many. Even then, there are also many who don't get involved. I prefer my guys being at colleges like that!

I don't actually think it is all that strange, as far as colleges go. Privacy laws mean that these kind of incidents don't usually go farther than whoever finds the student, the dean of students, and whoever the student opts to tell. My campus was small--everybody knew everybody--but I don't think most students knew that these things were happening. My alma mater is not known as a pressure cooker, but as a friendly, welcoming LAC with the usual mix of high-achieving and average students.

[creekland]

I don't actually think it is all that strange, as far as colleges go. Privacy laws mean that these kind of incidents don't usually go farther than whoever finds the student, the dean of students, and whoever the student opts to tell.

 

Actually, at middle son's college these things are shared with the RAs - not always with names, but to work to prevent future incidents.  He often shares any with us because he's the more sensitive type and prefers sharing knowing we aren't involved at all - and he doesn't ever tell us names either.  There aren't all that many incidents though - and those that happen almost always involve too much alcohol.

 

I just asked youngest son if any similar event happened at his college (an LAC) and his experiences match middle son's.  Drug and alcohol abuse can be rampant - even ODing (but not to death as the one incident at middle son's college) - but a hospital call roughly once every couple of weeks. There aren't any incidents of kids throwing themselves from buildings or hanging themselves (anywhere) - not in the past three years anyway.

 

When students die (at either college) the campus is informed officially - those affected are offered counseling assistance if they want it.

[Bootsie]

I had a friend who was a physician on a college campus about 10 years ago.  I asked him what the biggest issue he saw regarding health among college students.  I expected him to say alcohol, depression, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, etc.  He quickly said, "lack of health insurance." 

[creekland]

I had a friend who was a physician on a college campus about 10 years ago.  I asked him what the biggest issue he saw regarding health among college students.  I expected him to say alcohol, depression, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, etc.  He quickly said, "lack of health insurance." 

 

It might be a combo of lack of health insurance and not wanting to admit to mom & dad that they need to use their health insurance if on parental plans...

 

In general, it's another place (among many) where universal insurance would be so much nicer so no one would have to worry about needing money at the point of service (or having to pay extra for insurance coverage and then co-pays, etc).

[goldberry]

It might be a combo of lack of health insurance and not wanting to admit to mom & dad that they need to use their health insurance if on parental plans...

 

In general, it's another place (among many) where universal insurance would be so much nicer so no one would have to worry about needing money at the point of service (or having to pay extra for insurance coverage and then co-pays, etc).

 

That's an interesting possibility.

 

Regarding suicide/mental health, our friend's daughter was an RA at a very rural small school (low key, not a pressure cooker), and her roommate hung herself.  It was awful and the daughter had to have counseling.

 

Trust me, I would actually have been happy for ALL of us to have mental health coverage. We just couldn't afford the plans. 

[creekland]

Re-reading about a recent study showing Canadians with cystic fibrosis live an average of 10 years longer than Americans - and seeing the stat that Canadians in general live 3 years longer - I still wish we'd join the rest of the first world and see health care as a right.  No one would have to worry about paying for it or arguing about coverage or similar - for college or anything else.  It seems even our car and property insurances would decrease to help offset the costs - no more medical coverage needed on those either.  If we can do it for education - why can't we do it for medical issues?  Basic health care shouldn't be reserved for the wealthy.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39410236

[plansrme]

No one would have to worry about paying for it or arguing about coverage or similar - for college or anything else.  

 

 Have you ever researched Canadian tax rates?  Federal income tax ranges from 15-33%; provincial income tax from 9-21%; and sales tax looks like it is commonly around 15%.  And pay special attention to the attachment points to see where the highest rates kick in, and how little income is required to pay 15%.  In fact, LOT of people are paying for coverage.  

[creekland]

 Have you ever researched Canadian tax rates?  Federal income tax ranges from 15-33%; provincial income tax from 9-21%; and sales tax looks like it is commonly around 15%.  And pay special attention to the attachment points to see where the highest rates kick in, and how little income is required to pay 15%.  In fact, LOT of people are paying for coverage.  

 

Well yes, I meant pay at the point of service - just didn't type it that way.  My step-mom is Canadian (still living in Canada).  I'm very acquainted with the two systems and their respective costs.  Theirs is better overall IMO - and statistically.  Personal anecdote-wise, both systems have their pros and cons, but the biggest con (cost at point of service) is HUGE for our system - denying many adequate care.

 

Don't forget too, that as tax rates would increase to cover the system, salaries can also increase when employers don't need to pay for it anymore - or expenses decrease when citizens don't have to pay for it via insurance (health, car, home owner or other liability), health share, and actual costs.

 

My step mom and folks around her don't really end up paying more than we do when all things are added in.  It only looks that way when folks look at "taxes."  That's the scare tactic IMO.  But when her grandson gets a broken arm - no cost.  When her kids/grandkids go to college - no health costs.  Her prescriptions?  No charge.  It's already paid for just like public education is here.  The public benefits from an educated population.  We'd benefit from health issues being covered too - just as they do.  If one wants more than public education, they are free to pay for it.  The same would happen with medical care if one desired more.  Win-win for pretty much everyone overall.