(Brittany Meyer | Student Life)

With national health care reform on the horizon, health insurance is a hot topic among Washington University students. Some say they are unhappy with the school’s Aetna student health insurance plan, which is mandated for all University undergraduate and graduate students.

“I already have my family insurance at home,” freshman Elizabeth Mitnick said. “So my parents aren’t happy about having to pay extra because we’re already covered.”

Freshman Micajah Dudley said he dislikes the University’s requirement that students obtain referrals from on-campus medical professionals before seeking Aetna-covered treatment from doctors outside Student Health Services. Dudley, who recently suffered a sports injury, said he found the process tedious.

“You have to go in to schedule an appointment for a referral for an appointment,” Dudley said.

Freshman Christine Diepenbrock said she is unhappy with Aetna’s prescription drug coverage, which is not included in the basic plan.

Aetna provides students with the option of purchasing a prescription drug plan for an additional $78. Students can also obtain more coverage through the Optional Alternate Medical Plan, which costs $22 more than the basic plan.

The University’s previous student health care plan, which was provided through Great-West Healthcare, also included prescription drug coverage as an additional option.

Graduate student Mark Smith said he feels the student health insurance plan does not work well for graduate students.

“We have different needs than the undergraduates,” he said.

Outgoing students wary of possibility of losing health insurance

One health care provision currently being debated in Congress would allow parents to extend their health benefits to children until the age of 27. Still, students are preparing for the risk of losing health insurance in the outside world.

Senior Jake Laperruque hopes his future graduate school will provide a health insurance option. But like many graduate students, Laperruque must face paying off his large student debt and said he is not sure whether he will be able to pay for insurance in the future.

Associate Dean for Public Health Timothy McBride recommends that graduates find a plan that covers preventative care visits.

“Students may be best off buying a plan that has some relatively high deductibles because then the premiums will be much lower,” McBride wrote in an e-mail to Student Life. “Also look out for pre-existing condition exclusions.”

McBride noted that students should keep in mind that in a medical emergency, they could face large deductibles.

One other available option for University students is to continue their coverage with Aetna by enrolling in the 2009-10 WUSTL Continuation Plan.

The future of health care in America

McBride wrote that he is optimistic about government health care reform in America and the effect it will have on college graduates.

“The future actually looks pretty bright,” McBride wrote. “I believe we will pass comprehensive health reform this year.”

Laperruque also said he would like to see health care reform.

“There needs to be comprehensive health care reform where all Americans can get access [to medical aid],” Laperruque said.

The University’s new student health insurance plan is the result of a bidding process that occurred last spring. Every other year, the student health insurance plan goes up for bid in a confidential meeting. For the last two years, Great-West Health Care was the health insurance provider for University students.

This year, Aetna was selected for its ability to provide the best plan at the lowest cost. The bid and its acceptance were overseen by a committee of deans from each school and students who had requested changes in the past.

Debra Harp, director of administration at the Habif Health and Wellness Center, said she feels it is in students’ best interest that the University puts its health insurance up for bid every two years.

“Putting the student health plan out to bid every other year is a very prudent thing to do in order to make sure that the rates reflect the usage of the plan and to make sure we are offering the best possible benefits,” Harp wrote in an e-mail.
Regarding this year’s change, Harp emphasized the variety of options that will accompany the change, as well as the plan’s reduction in cost.

“During the bid process two years ago, WU was able to add an optional prescription plan at a low cost, as well as a low cost dental plan. During this year’s bid process we were able to reduce the student health fee and made sure the plan remained unchanged for that reduction in cost,” Harp wrote.

Some new options in the Aetna plan are discounted services for students, such as lowered prices for weight-loss counseling, smoking cessation therapy, and vitamin and mineral supplements. As for the lowered cost, student health insurance fees have declined from $686 to $550 under the plan.

Still, some students are unhappy with the plan. Graduate student Mark Smith, who was invited to sit in on the bid committee meeting, says he is disappointed with the University’s decision to switch to Aetna.

“The school should have been looking for a plan that accurately reflects the needs of undergrads and for grads and one that is more reflective of the adults and the adult community,” Smith said.

Student health insurance, then and now

The University’s health insurance plan was created in 2000 and enacted in 2001. It has served University students since then, with minor changes.

The student health insurance serves as each student’s primary coverage, and the fee covers nine free counseling visits, nutritional consults, about 20 free lab tests, and other low-cost health services.

This year, with high unemployment nationwide, some students may have less access to their parents’ health care, even if they participate in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which was designed to allow working families to keep their health insurance in case of unemployment. According to Harp, the new Aetna plan tries to adjust to these new needs.

“Many students and their families are finding this is their only healthcare coverage during times of unemployment,” Harp wrote. “In addition, many employers are cutting their contributions toward healthcare premiums or increasing deductibles to very high amounts, which places a financial burden on the family. This plan helps alleviate some of those financial burdens.”

The new healthcare plan will also work with the University’s financial aid services.

“The University wants to make sure that it knows about any financial difficulties that students’ families are having so that we can help,” said Bill Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services. “We want all of our students to remain here pursuing their education at Wash. U.”