Author: Ben DeLuca
Occidental now requires that all students purchase full healthcare coverage through the college. Families were initially informed that the extra cost of the program, which has a total price tag of $711, “is already included in tuition and fees,” according to the letter announcing the change. Parents thought the deal was part of last year’s five percent tuition hike. When they saw the bill, they realized the announcement letter was wrong and the premium was a separate and added cost.
Last year, students had to pay into injury insurance but could waive the sickness insurance if they showed proof that they were already on a coverage plan. Administrators began to consider the idea of mandatory sickness insurance in the fall of 2010, but the final decision was not made until the spring of 2011. Members of the Student Health Advisory Council (SHAC) were consulted about the plan and generally had neutral or positive reactions, according to Director of Student Health Services at Emmons Health Center Richard Youngblood.
The change was prompted, in part, by revelations that some students were keeping insurance until the day they had to show proof and then dropping it.
“The College becomes liable for anything that happens because we’re the first responders,” President Jonathan Veitch said. “So if somebody is in some kind of trouble, we take them to the hospital. . . they can’t pay the bill and we’re worried about their health. We end up paying the bill, so we end up being liable.”
Administrators also anticipate that the change will benefit the maximum number of students possible. Their intention is to provide coverage for students with inadequate health insurance.
“In addition to minimizing out-of-pocket costs, this coverage also offers students confidentiality in the health care process so that they may seek any assistance they need without first getting approval to do so,” Dean of Students Barbara Avery said.
Director of Communications Jim Tranquada also noted that this change in healthcare will keep all students at Occidental healthier.
“It’s a microcosm of the national issue, because we also find that in some cases students who don’t have insurance don’t seek treatment when they really ought to; they wait until they absolutely can’t ignore it anymore and at that point, the situation is much more severe than if they had been covered and just gone and taken care of it,” Tranquada said.
While the cost of the policy is $100 less than last year, President Veitch acknowledged that there are downfalls to the program and also mistakes in how the college introduced it to families.
“The problem is that some people have coverage so they feel like they’re paying twice,” he said. “And then it got rolled out late and inaccurately so they had to send a second letter for which we have to make a mea culpa.”
The apology letter confirmed that the premium was indeed going to be an added cost for families.
“We want to apologize for the incorrect information you recently received from the college regarding student insurance. . . Some of you have called to complain, and rightfully so. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure that this will not happen again,” said the letter, which was sent from Dean Avery’s office.
“We hope that the mistake does not overshadow the important purpose of the recent changes in the health insurance program,” the letter continued. Youngblood urged students to understand what the consequences of these changes in student healthcare mean for them. “Everybody needs to know they should have received a card, insured by United Health Care,” he said. “Everybody should know that just about everything at Emmons is covered one hundred percent. The insurance is good anywhere in the country. It’s comprehensive.”
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