International students gather on campus to protest new health insurance policies

About 25 international students gathered on campus Thursday with one thought in mind — no yearly health insurance.

A new insurance policy introduced this fall by Central Michigan University will impact about 600 international students on campus, including many who feel it places an unfair burden on them.

Nigeria graduate student Cajetan Iheka helped coordinate the effort to bring attention to the policy. The students marched in front of Charles V. Park Library.

“We came together to look into paying for health insurance per semester,” said Iheka. “They insist we pay for one year right away, which doesn’t make sense for us economically.”

Protesters carried signs asking for semester-based insurance and completely condemning the new policy, among other items. They started from the library and made their way down to Warriner Hall, all while shouting, “This is my health, not the university’s.”

Criticism began last spring when it was announced the CMU Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan would include all international students for an entire year.

“It’s expensive because people pay out of their own pocket,” Iheka said. “Parents could pay for it every semester so we could go home in the summer.”

Angela Smith, assistant director of business services for University Health Services, was not available for comment.

Other students at the protest stressed their concerns even after going through the processes available.

“We have had a petition signed online, but they said they just don’t have the manpower,” said Bethlehem Legesse, an Ethiopia graduate student and Student Government Association representative. “We’re going to continue to meet with administrators.”

Among the crowd was Student Government Association Vice President Dave Breed.

“We hoped we could help,” the Muskegon senior said. “Beth tipped us off and we just want to make it not so draining on students.”

According to the health insurance policy, students must choose between four companies as their provider. Legesse said she feels the university simply wants to do less work.

Many of the supporters questioned why students pay for tuition semester by semester, but not health insurance.

Nigeria senior Ola Fadiran said it’s important for the students to fight this matter.

“They just came up with a new policy,” Fadiran said in an e-mailed statement. “It’s important for us to just be able to fight back.”

The protest concluded on the first and second floors in Warriner Hall.

At one point, rally organizers were approached by CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley, who informed them they were violating university policy by protesting inside the building. The protest ended shortly after the conversation.