CMU has no plans to follow MSU health care mandate

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Michigan leaders will hold a hearing Wednesday to discuss a controversial Michigan State University health insurance mandate.

The university said all students need to have some form of health insurance. If they do not have their own insurance or are not covered by a parent’s policy, they must purchase the MSU student health care plan, which costs about $1,500, the State News reported on Feb. 2.

The Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education will look into the new mandate and its affect on MSU students.

“The decision has serious consequences for the state, as it raises the cost of a college education in Michigan by thousands of dollars, puts a new burden on working families in this tough economy and could potentially keep some students from being able to pursue a higher education,” Michigan House Republicans said in a statement on the hearing issued Monday.

MSU is the only university in the state to require students to have health care coverage.

Tom Trionfi, director of University Health Services, said Central Michigan University attempted to require all international students to have insurance, but “that venture met with little success. Between trying to administer whether or not a student had insurance and the additional financial obligation to the student, we dropped the requirement after a year.”

The CMU student insurance plan costs $1,380 for the 2011-12 school year. The plan covers care provided at University Health Services and elsewhere when the facility is closed, as well as hospitalization, emergency room care and prescription coverage. It also covers immunizations, TB skin testing, and birth control options prescribed at Health Services.

Trionfi said the department does not know how many CMU students do not have insurance, but cited a 2002 study by the Chickering Group which found that about 30 percent of college students were uninsured. CMU would consider following MSU’s example, Trionfi said, but the cost it imposes on students would be a major concern.

Students were also concerned with the additional costs that would be involved with purchasing the university health care plan.

“That doesn’t seem right,” said Lansing junior Addie Forgrave. “It’s not fair that (MSU) is forcing someone to spend $1,000 that they don’t have.”

Trionfi said health insurance protects students from the financial burdens associated with sudden illness or injury.

“Even a single trip to the emergency room can cost over $1,000, and an MRI is over $1,500,” he said.

Trionfi said uninsured students are also more likely to avoid seeking medical attention because they do not want to pay for it.

“Uninsured students may wait longer to seek care or ignore potentially serious conditions,” he said. “A serious illness or injury could negatively affect a student’s ability to attend classes and ultimately their ability to graduate.”