Many of the nation's leading grant universities demand health insurance as a requirement for all incoming full-time students. As of the 2007-2008 academic year, UNH will be one of them.
For this requisite to come into effect, the requirement will abide by a yearlong process of reviewing the individual students' health care needs, considering the programs objectives with students, parents and staff members.
Through Health Plans, Inc., health insurance will be available under UNH's new Student Health Benefits Plan. For student coverage, the average cost of this program will be about $115 a month. This includes a $1 million maximum lifetime benefit, no current health care exclusions or limitations, prescription drug and mental health care coverage and reduced co-payments for access to physician and hospital services.
This plan will cover students whether they are at home, abroad or at school.
"Health insurance is essential to ensure that our students have appropriate access to heath care beyond the services available on campus at UNH's Health Service and Counseling Center," said Kevin Charles, assistant vice president for Student and Academic Services and director of Health Services.
Other schools with like health insurance requirements include UMass Amherst, Cornell, the University of Connecticut, the University of Vermont and the University of Rhode Island.
"We are pleased that the student health plan offered through the university will be one of the best in the country," said UNH Health Services director of finance and administration, Cindy McGahey.
For many years the university has made optional health care coverage available to students. Between the years of 2004 and 2006 benefits declined and premiums went up about 59 percent. Due to these cost increases, fewer students chose to enroll for insurance through UNH. The university decided it was best to pull the plan, leaving students to find their insurance elsewhere. The plan was no longer affordable and did not comply with the standards of the American College Health Association, a national nonprofit association for college health services.
"Although this is a difficult decision, we feel it is in the best interest of our students. There are various individual health insurance plans available to you through the private market that might have favorable costs and benefits," said Charles, in a letter sent home to students in February of 2006.
This new policy will assure that UNH complies with the insurance and benefit plan standards set by the American College Health Association. Students currently covered through other health care providers are not required to purchase the plan available by
UNH, although UNH feels that more students will choose be covered by the plan because of the cost differences, and added benefits in comparison to their current health coverage.
"It's really great that the university is bringing back the option of health care coverage with all these added benefits," said UNH senior Nicole Gosselin. "It's too bad I'm graduating and won't be around for it."
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