Suspicions Brewing About Student Health Insurance
Posted 03 Dec, 2008
Since he took office in 2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has been looking out for student interests–beginning with student loan investigations in summer of 2007.
Now Cuomo has his eye on possible connections between colleges and student health insurers. According to an article in the New York Times, Cuomo has subpoenaed reputable colleges such as Columbia, Georgetown, and Cornell. The schools are suspected of accepting payment to encourage students to purchase health insurance that they may not even need.
Some colleges require students to purchase their school-related insurance as a condition of enrollment, whether or not those students already have insurance through their parents.
Protecting Your Interests
Attorney General Cuomo’s investigation is a start, but it could be months or even years before its findings effect way college insurance requirements function.
Many students are insured under their parents’ insurance. If this is your situation, it is important that you pay strict attention to the insurance requirements of your child’s college. Follow these steps to help ensure you and your student are getting the best deal on insurance:
1. Inspect the Student Health Fees on your child’s tuition bill. Most colleges include a fee for health insurance right in their quarterly or semi-annual tuition bill, so be sure you look for that charge so you know how much the school is charging for the coverage.
2. Compare the school insurance with your child’s current insurance. Some schools have surprisingly good coverage at relatively low prices–it may even be better than the insurance you have now. In other cases, however, the opposite is true.
3. Look into Student Health Insurance Waivers. Some colleges offer the option to waive their student health insurance coverage if you can prove that the student has coverage through a parent or other source. (This was an option available from my son’s college.) Sign the waiver if you want to cut the health insurance fee off your bill. If you can’t locate a waiver, be sure to contact your student’s school to find out more about their individual school policy.
By comparison shopping for the best combination of benefits and pricing, you may likely free up some additional dollars that can go towards paying the college bills.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: be healthy 2 by lusi
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Since he took office in 2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has been looking out for student interests–beginning with student loan investigations in summer of 2007.
Now Cuomo has his eye on possible connections between colleges and student health insurers. According to an article in the New York Times, Cuomo has subpoenaed reputable colleges such as Columbia, Georgetown, and Cornell. The schools are suspected of accepting payment to encourage students to purchase health insurance that they may not even need.
Some colleges require students to purchase their school-related insurance as a condition of enrollment, whether or not those students already have insurance through their parents.
Protecting Your Interests
Attorney General Cuomo’s investigation is a start, but it could be months or even years before its findings effect way college insurance requirements function.
Many students are insured under their parents’ insurance. If this is your situation, it is important that you pay strict attention to the insurance requirements of your child’s college. Follow these steps to help ensure you and your student are getting the best deal on insurance:
1. Inspect the Student Health Fees on your child’s tuition bill. Most colleges include a fee for health insurance right in their quarterly or semi-annual tuition bill, so be sure you look for that charge so you know how much the school is charging for the coverage.
2. Compare the school insurance with your child’s current insurance. Some schools have surprisingly good coverage at relatively low prices–it may even be better than the insurance you have now. In other cases, however, the opposite is true.
3. Look into Student Health Insurance Waivers. Some colleges offer the option to waive their student health insurance coverage if you can prove that the student has coverage through a parent or other source. (This was an option available from my son’s college.) Sign the waiver if you want to cut the health insurance fee off your bill. If you can’t locate a waiver, be sure to contact your student’s school to find out more about their individual school policy.
By comparison shopping for the best combination of benefits and pricing, you may likely free up some additional dollars that can go towards paying the college bills.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: be healthy 2 by lusi
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