Students could be getting the shaft in health care reform.
The bill approved earlier this week by the Senate Finance Committee has some people, including the American College Health Association, worried that it leaves out college-sponsored student health insurance plans. The ACHA says the bill’s language is unclear and ambiguous about how the college-sponsored plans should be treated.
The group has asked Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the committee’s chairman, to make clear that nothing in the proposed legislation is intended to preclude or inhibit the continuance of those student health insurance plans and that colleges will retain the ability to mandate comprehensive coverage levels for their students.
If not, it says 9 million college students could be impacted.
Some college students I know are dealing with the swine flu, seasonal flu, or other illnesses that threaten to keep them away from classes or add to the stress of writing papers and studying for exams. Some experiencing sickness at school for the first time have the extra frustration of figuring out if they have insurance, what it covers, and where they can seek treatment.
While we wait to see what happens with health care reform and the impact on students, go ahead and investigate what your insurance situation is like now, or what you may need to do if entering college next year.
• Check if your school offers insurance plans for students at subsidized rates. Data shows that 71 percent of four-year private schools and 82 percent of four-year public institutions offer student insurance plans, according to a March 2008 Government Accountability Office report. You may already be paying for insurance, but take a look at the plan before you seek treatment from a doctor that may not be covered and incur a big expense. Those plans typically cover treatment at a university health center.
• Ask if you are covered as a dependent under your parents’ health plan.
You may have certain requirements to fulfill, in terms of credit hours. And the plan may not cover certain physicians in the town in which you are attending school.
• See if your employer offers health insurance. This could depend on the number of hours you work or your time on the job, but it could be a smart option to get affordable coverage.
College and university students comprise about 10-12 percent of the nation’s 45.7 million uninsured U.S. residents, according to a report by Aetna Student Health using GAO data. About 37 percent of uninsured young adults were carrying medical debt, as of 2007 data.
There’s enough financial pressure during college to have to worry about mammoth doctor’s and hospital bills as well. We’ll have to see what changes health care reform brings about, but there are ways to pursue getting coverage until then.
With their close quarters and high population density, as well as some students’ rebelliously unhygienic ways, college campuses are popular breeding grounds for disease and viruses. Combine all this with the fact that many students regularly travel abroad – whether for spring break or study abroad programs – and you’ll understand why college administrators sit up and take notice when talk of a global pandemic looms.
The latest cause for concern is H1N1 (swine flu). Originating in Mexico, this virus has a little over 200 confirmed cases across the nation with one incidence of death. College administrators have taken notice, especially considering the amount of schools that have study abroad programs in Mexico, and have begun taking action to inform students about the virus and protect them in whatever ways they can.
If you’re curious about what colleges have had reported H1N1 cases, or how they’re reacting to the virus, you can check out the International Association of Emergency Managers-Universities and Colleges Committee’s online map or this article from Inside Higher Ed.
What do you get when you invite more than 100 college students to Capitol Hill? A chance to strengthen the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.
Earlier this month, student leaders from the top 100 campuses competing in the ONE Campus Challenge (OCC) came together for the Power 100 Summit, hosted by ONE, a global advocacy and campaigning organization. OCC is a nationwide competition among colleges and universities where students earn points by engaging in social activism.
The elite three-day conference consisted of speakers and workshops at George Washington University campus and culminated with a lobby day on Capitol Hill. Students were joined by members of Congress and leaders of international organizations such as Oxfam and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
One of the activities in the jam-packed conference included a screening of “Sons of Lwala,” a documentary that tells the story of two brothers, Milton and Fred Ochieng’, and their community’s efforts to bring health care to the small, rural village of Lwala, Kenya. Students were able to talk directly with the brothers after the film:
“We know personally the devastation of disease, and we know the tremendous power of people coming together to do something about it,” said Milton Ochieng’.
With the education and training they received at the conference, student leaders deepened their understanding of extreme poverty and preventable diseases like AIDS and malaria and acquired skills to be more effective advocates on their campuses. The goal is for them to return to their campuses energized and ready to engage other students in new ways, utilizing the ideas, relationships, and techniques they learned at the summit.
But can college students really make a difference in something as broad as global poverty? ER’s Dr. Greene believes they can:
“College students have tremendous energy and creativity to bring to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease,” said actor Anthony Edwards, board chairman of Shoe4Africa, an organization that specializes in creating unique health initiatives and promotes AIDS awareness.
That vote of confidence was echoed by model and designer Lauren Bush:
“We believe that students have incredible transformational power to create widespread awareness of global diseases and extreme poverty,” added Lauren Bush, co-founder of the FEED Project, which raises money to alleviate hunger through the World Food Program. “Small actions, done by lots of people, can make the world a better place, and that’s what these students are doing.”
Click here to learn more about the ONE Campus Challenge and Power 100 Summit.
Kermit the Frog used to say, “It’s not easy being green,” but at college it’s not easy staying in the pink of health!
Living miles away from home can spur some students into adopting unhealthy lifestyles; sleeping becomes an option, the food pyramid becomes a polite suggestion, and instead of taking time to relax students are either partying or holed up in the library completing another 10-page term paper.
If you’re interested in staying healthy — and how could you not be? — you’ll have to take the steps to get there. That’s why we’ve compiled three basic tips for creating a healthy environment in college:
Get some shut-eye. While seven to eight hours is the recommended amount of sleep for a college student, you may find that your body requires more or less. The key is to find out how much sleep you really need and devise a schedule that’ll allow for it on a consistent basis. Try getting to sleep and waking up at the same time — whether it’s the weekend or weekday.
Eat right. A pizza or burger may be a go-to meal but that doesn’t make it a good hunger solution. Try prepping healthy meals in advance and bring brain-boosting snacks, like fruits or nuts, to lecture.
Learn to relax. While assignments will always be there and party invites will never stop coming, it’s a good idea to step away from the typical college experience for some rest and relaxation of your own. Take a long walk or join a sports club — you’ll both reduce your stress and increase your energy level.
Join four girls who are in love with grammar, coffee, and their iPods as they dish on everything you need to know NOW to make the transition from high school to college. It wasn't too long ago that we walked a mile in your excited, eager, and slightly nervous student shoes. Believe us -- it really can be the best four years of your life.
What do you get when you invite more than 100 college students to Capitol Hill? A chance to strengthen the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.
lifestyles; sleeping becomes an option, the food pyramid becomes a polite suggestion, and instead of taking time to relax students are either partying or holed up in the library completing another 10-page term paper.