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Health insurance costs rise at some U.S. colleges
By Kim Selman on 2/14/08
College students across the nation are facing unforeseen health insurance charges on their tuition bills, but AU does not require students to buy a school-sponsored insurance policy if they already get coverage from a policy.
While the Student Health Center does offer an AU insurance policy, they do not require students to buy it if they have insurance that has an equal or greater level of coverage, according to Cynthia Wilson, the center's business manager.
"[Students] don't have to take our health insurance," she said. "They have the ability to investigate any other carrier out there."
This is not the case at other colleges' campus health centers, where students often face hundreds to thousands of dollars in extra health insurance costs, according to U.S. News and World Report.
It is becoming common practice for schools to automatically charge their students for the campus-sponsored health insurance plan unless students prove they have outside health care coverage.
AU enrolls students in the Student Health Center's insurance plan automatically and bills them unless a student fills out a valid waiver form before the deadline date, according to the center's Web site. The Student Health Center mails information to students about the plan during the summer, places fliers in students' mailed bills, posts notifications on Today@AU, lists information on their Web site and holds information sessions for new and transfer students during orientations, Wilson said.
"I think the option is always open to the student," Wilson said. "But we as a university allow them to make a selection. Talk to mom and dad and look at some of the local plans in the D.C. area ... I think that's a fair way to do it."
Annual premium health insurance rates at AU for the 2007-2008 year cost $1,325. Coverage from January to August costs $845 and coverage from May to August costs $360, according to the center's Web site.
At other colleges, the school-sponsored health plan costs range from a couple hundred dollars at Brigham Young University to as much as $2,500 at Brown University.
While the Student Health Center does offer an AU insurance policy, they do not require students to buy it if they have insurance that has an equal or greater level of coverage, according to Cynthia Wilson, the center's business manager.
"[Students] don't have to take our health insurance," she said. "They have the ability to investigate any other carrier out there."
This is not the case at other colleges' campus health centers, where students often face hundreds to thousands of dollars in extra health insurance costs, according to U.S. News and World Report.
It is becoming common practice for schools to automatically charge their students for the campus-sponsored health insurance plan unless students prove they have outside health care coverage.
AU enrolls students in the Student Health Center's insurance plan automatically and bills them unless a student fills out a valid waiver form before the deadline date, according to the center's Web site. The Student Health Center mails information to students about the plan during the summer, places fliers in students' mailed bills, posts notifications on Today@AU, lists information on their Web site and holds information sessions for new and transfer students during orientations, Wilson said.
"I think the option is always open to the student," Wilson said. "But we as a university allow them to make a selection. Talk to mom and dad and look at some of the local plans in the D.C. area ... I think that's a fair way to do it."
Annual premium health insurance rates at AU for the 2007-2008 year cost $1,325. Coverage from January to August costs $845 and coverage from May to August costs $360, according to the center's Web site.
At other colleges, the school-sponsored health plan costs range from a couple hundred dollars at Brigham Young University to as much as $2,500 at Brown University.
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