NCHC sheds light on uninsured

MU only requires international students to purchase coverage.

By Krissy Tripp

Published March 9, 2009

The state of the economy has also taken a toll on health insurance, and students could face troubles because of it.

The National Coalition of Health Care Web site stated the primary reason people give for not having health insurance is the cost. Economists have found correlations between rising insurance costs and drops in health care coverage, the Web site stated.

The NCHC Web site goes on to link the high cost of health care to the housing problems. Twenty-five percent of Americans surveyed said their housing problems resulted from medical debt because it affected either their credit or their ability to make payments. One and a half million Americans lose their homes each year to foreclosure due to unaffordable medical costs.

The Kaiser Family Foundation said the economy ranks No. 1 on the public's priority list for the government and health care ranks in at No. 4 on the list. Nineteen percent of people reported serious financial trouble due to family medical costs.

College students are not immune to the health care problems created by the economy.

The American College Health Association found in a survey of 20,507 college students that 9.8 percent are knowingly uninsured and 6.4 percent of students don't know if they have health insurance or not. That leaves 83.8 percent of college students knowingly insured.

The ACHA lists access to health care 10th among their list of health concerns in the U.S.

The only students MU requires to purchase health insurance are international students, but some state universities are requiring every student to have health insurance.

International Center Director James Scott said they require international students to buy health insurance to ensure they have access to health care. It's standard for universities to require international students to have health insurance because so many come from countries where health care is universal, so it's a different system for them, he said.

According to the NCHC, a survey reported the U.S. spends $480 billion in excess spending compared to western European nations with universal health insurance coverage. The Web site stated the excess costs are associated with extra administrative costs and poorer quality of care.

"When they enroll they're aware insurance is required, so it's not a surprise for them," Scott said.

The international insurance plan at MU is the same plan offered to domestic students.

Student Health Center spokesman David Dale said domestic students at MU aren't required to have insurance, but a plan is available through MU.

"We strongly recommend it," Dale said.

Although full insurance isn't a requirement, students with more than six credit hours are automatically charged a student health fee. The health fee covers routine visits, annual health exams and diagnosis.

Services such as casting, splinting, X-rays or lab tests must be paid for out of pocket or billed to insurance.

For instance, Dale said, if a student were to injure his or her arm, the health fee would cover getting the arm examined but more X-rays and casting would not be covered in the student health fee.

Dale said there are risks to remaining uninsured. Nobody plans to become sick or injured.

"If you were to be injured or become very ill and require hospitalization, you wouldn't be able to bill the costs to your insurance and would have to pay for those costs out of your own pocket," Dale said.