A student fights back and forth with her insurance company over reimbursement for more than a year, with her bills being sent to collection agencies in the meantime. Another eschews health care altogether despite his crippling injury in order to avoid the almost-guaranteed financial battle that visiting a doctor would spark.
Stories like these - both of which happened to Tufts students - often don't make the headlines in America's fight to get health care for all. In Massachusetts, students have been required to have insurance for almost 20 years, so attention is focused elsewhere. Unfortunately, a plan that might have worked 20 years ago is desperately in need of reform today.
Currently, students who lack private health insurance can opt to be insured through their schools, which take part in Qualifying Student Health Insurance Program (QSHIP) plans. QSHIP plans are offered by private insurance companies and are not subsidized by the government. The minimum QSHIP coverage cap is $50,000. The Tufts QSHIP coverage, however, is up to $100,000 - yet problems still occur. The Tufts administration, which acquires its specific QSHIP plan through a bidding process, is clearly devoting considerable resources to obtaining the best health care it can for students. The problem lies not with Tufts but with the options available for all schools.
Any solution will rely on the Massachusetts state government re-evaluating QSHIP. Higher coverage caps, higher prescription caps and better emergency care should all be provided on the plans offered by QSHIP. Overhauling QSHIP, however, might be unnecessary when a simpler solution may exist.
Two years ago, Massachusetts implemented mandatory health care for all its citizens. Those who cannot afford to buy private plans are offered Commonwealth Choice plans, which are fully or partially subsidized by the state government, depending on income level.
Unfortunately, students are ineligible for these plans, but if they were added as a separate category eligible for Commonwealth Choice, it could solve many insurance headaches. There is no obvious reason why uninsured students should be required to buy private insurance through their schools, while uninsured Massachusetts citizens are offered government-subsidized plans.
Critics of this suggestion may point out that non-resident students don't pay Massachusetts income taxes, and should thus be ineligible for state-funded subsidies. However, that would be ignoring the enormous contribution students make to the Massachusetts economy. A 2003 Boston Redevelopment Authority report estimated that students enrolled in the city's colleges and universities add $4.8 billion to Boston's annual economy. Universities also serve as major employers, as well as attracting high-tech industries and tourists to the state. Considering how much these institutes of higher education add to Massachusetts, it makes no sense to trivialize the health of their students.
No matter what the ultimate solution is, it is clear that the current state of student health care is unacceptable. In order to prevent students from being marginalized, it is imperative that we speak up as a group. Students can organize and help to spread information and incite discussion and, along with their universities, lobby for health care reform. Without more attention paid to this crisis, it will not be solved.
