Health insurance: a necessary hassle
30 04 08 - 15:03
Aaron Sheldon
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: Features
The majority of college students with health insurance are receiving it from their employers, which may show that employee benefits are becoming increasingly crucial.
Out of 80 percent of college students aged 18 to 23 who receive health insurance, 67 percent are covered through employer-sponsored plans, according to a March study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Beth Benne, director of the Student Health Center, strongly advises students to get health insurance, even though she is "very aware of the costs."
"Do whatever you can to get a job with good health benefits," Benne recommended.
Larger businesses have a higher chance of listing employment benefits, according to Nazanin Bahrampour, assistant to the director of the Pierce College Job Center.
"Usually, people find out about (benefits) after they go to the interview," Bahrampour said. "When they apply to the job, those things are usually discussed."
Though the Student Health Center is able to offer its services to students who do not have health insurance, this benefit is only available while students are registered for the semester.
International students must pay an average of $63 per month in six-month increments, on top of the $11 health fee that every student must pay each semester.
The estimated cost for one calendar year of an international student's health care is $875, according to a GAO document.
Jay Fearn, 31, is an international student from England who works in the Student Health Center.
"I have to pay like $420 each semester, courtesy of Arnold Schwarzenegger," said Fearn, a nursing major.
Elyse Galvan, 27, also a student worker in the Center, does not have health insurance due to cost.
"If I did get sick, they cover us here," said Galvan, a liberal arts major. "I'm lucky that I don't need it."
The GAO study revealed that one in five college students aged 18 to 23 was uninsured in 2006, which Benne said may be attributed to high costs and a lack of information.
Typically, a health insurance plan with a lower deductible will have higher monthly payments.
"Get the major medical, but go for the higher deductible. Student-geared insurance plans are often cheaper, with smaller payments,' Benne suggests.
More information on health insurance is available at the Student Health Center.