Part-time students can still get schools' health care plans
By: Edana Dillard
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: News
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who are required to take a medical leave of absence from school not have to be enrolled full-time to receive health
care benefits.
“Webster students must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours to qualify for the student health insurance plan,” said Ted Hoef, associate vice president and dean of students.
WU insurance requires a $20 co-pay of for a primary care visit, $50 co-pay to see a specialist
or Urgent Care. There is a $100 co-pay for going to the emergency room. A co-pay is how much you pay for a doctor visit. The amount depends on the insurance plan.
Michelle’s Law increases access
to medical coverage for college students by providing
for the extension of existing
health insurance coverage to college students for up to
one year.
While attending Plymouth State University, Michelle Morse was diagnosed with colon
cancer. Her doctors told her to quit college, but she couldn’t because without being enrolled she would no longer have
health care.
Webster University’s on-campus students are required to get WU’s insurance plan or show proof of their own.
College students are required
to be enrolled full-time by insurance companies if the students are on a family plan.
If Morse chose to go without
her insurance company plan, she would have to pay for insurance using the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act, which gives people the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their health plan for limited periods of time.
Those who are for the COBRA
qualified are required to pay the entire premium for coverage
up to 102 percent of the cost of the plan, which Morse could not afford. A Premium is the amount paid for insurance each month,
During Morse’s chemotherapy
treatment, she took classes full-time. Six months after her graduation, she died from her cancer. Her mother, AnnMarie Morse strived to help college students in similar situations as her daughter and the bill
was passed.
“I think that AnnMarie is a brave woman,” said Kara Worthman, a junior vocal performance
major. “Most people would have just given up and been depressed but she fought for her daughter. It just goes to show that you can’t just sit there you have to take action.”
President George W. Bush has to approve the bill before it is passed as a law. If the bill is signed, it will allow about 2,400 college students gain health benefits through insurance companies without having to be full-time students.
“I am not aware of any Webster
students having health issues
like Michelle’s situation, but I think there is a lot of merit
to the law,” said John Buck, associate dean of students and director of housing and
residential life.
For more information on Michelle’s Law go to www.michelleslaw.
com.
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