Single students save with insurance

Although this year's student health insurance policy is more expensive for married couples, the total savings for single students will be $1.2 million, Martha Brizendine, chairperson of the graduate student committe that recommended the new policy, said yesterday. Under the new system, the policy rate went down to $820 from last year's $930 for a single student rate. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said yesterday the policy would have gone up to $1060 if the University had stayed with the old carrier. The University switched this year from Blue Cross to Mega Life and Health Insurance Company. Moneta said that the number of graduate and undergraduate students enrolled for insurance has not been affected by the new policy. Over 3000 students have signed up, and he said he expects 3000 more to enroll this year. Last year, 5600 students bought the University's policy, Moneta said. As of yesterday, half of the students had not sent in waivers or enrolled for insurance, although the deadline was September 1, Moneta said. He said that late responses are typical, and that the new carrier accomadates this, although the old one did not. Last year, students who missed the September 15 deadline could not buy insurance from the University and were forced to look elsewhere. Under the new policy, students can buy the insurance at any point during the semester, Moneta said. "We have an open window enrollment," Moneta said. "The penalty for signing up late is that you have to pay" for the whole semester. The benefits offered under the new policy are not as extensive as those of the old one, Moneta said. However, many of the benefits that were cut were not benefits which students needed, Brizendine said. Under the old policy, $500 of prescription medicine was covered, while the new policy only provides for $200. Brizendine pointed out that many students use no prescription medicine at all. The new carrier also has a lower limit for dental care and ambulance use. Graduate students expressed approval of the new plan at the opening meeting of the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly last night. "We ended up with a new policy that the students really like," Moneta said. Also at the GAPSA meeting, representatives from each school reported on summer changes and orientation activities. The 30 people at the meeting also passed a resolution relating to the open expression guidelines and discussed forming subcommittees for this year.

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