President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act six months ago today, but the University of North Carolina Board of Governors was hard at work in May 2009 planning student health care coverage. After months of deliberation and questioning, the body passed the plan in August 2009. Many aspects of coverage were discussed and addressed, and the overall coverage is fair.

The Board of Governors did their homework. In a presentation by Dr. Silberman to the Board, she estimated 16 percent of college students were uninsured. This is a significant number of students who are responsible for their health costs. These bills can become overwhelming and the cost of sustaining their own insurance can be close to impossible.  With this in mind, the Board chose correctly to give students access to manageable insurance.

After years of university-decided, voluntary plans, the coverage uniformity the Board worked out will be effective for N.C. State students. The coverage allows all students from all walks of life, whether they are international or they have a family, to have coverage. This is important, especially since both of these groups have special needs, beyond what the average college student has.

Not all students need insurance and the Board made sure to acknowledge this. Using 2008-2009 student health insurance data for five UNC schools, the Board discovered 4,276 students had taken advantage of the optional student health insurance. This is not a significant number when you consider the size of UNC universities, so there is a possibility there were thousands more who could not afford the coverage or didn’t even know it was an option, or didn’t need it. The Board has allowed for students to keep their comprehensive coverage or remain in the program.

Students appreciate the Board handed down the information and N.C. State made sure the information was available and sent consistent reminders. The website provided by Pearce & Pearce is informative and the reports from all of the Board of Governors are noted.  

The only issue with the plan is the Board should have mandated the Health Center provide more straightforward insurance counseling for students who were unsure about their insurance coverage and options. Insurance is a confusing subject and students still need help to make sure they get the most out of their coverage.

Overall, the Board of Governors made the right decision when they chose to “provide all students with access to high quality insurance.” Students who were not covered now have coverage, and may find they have more flexibility when they seek health care. Students who have independent insurance are also able to opt back in when they need to. This insurance plan will help alleviate many problems for students, which will help them as they work their way through college.