MSU health care policy to be examined by Michigan House of Representatives
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State lawmakers are planning to investigate MSU’s student health care plan in an upcoming House hearing, as some representatives claim the new university insurance system implemented this year adds an unnecessary financial burden on students.
On Thursday, State Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, announced the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education would hold a hearing Feb. 15 to address the university’s new health care system, which requires students to be covered under a health insurance policy or face being automatically billed for a university plan.
The policy mandates every student starting with this year’s freshman class carry health insurance, which includes being covered under a parent’s policy, or purchase the university plan, which costs around $1,500 per year, university spokesman Kent Cassella said.
MSU is the only public university in Michigan to have such a requirement. However, the change can be paid for with federal financial aid or student loans.
Cotter met with Provost Kim Wilcox and several other university administrators Tuesday to discuss making the MSU-sponsored plan optional, but the parties didn’t come to an agreement. Administrators did, however, agree to extend the deadline for students to get insurance from Jan. 31 to Feb. 29 to allow time for the House hearing.
So far, MSU has contacted 790 freshmen who don’t have health care, Cassella said.
He said the policy mainly is in place to maintain public health on campus. Students packed in close
quarters can be a problem if a sick student refuses to go to the doctor because they can’t afford health insurance.
The policy also is aimed to prevent untreated mental illnesses and to stop students from dropping out of school.
“(Students) may be making a financial decision that they have to drop out of school to pay their medical bills,” Cassella said.
The student health care debate adds to an already strained relationship between MSU administrators and the subcommittee. Last year, several lawmakers accused MSU administrators of intentionally tampering with the definition of the academic year to raise tuition above the 7.1 percent cap required to maintain full state funding.
In July, the subcommittee called MSU administrators Mark Burnham and Mark Haas to testify, where in a heated testimony Cotter called their conduct “cute play” and an underhanded move to smokescreen the process.
Subcommittee chairman Bob Genetski, R-Saugatuck, then introduced a bill to strip MSU of the more than $18 million in funding. The bill has not yet made it out of committee.
Despite the controversy, some students agree with the university’s reasoning.
Studio art junior Ashley Brimley said she supports the university requirement, considering it can be paid for with federal aid.
“It’s a burden, I know I have some friends who are tight on money,” Brimley said. “(But) I am for health care at MSU.”
Commentary
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Stick to your own district
(02/03/12 9:18am)Report
Who is this Kevin Cotter, and why does he keep attacking MSU?
Legislature overrreaching
(02/03/12 5:09pm)Report
The legislature appropriates only about 23% of the cost of running MSU and this percentage has been decreasing for about 30 years. This year the university was hit with a 15% appropriation reduction and there’s been about a 30% reduction in funding over the last 10 years.
The legislature is elected by Michigan voters and so is MSU’s Board of Trustees. Our Michigan constitution specifically gives the Board of Trustees the responsibility and authority to make decisions about MSU governance, not the legislature.
The legislature controls what they appropriate, but they should not be dictating administrative decisions at this university nor any other state university with elected governance and that includes decisions about student health care policies.
The legislature is overreaching here. If they really want to do some good, they should focus on finding ways to fund the state’s 15 universities at national average levels, and for our Big 10 schools, at the average level for Big 10 schools.
Michigan college students pay more tuition than students at nearly all public colleges in the country because state appropriations are lower here than nearly every other public college in the country.
When it comes to support for higher education, Michigan is a disgrace.
KJ Green
(02/03/12 5:37pm)Report
So … the body that is at least partly/indirectly responsible for adding “financial burden on students” is going to evaluate the fact that the university’s insurance requirement “adds an unnecessary financial burden on students”? Huh?