<p>I’ll just jump right into it. I’ll be 26 years old when I start at UA. While my GI bill pays for a lot of things, health care is just not one of them. And because of my age, I won’t be able to be on my parents plans. UA’s student health plan is not and (based on my phone call today,) will not be in compliance with the PPACA. The student health office even strongly implied that student health plans will be going away soon because they can’t afford to offer a plan that is in compliance with obamacare because of the no annual limit and no denial of coverage for preexisting conditions mandates. </p>
<p>This means that I’ll have to go shopping for my own individual plan to be in compliance with the law. (Not that I would ever let myself be uninsured in the first place.) What I found was that trying to buy an individual plan (no corporate discounts, etc) even as a 25-ish year old with no dependents and no preexisting conditions, the prices are so high that I’m not sure I can afford to go to school full time and simultaneously be in compliance with the law. </p>
<p>What are you/your students doing/plan to do in regards to healthcare? (Speaking primarily to grad students here.)</p>
<p>You might want to repost this in the Parents Forum…there may be more ideas there and more info about what other similarly aged students are doing.</p>
<p>How much is too much? I had an individual plan until last month through United Healthcare for about $70/mo. I found my plan through ehealthinsurance.com.</p>
<p>o.O ohh good site. Haven’t seen that before. Every time I called an insurance provider directly (at the advice of the military… guess i should have seen that mistake coming) I was quoted absurdly high rates.</p>
<p>Since students are by far the cheapest group to cover, the UA health service will find a plan that meets with compliance and is reasonable in price. Lifetime coverage limits are not usually reached by 20-26 year-olds, unless they end up fighting a chronic/deadly illness (e.g. cancer.) This new rule will not be deal breaker for providers of student policies. Also, keep in mind that in 2014, Insurers are prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for any individuals based on gender or pre-existing medical conditions. Student plans will be the cheapest of all new plans that (in the future) will cover pre-existing health issues. Most colleges basically “re-sell” private plans anyway (and these plans are a big money maker for insurance companies offering them – more money comes in than goes out). Some sort of plan will pop up. “Strongly implying” doesn’t mean they won’t offer some sort of coverage to someone who needs to purchase it.
That said, the (soon-to-be established) exchanges are supposed to give a person of your age and on a fixed income a discounted plan. Subsidization of insurance premiums for individuals in households with income up to 400% of the poverty line will be available through the exchange. I take it that you are single and not married? A single person buying coverage should be able to swing the costs – approved plans will supposedly cost as low as $40-50.00 or so a month – maybe less for a student. I take it you don’t get Veteran’s healthcare coverage, correct? If so, you would most likely be eligible for purchase via an exchange. Alabama has opted for the federal exchange. If Alabama had decided to join in the Medicaid expansion, then those who have incomes up to 133% of poverty level would be eligible for that type of coverage. I would guess that a fair number of older students would fit into that category. However, if the least expensive policy you could acquire (via exchange or otherwise) would exceed 8% of your income, you are exempted from the mandate by law. All is not lost, I think you will be able to go to school and have health insurance. Keep in mind your preventive care costs and medical screenings will be free of charge – by law, you won’t have to fork over a co-pay for those services.</p>
<p>Wow, very good info. I’ve read all that before, but you not speaking like a lawyer helped me understand it a lot more.</p>
<p>And no, I’m not eligible for veterans healthcare. Despite being in eligible parts of the world at the right times, the way paperwork was done, I don’t actually get credit for being there, so I’m not eligible.</p>
<p>If UHC prices itself out of the market, another will take its place. Contrary to what some think, there IS competition going on here. </p>
<p>I think it’s important to keep in mind that your demographic (healthy, single 20-something/30-something) is one of the reasons the mandate exists in the first place. Health insurers and hospitals want you buying coverage and staying healthy (i.e. not showing up in the ER with neglected illnesses, unable to pay the substantial upcharge) – your presence in large numbers will (in theory) help control the increases in overall healthcare costs. They need your dollars – setting outrageous prices for young adults defeats the purpose entirely. Good luck!</p>
<p>I am glad to know they are moderating it- still hope that the person who made the inappropriate response saw my warnings about forum posts. Mine was not political but was removed. If they didn’t see it, I was just pointing out how easy it is to identify someone who posts inappropriate things and warning college students that doing it here, on Facebook, or other public forums is not a wise move for their future. Yes, employers do look at public forums to see what they find on candidates. Some colleges do too.</p>
<p>Just wanted to jump back in here and relay that after much digging, and a couple phone calls, I’ve learned that due to the phrasing of OBAMACARE, and the fact that UA will require you to waive out of the student health plan (vice opting into it,) my student health plan will be covered under my GI Bill as a mandatory fee. Which makes my health plan free to me! <em>jumps for joy</em></p>