Though the Affordable Care Act of spring 2010 provided health insurance coverage to many more young Americans, millions of college students still have to pay out of pocket for health care on campus.
Like many others across the nation, the University’s Student Health Center is classified as out-of-network, meaning it is unavailable for outside insurance policies.
The ACA allowed most young Americans to remain covered by their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26. According to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of insured young adults rose by 3.5 percent during the first quarter of 2011, representing approximately 1 million citizens.
In order for the extended coverage to take effect, the health care provider must be “in-network,” meaning it must be registered with insurance agencies for coverage.
“Most of those [private] plans have a lower rate of reimbursement for going out-of-network,” said Celeste Carney, insurance coordinator at the Student Health Center.
The growth of insured young Americans leaves many wondering why young adults are still paying for health care, but the process of becoming in-network is undertaken from each individual university’s side of the transaction.
But becoming in-network with insurance agencies is not always worth the effort, says Julie Hupperich, associate director for the University’s Student Health Center.
Because LSU is a public university, contracts with insurance companies must first go through the LSU System Board of Supervisors and the University’s procurement codes, Hupperich explained.
The Student Health Center, as a branch of the University, doesn’t have the authority to negotiate contracts with health insurance providers independently, she said.
But there is not much need to do so, according to Hupperich. The average cost of general appointments that require payment ranges from $20 to $25, she said. Often no payment is required, she added.
Hupperich said the services offered are so low-cost that becoming an in-network provider wouldn’t be any more advantageous.
The University offers its own insurance policy, however, under which about 6,370 students are insured. The insurance plan is offered to both full- and part-time students as well as spouses or unmarried children filed as dependents. Plans can be purchased on an annual basis or per semester, with prices of $1,044 and $531, respectively.
Carney said she sees about 250 insurance claims each month at the Student Health Center, with 75 percent covered by the University’s insurance plan.
There may come a time when the Health Center considers becoming in-network, Hupperich said, but it hasn’t seen that demand yet.
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Contact Clayton Crockett at [email protected]
Many college students’ health care insured but not covered
October 17, 2011