For DePaul student Victoria Gomez Meza, not having health insurance is a constant worry for her and her family.
“It was something that my parents were really stressed about. … I don’t have insurance, like what am I going to do?” said Gomez Meza, a first-generation college student from out of state.
Gomez Meza said she was relieved after learning on Tuesday (24 October) that the university would offer health insurance to students for the next academic year.
Kimberlie Goldsberry, associate vice president for student affairs, told The DePaulia that the university chose a health insurance plan provided by UnitedHealthcare, part of UnitedHealth Group, a multinational health care and insurance company based in Minnesota.
Gomez Meza, who also serves on the Student Government Association (SGA) as the first-generation student senator, said she believes a student health insurance plan will help increase retention and attract more international and first-generation students to DePaul.
Unlike most four-year institutions of higher education in the Chicago area, DePaul has not offered health insurance to students since 2015.
“I think it definitely … makes DePaul look better because they’re offering these things and showing that they actually care about students other than just their education,” Gomez Meza said.
Until the 2014-15 school year, the university offered health insurance through Aetna Student Health, an administrator and insurance broker that provides affordable health insurance programs for college and university students.
The new plan will cost $2,400 annually for three-quarters of the coverage, or $800 per quarter, and will cover all 12 months of the year, according to an update from the university on 24 October.
That amount is significantly less than what students paid for coverage through Aetna Student Health during the 2014-15 school year, when the student-only rate was $2,981 annually.
Other city universities that receive coverage through UnitedHealthcare have significantly higher rates for premium plans, and prices vary for undergraduate and graduate students.
Loyola University Chicago’s plan has premium rates starting at $3,684 annually for student-only coverage for the 2023-24 school year. Similarly, the University of Chicago (UChicago) charges $4,917 per year for its student-only plan.
Himali Bhandari is a graduate student and a member of the Student Health Insurance Task Force, which was formed in spring 2022 to research and make recommendations for an insurance plan. Bhandari said the main goal of the task force was to ensure affordable insurance for all students.
“Our whole point was, if students can’t afford it, then there’s no point,” Bhandari said.
This fall, an advisory committee to the task force – created in response to repeated student requests for university-sponsored coverage – also helped identify a preferred provider. Goldsberry said that in sending out requests for proposals, the university looked at whether the plans covered local hospitals and providers typically used by DePaul students.
Starting next fall, all undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled in the health plan, with the option to opt out if they have coverage through an individual or parental plan. The $800 quarterly health insurance fee is added to each student’s tuition bill. The fee will be waived only if documentation of alternative coverage is approved.
Goldsberry said the fee is fixed for the first 12 months, meaning it could change in subsequent years.
While students are excited to have the option of university-sponsored coverage, Gomez Meza said she has had frequent conversations with students who are concerned about how the new plan will affect their tuition bill next year.
“I think it makes them very worried about being able to come back,” Gomez Meza said.
She said she often helps students find scholarships to offset the cost of tuition. She believes there should be more effort on the part of universities to find financial aid, given the added cost of insurance.
“The school in general needs to work on advocating for more scholarships … so that students can feel confident that they can continue to go to school,” Gomez Meza said.
Although price helped determine DePaul’s health insurance plan, the university has not disclosed what benefits will be provided under the new plan, other than that UnitedHealthcare “will offer a comprehensive and competitive health insurance plan with physical and behavioural health coverage,” according to Goldsberry.
Bhandari said mental health coverage was another of the task force’s top priorities when looking at potential health plans.
Anthony LoSasso, a DePaul professor and chair of the Department of Economics whose research includes health policy and insurance, said the insurance plan must cover essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“They might offer a narrow network, [meaning] you can only go to these providers, but they can’t offer a skinny benefit in the sense of, ‘We’re not going to cover your mental health, but if you break your arm, you’re fine,'” LoSasso said. “I don’t think they can do that.”
The “essential benefits” listed under the ACA include physician services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy, childbirth and mental health services. Dental coverage is not required for adults under the ACA.
LoSasso said plans with lower premiums typically have higher deductibles. However, most plans have caps on out-of-pocket spending based on a user’s income level.
“They’re emphasising affordability … for DePaul, but also for the student, and somehow not limiting access to care,” LoSasso said. “So I think they’re going to have to walk a tightrope there.”
UChicago’s student health insurance plan with UnitedHealthcare has a $400 deductible for in-network care and an $800 deductible for out-of-network care, in addition to premium fees. However, the annual out-of-pocket maximum is $2,000 for in-network costs and $3,000 for out-of-network costs.
According to DePaul’s student health insurance initiative timeline, more details about the health plan and options will be released in March 2024.
Despite the additional cost, Gomez Meza said that as a student currently living without health insurance, she is looking forward to the security that comes with having coverage next academic year.
“[Now] there’s a plan, so if there’s an emergency, I’ll be covered,” she said.
