The advisory board approved a plan April 22 to change the University's health insurance plan that will increase health-care costs by about 8.3 percent, while nationwide costs of health care will increase by an average of 17 percent.
Michael Poock, advisory board member and assistant dean of the graduate school, said members tried to minimize cost increases with the changes. "We're trying to maintain the integrity of the plan while keeping costs from rising and less than the national average," he said.
The BlueCross BlueShield Association raised the rates for UNC's health insurance when it became a for-profit organization this past year -- increasing the rate to about 32 percent for the UNC's plan.
The advisory board was able to lower the increase to 8.3 percent by doubling the co-payment at the Student Health Service Pharmacy to $20. The board also agreed to decrease the reimbursement rate from 90 percent to 80 percent for in-network services and from 70 percent to 60 percent for out-of-network service. A network is a list of doctors approved by the insurance company for its clients to use.
Poock said that he is not sure what step of approval the plan has reached but that he hopes the plan is on the desk of Sue Kitchen, vice chancellor for student affairs, who has to approve it next.
Graduate student Marc David said the advisory board did what it could, but the University should contribute more money to fund health insurance.
Bethany Burgon, a law student and a board member, said some students have expressed concern about the rising costs because they are uninformed. "Students don't realize that the most they'll pay is $20," she said. "You still save a lot more than you would at Eckerd or Kerr Drug."
Burgon also said that when students realize that the increase is less than the nationwide hike, they will understand that the board acted justly. "Everyone that I've spoken to seems to think positively, and they understand that insurance rates, like postage, are ever-increasing," she said.
Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Branson Page said graduate students have not responded negatively because the increase is not drastic. "Honestly, I think that most students don't know what they have or what they've been given."
