Health care overhaul legislation passed last month by the U.S. Senate lacks protections that allow colleges and universities to offer more affordable student insurance plans, several prominent education groups announced last week.
The House of Representatives’ version of health legislation, which passed in November, would continue to treat campus health plans as group plans instead of individual plans, which keeps premiums lower for students.
The American Council on Education, the American College Health Association and other groups sent letters to congressional leaders arguing for similar language in the final bill. The Senate version does not have the same protections for campus plans.
“Increased student health insurance premiums would add to the total costs students pay to attend college,” states a Jan. 8 letter signed by American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad.
“This is counterproductive to the significant actions Congress and the administration have taken to make both higher education and health care more affordable.”
The groups asked that the final bill — which legislators are drafting now — include the House’s language.
The Senate bill, which passed on a roughly party-line Dec. 24 vote, only states that it wouldn’t block colleges and universities from offering plans.
“The Senate has some language; we’d like to see that clarified,” said Mary Hoban, who works with the American College Health Association’s advocacy group. Hoban said Thursday that her group hadn’t received a response.
“We’ll do some follow-up and see if we can’t get somebody’s attention,” she said.
