UNC-system schools prepare for insurance transition

UNC-system schools are getting ready for the switch to the system’s new health insurance plan.

By August 1, every student enrolled in the system must have health insurance coverage.

There are five schools — UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, Appalachian State, East Carolina University and UNC-Wilmington — that don’t yet require students to have insurance.

Timeline for transition to mandatory health insurance:

-By April 1:Insurance waivers are scheduled to be available for students to fill out online through the Pearce & Pearce Web site.

-June 2: Verification of waivers will begin.

-Aug. 1: Insurance coverage becomes active.

Those universities are making the transition by finalizing the technical aspects of the policy and educating the students and parents who will be affected by the policy.

“The three most important things are communication, communication, communication,” said Bruce Mallette, senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs for the UNC system.

“We have to make sure we get out to students exactly what this policy is and what it covers.”

UNC-system leaders decided early last semester to make health insurance mandatory for students. Pearce & Pearce was selected as the health insurance provider for the entire system earlier this month.

Students must either prove via a waiver that they already have insurance or purchase the UNC-system insurance plan. They will be automatically enrolled in the system insurance plan if they don’t have their own coverage.

The premium cost will be attached to their tuition bill at the beginning of the fall semester.

Administrators are working hard to make sure this information gets to students and parents.

“We’ve already got boots on the ground to make sure the implementation goes well,” Mallette said.

Representatives from Pearce & Pearce are visiting all the campuses and have already visited UNC.

Plans are also being finalized for a visit by campus health representatives to Pearce & Pearce, conference calls for student governments and for student media, Mallette said.

A Web site is also being built that will allow students to access information about the new plan and fill out insurance waivers.

UNC has established an implementation team that includes representatives from campus health, admissions, the office of scholarships and financial aid, Huff said.

NCSU plans to distribute information through registration, the student newspaper, e-mails, information forums and orientation, said Jerry Barker, associate vice chancellor of student affairs at NCSU.

Health administrators from both UNC and NCSU estimated that about 10 percent of students do not have any kind of health insurance.

Cost is often the reason cited as to why students don’t have health insurance, said Patricia Huff, director of administration for campus health services at UNC.

“That’s why we’re excited to find a plan with such affordable coverage,” Huff said.

The base health insurance plan from Pearce & Pearce has an annual premium of $610. That cost goes up with additional coverage options.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.