Health insurance coverage for sick college students?
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Michelle Morse was diagnosed with cancer when she was 20 and a college student at Plymouth State College. She and her family discovered that her parents health insurance would not cover her if she dropped out of school while being treated for cancer.
The only way for her to continue to get coverage was either for her family to pay an extra $550 a month or for her to stay in school.
She chose the latter.
She sometimes had to wear a chemotherapy pump attached to her to be able to attend classes while she was fighting for her life.
She also spent time trying to lobby for a bill that would require health insurance companies to cover college students when they take a medical leave of absence.
Apparently most health coverage provided by employers will only cover kids over 18 if they are in school full time.
Next year a bill called Michelle’s Law will go before the House thanks to Michelle’s efforts. Michelle’s Law will force health insurance providers to cover students if their doctor has certified that for medical reasons they cannot continue school full time.
Michelle, who was going to be a teacher, died last week.
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4 Responses to 'Health insurance coverage for sick college students?'
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on October 12th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Well,
I think it will be too much a burden for companies to pay for their employees’ kids’ health insurance premium if they are over 18 if they are not full time students. Otherwise, everyone can put their grown up kids on the health plan. I feel sorry for this girl who had cancer, this is why I support cancer research and I’m a big donor. I think the insurance should make an exception for her to extend her coverage to allow her to stay out of school while receiveing treatment.
I was once a foreign student here, and my parents didn’t work in America and therefore I just bought a separate health insurance policy from my Unviersity’s Student Group Health Plan, which was pretty good, better than what I have right now from my employer… The premium was pretty reasonable. In addition, my parents also bought a seprate Catastrophic health plan for me in Hong Kong to cover catastrophic medical expenses and treatments on incidenental biggie like cancer, or open heart surgery…. Since it was for incicental big disease, it was not expensive for a young healthy college student like me, it was as cheap as a life insurance policy. So I was covered regularly in the USA through my University’s plan and I was additionally covered through my catastrophic health plan in Hong Kong and they would pay the hopistal here in USA if I needed cancer treatment. (I never used it though, it would pay up to $1 million for cancer treatment, thank god!)
My point is, we never looked to the government or the law to protect us. I think America has done a pretty good job in terms of protecting the citizens already, all the laws and regulations, etc…Being a foreigner and having all the comparision, trust me, I know America is a great country that values life and her citizens. Nice that employers pay for health insurance here. I’m very glateful to my employer everyday for this. This explains why businesses here aren’t as competitive in the World like companies in Hong Kong, because cost of doing business is a lot more expensive here…. People in Hong Kong are used to looking out for themselves without relying on the government. My parents never complained even though they had to pay for my insurance when I was in the USA studying…. they never thought their employers or the Hong Kong government should pay for it…. Somehow, without relying on the government, we manage to thrive just without it….
on October 12th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Wow–this is truly tragic. That is why I am so passionate on giving the right advice to clients who need health insurance.
on October 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
It’s truth..I have also surfed this problem..I have also two health insurance..
Great Article..thnx
on October 17th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Yes, its really tragic.Really wish Michelle’s Law forces health insurance providers to cover students under their insurance policy as well.