Student health insurance plan rates to go up for the 2011-2012 school year
By Hillary Akers
Staff Writer
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| File photo by Glory Attaochu |
| Director of Student Health Services Cora Bullard speaks with a student at Health Services. There will be changes for the student health insurance plan during the 2011-2012 school year. |
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has made changes to the health insurance plan for students returning for the 2011-2012 year, including the elimination of student co-pay for office visits, X-rays and laboratory tests.
Students with the school's health insurance plan will no longer have a $10 co-pay when they are sent to a medical office outside of Pembroke.
Cora Bullard, director of Student Health Services, said that the co-pay was taken out because the department felt that some students didn't have the money to pay out-of-pocket.
"I believe it will be better for our students to have a $0 deductible and $0 copay," Bullard said.
She said the school has always had a $0 deductible to help students from having to pay out-of-pocket.
Changes in the health insurance plan also include the removal of vision coverage for students. Only about 2 percent of students who had the health insurance used the vision coverage, Bullard said. She said the department didn't see the need to keep it.
With the changes next year, students will pay $434 per semester, which is $868 per year. This is $78.50 more per semester and $157 more per year than the payment for the 2010-2011 school year.
"All 16 campuses' premiums will be going up next year," Bullard said.
Students can go online now if they want to waive their insurance plan for next year.
The website is www.studentinsurance.com
The current deadline to waive insurance for the 2011-2012 year is Aug. 31.
"If they don't waive, it's on their account," Bullard said. "There's nothing we can do about that."
Bullard stressed that it is important for students to waive the insurance before the deadline because after that point they are locked into it.
Bullard said anyone with questions about the new health insurance plan or how to waive for next year should visit the Student Health Service website at www.uncp.edu/shs.
