UNIVERSITY CONSIDERS OFFERING HEALTH INSURANCE TO STUDENTS

Southeast Missouri State University officials are considering offering students an opportunity to purchase health insurance.

On another health matter, officials are looking at a long-range plan for expanding health and counseling services on the Southeast campus.

A plan to expand health and counseling services was developed late last year by a committee of students and staff.

"We have this excellent proposal," said Caryl Smith, interim vice president of student affairs. "It is probably going to go on my list of long-range plans."

But she said she doubts the expansion plan can be considered short term because of lack of time and funding.

However, Smith and Ken Dobbins, vice president for finance and administration, said Monday that they hope to offer students the opportunity to purchase affordable health insurance as early as this fall.

"It's going to be basic coverage, hospital coverage and things of that nature," said Dobbins.

"A lot of our students are covered by their parents' hospitalization," he said. But the university also has many non-traditional students who are footing the medical bills themselves. "Non-traditional students have to go out in the marketplace and purchase health insurance."

Non-traditional students are older students.

"I think that it gives students another option to consider, especially non-traditional students that may not have a job that provides health insurance," he said.

Smith explained, "We are at the stage now of investigating whether we can get some bids."

Dobbins said the students who want the insurance would have to pay for it. But he said the idea is to provide students a chance to purchase insurance at a group rate, thus lowering the individual premium cost. Dobbins said a number of universities offer such an insurance program.

"The university would not make money on it," he said. "We would just facilitate the offering."

K.C. Martin, Student Government president, voiced support for the insurance program.

"I think it is an excellent idea," said Martin. He said many students like himself don't have health insurance.

"The university purchasing power would provide a better opportunity to get insurance at a lower cost than they ever could get on their own," he said.

Martin said he's not opposed to expanding health and counseling services, but further study is needed.

"I think it's a good idea, but I really would want to see a good needs assessment done on it first before they went ahead and tried to implement it."

The plan calls for expanding health and counseling services at a cost to students.

It would expand medical and psychological services, including hiring of a doctor, and return about $180,000 to the university's general operations budget. A fee of about $30 a semester would be charged students to pay for the services.

Martin said he's concerned about seemingly ever-increasing student fees.

He said the administration is talking of raising student fees, including textbook rental, again.

"Every time you turn around it seems like somebody has a fee coming at you," said Martin. "Once again, students are being used as the piggy bank."

Martin said increased fees are making it less attractive to attend Southeast than in the past. "To them (university officials), it's just nickels and dimes. But to students, that's pocketbook money."