Health Insurance for Students - Research Paper Example

s School Topic: Possibility for or to acquire a health insurance program from colleges or universities. A human life is uncertain as long as human health or life span is concerned, and the only solution to this improbability is a health insurance plan. Different individuals purchase different plans depending on their own demographics to provide a financial cover for any kind of unfortunate incidents. For this reason companies provide insurance covers for their employees and even state in some cases cover for the citizens. If uncertainty is the criteria for acquiring a health insurance policy, teachers and students shouldn’t be any exception to the rule. The students as well as the professors spend the maximum time of their day in the college or the university which enhance the probability of accidents, being the main reason why health insurance is not only a possibility rather a necessity. Firstly, as a general rule health coverage is found to be directly correlated with better health outcomes amongst individuals (Bovbjerk & Hadley 2007), this being the main reason for acquiring a reliable insurance plan. Students and even professors work under high pressure situations in a competitive college environment which increases the risks of acquiring health problems. Thus, the need for a reliable health insurance plan by the universities increases as better health outcomes will lead to a high production. Nowadays, the cost for education is being increased by every passing day which puts a lot of pressure on the students. Besides, there is a lot of competition in the job market which further stresses out the students. An average student is found struggling to balance school life, work life and the social life which increases the risks of anxiety and depression. To counter this condition, universities and colleges should ensure a health insurance plan along with regular checkups as basic requirements to make sure that the students are in best health. Secondly, depending on the degree and the college environment, various activities pose different threats to the health of an individual (Baker 2010). For instance, sports are the basic components of the school as well as university life of many students. Some of these sports are highly aggressive in nature and chances are that a severe injury might occur. It is the sole responsibility of the college in this case to keep the students covered under a reliable health insurance policy. Also, students conducting experiments in the lab handling highly toxic chemicals are also at a high risk of getting mild injuries. In such a scenario, the college or the university is responsible to take care of the health needs of the professor or the student, making a health care plan a necessity to deal with the uncertain scenarios. Thirdly, some of the college students are naturally suffering from different disorders which may require regular counseling1. The medical condition of such a patient with any kind of disability can get extremely worse at any point in time. This implies that these patients may also get physically or mentally instable while they`re pursuing their activities on campus. Even in this case, a health insurance policy becomes very important. This argument is further supported by various court rulings in about 35 states in US alone to provide health care plan for such disabled people. Though the universities are at a position to argue that these individuals will already be covered under other plans, this reduces the possibility that they will go for university sponsored health insurance plans. However, when a student or a professor is associated with a university he can seek a better insurance cover at cost effective rates by virtue of their school. Also, a university will only be contributing towards the health and well as economic well being of the students and even the professors. Both education and health care are highly costly entities which are very difficult to be afforded by the students. Even the teachers find it difficult to pay for the bills which come up as a result of the health hazards. Parents drain all their resources and savings on health care which acts as a deterrence in their growth. If the university will take responsibility of an insurance cover, these savings can be kept intact and the students as well as the professors can focus on other priorities. Thus, a reliable health insurance plan is also a gateway to deal with all the financial pressures being dealt with due to health hazards. A health insurance plan sponsored by the university is very important especially for the public sector universities as the challenging environment of the universities come along with many health hazards. Students and professors in their daily routines face the problems related with air pollution, noise pollution, also the viral diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another2. Though the parents of students or the professors themselves would have already purchased different health insurance covers, but even in such a case most companies deem individuals older than 22 as being ineligible for the previously acquired family policies. Thus, a high number of insurance gaps are left which need to be filled by the university as the student (or even the professor) is being exposed to the university environment for a considerably high time (Baker 2010). Talking about the various legal as well as other practical procedures regarding the colleges and universities incorporating health insurance in their basic admission plan, this is definitely a possibility which is even being exploited by various universities. As a first step, all universities should make purchasing health insurance as a pre-requisite for seeking admissions in an institution. The purchase fees can be added to the tuition fees, though it is also advised to the universities to go for health insurance policies free of cost to further facilitate the students (Baker 2010). The universities can go for the claiming rights and other legal technicalities after discussing the case with legal experts. Various rulings in the past regarding health insurance for students have only strengthened the case for providing health insurance to all the students enrolled in a college. Single was one of the students who filed a case against RSU University, over the imposition of health insurance on all the students. He had reservations over paying $290 in the tuition fees as health insurance as he wanted to pay for the expenses himself either3. However, RSU won the case later in the best interests of the students as even the legal institutions realize the importance of health care programs for the students and even the professors. There are other such instances as well when students had sued universities and colleges over the issue, but the majority of the rulings in this case have been in favor of health insurance for the students and professors carrying activities within the premises of a university. (Lagerquist 2011) Thus conclusively, the costs for health insurance as well as education are very high due to which there are gaps left behind in the previously acquired insurance plans. Thus, it is the sole responsibility of the colleges and the universities to offer reliable insurance policies to avoid the uncertain health hazards posed by challenging and tough working environments, and to deal with the risks involved in carrying out hazardous activities, among other reasons. Consequently, universities should put the burden off their shoulders by making health insurance purchase a pre-requisite for enrollment or hiring of an individual, to ensure a high productivity rate within the institution. References United States., United States., & United States. (2000).Healthy children are ready to learn: Promoting health insurance for your students. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services Lagerquist, Jeff. "STUDENT SUES OVER HEALTH PLAN." The Eye Opener. Wordpress. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. http://theeyeopener.com/2011/01/student-sues-students%E2%80%99-union-over-health-plan/ Baker, Charm. "The Importance Of Getting Student Health Insurance." HubPages. Hub Pages. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. SimpleGuideForYou. "Health Insurance For Students." YouTube. YouTube, 29 May 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw73PRuvqkI Hadley, R. R. (2007). Why Health Insurance Is Important. Health Policy Briefs . Read More