I totally agree that $2300 isn't much for annual coverage (no dental/optical), but it is when you're a grad student from a lower SES with massive loans and no income.
 
Progressive countries like The Netherlands provide financial support (not loans), including a monthly stipend to support students in full time study (so they can focus on studying, rather than working odd jobs for money towards something as basic as health coverage).
  
As you said - it's not that much. So why isn't the government footing the bill, rather than having students scramble, to satisfy the wishes of private insurers?
 
This might be something academic health centers want to add to the debate on health reform in the US.
 
Kind regards,
Ali
On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 3:16 PM, Shirley Johnson-lans <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I realize this seems like a lot, but our coverage for single individual faculty members (in a smallish group admittedly and an older one, so experience rating raises the rates) costs about $7500 a year.  If the student coverage is good and is for 12 months, that price isn't at all outrageous in the current system.

SJL


----- Original Message -----
From: A. Tawfik-Shukor <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:55:07 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: US Senate panel backs health bill

A reply from my (American) girlfriend re the news, who's paying through the
nose for insurance coverage as a student (Prof Marmor might agree with her
closing line):

*...Students remain the disadvantaged party!  the reform does not help us
b/c schools provide health insurance at a charge of 2300 dollars and their
reasoning is that when we are out, we make money! The programs provides a
partial subsidy to poorer families to help them pay for their coverage is
all drama, so much eligibility drama until they accept paying for the
partial coverage.  The transcribing that I am doing now (u know health
reform was first implemented in Mass, where everyone is required by law to
have health insurance), pts complain about how complicated the whole process
is.  You get letters every other day about ur eligibility status, u lose
mass health coverage b/c of slight changes in ur financial status.  No one
understands how the whole subsidy process works, it has caused alot of
frustration to everyone!  The whole medical coverage language is simply too
hard for anyone to understand.

the SIMPLE answer to all this crap is get rid of private insurance
companies!  Can't we just do that to avoid all these complications?
*

On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 11:49 AM, David McDaid <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>  FYI – I guess everyone in US aware but for those of us on this side of
> Atlantic
>
>
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8152382.stm
>
>
>
> BW
>
>
>
> David McDaid
>
> LSE Health and Social Care and European Observatory on Health Systems and
> Policies,
>
> Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic
> communications disclaimer:
> http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm
>