“If students signed up for the plan and they had some diseases, they wouldn’t be covered for a period of time,” Bowditch said. “Those were causing problems for students, so we worked with the different health insurance companies to say we don’t want that.”

The insurance changes come after the current insurance plan was reviewed by the Student Insurance Advisory Group, which has representation from students and administrative areas across campus, he said.

After getting quotes from several providers, human resources decided to stick with its current provider AETNA because it provided the lowest rates for students, Bowditch said. With the coverage changes, the insurance costs will increase this fall by less than $8 per month, he said in an e-mail.

Under the new federal health care law, all MSU students will be required to have health insurance beginning in fall 2012, and dependants under the age of 26 will be able to stay enrolled on their parents’ medical insurance — which will cover many undergraduate and graduate students, Bowditch said.

Currently, there are 5,139 students on the base plan, including 2,078 graduate students and 2,375 international undergraduate students, he said.

Adam Lovgren, vice president for external affairs for the Council of Graduate Students and a member of the insurance review committee, said he was disappointed the changes to the insurance plans do not include a reduction in dependent health insurance coverage. According to COGS survey data, about 45 percent of graduate students are married and 16 percent have children, and the team could have negotiated to get a better rate for dependant coverage without dramatically affecting the student rate, he said.

“The majority of the (student) population is undergraduates, but the population on health insurance is primarily graduate students and international students,” Lovgren said. “Having affordable health insurance for one’s family is a huge part of being a successful student.”

Lovgren, a graduate assistant, said he cannot afford to put his wife on his MSU insurance plan and since she is not a U.S. citizen, she does not qualify for Medicaid coverage. If something were to happen to her, he would be in “big trouble” as a student, he said.

“If my wife has a brain tumor and I have to pay $100,000, it’s greatly going to be able to affect my ability to do research and teach classes,” Lovgren said.

Spouses and children who sign up for health insurance often face the highest health risks and health care costs, so insurance companies charge higher rates to cover dependants, Bowditch said.

Ruslan Mursalzade, president of the International Student Association and an international student from Azerbaijan, said it is a university requirement for international students to have health insurance. He never has been to the doctor during his four years at MSU, but said some international students have benefitted from having the insurance — including being able to get health treatments in the U.S. that were not available in their home countries.