The Council of Graduate Students, or COGS, will discuss upcoming mandatory student health insurance at its Wednesday night meeting.
COGS President Stefan Fletcher said Randy Hillard, associate provost for human health affairs, are scheduled to speak at the meeting to give an update about events happening in the medical colleges, the new Secchia Center in Grand Rapids and student health insurance, which will be mandatory for MSU students beginning in 2011.
“It’s hard to say how it will affect graduate students, but it’s found at some other Big Ten universities,” Fletcher said.
Also, under President Barack Obama’s new health care plan, students will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 26, he said.
Adam Lovgren, vice president for graduate welfare, said parent insurance plans typically have more flexibility than student health insurance plans, which often require going through Olin Health Center as a gatekeeper before they can be used at other medical facilities.
“Anybody who can stay on their parent’s insurance longer is going to be better off,” Lovgren said. “They have lower premiums and more flexibility in where you can go and what you can use.”
COGS also will discuss its second year co-sponsoring the greek community’s Safe Halloween event.
Since about 8 percent of graduate students have children of day care age, Fletcher said the event is a good way for them to reach out with the community.
“The decision to cosponsor again this year was a no-brainer,” Fletcher said.
The COGS meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Radiology Building Auditorium.
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