During the 2011-12 school year, freshmen and incoming students who didn’t have health insurance coming into MSU automatically were billed for a university plan at around $1,500 a year. Lawmakers plan on looking at ways to make the plan optional rather than required at an upcoming House hearing.

The lawmakers seem to be on the right track in wanting to tweak the system. The new plan is costly for students, and the university shouldn’t be adding another cost to students’ bills, especially if students already can’t afford health care.

All students enrolled at MSU have three prepaid medical office visits per year to Olin Health Center or any of the neighborhood clinics, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance.

Students must pay for all laboratory, X-ray, pharmacy, physical therapy, medical supplies and procedures done at the health centers, but these exceptions likely won’t occur often enough to equal out to the $1,500 fee some students are being forced to pay.

The added price of required health insurance also might play a role in decision making for high school students. MSU is the only public university in Michigan that has this requirement in place, which might force potential students to turn to other universities. An influential aspect of choosing which college to attend is the costs that come along with it, and a $1,500 fee could be enough to make or break a student’s choice.

Although MSU’s health insurance policy can be paid for with student loans or federal financial aid, that takes money away from students that could be used for tuition, books, food, room and board or numerous other necessities. Requiring students to be covered by health insurance if they can’t already afford it is too expensive, especially for many college students who already are pinching pennies.

If a student or his or her family are in a situation where they can’t afford health insurance, they likely won’t be able to afford the $1,500 cost of MSU’s insurance every year either. Health insurance is beneficial for many people, but compelling students to purchase expensive insurance they might not be able to afford isn’t the best decision. The university shouldn’t be forcing current students to hand over more money or scare future students away.

It is encouraging to see state lawmakers take notice of this potential financial burden on students.

Although university officials only are looking out for students’ health and well-being, they are doing it in an expensive way, a way that could hurt some students more than it helps them. That should be reason enough for university officials to reconsider this new policy.