Although many people enrolled for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace before the March 31 deadline, those still uninsured, including students, might face financial repercussions.
The sign-up deadline for the new federal health insurance exchange ended Monday, although it was extended for those who were unable to finish their enrollment on time because of technical issues with the website, said Caleb Buhs, Department of Insurance and Financial Services public information officer.
If students are without health coverage, they are subject to a fine under the Affordable Care Act. Depending on which amount is higher, the fine for a single adult without health coverage for a year is either $95 or 1 percent of their income after $10,150.
According to National College Health Assessment Survey data, nearly 5 percent of MSU students are without any form of health insurance. Although most students are covered by their parents’ health insurance, many of these plans remove the children from coverage when they turn 26.
Aside from the fine, those opting out of health coverage also risk other and greater financial repercussions from expensive medical bills, said Kathi Braunlich, communications manager for the MSU Student Health Services, or SHS.
“Every year, there are college students who end up dropping out because they can no longer afford to stay in school due to unexpected medical costs,” Braunlich said in an email. “They may not realize that an emergency room trip will likely be at least $2,000, and an overnight hospitalization would be several thousand more.”
At age 26, French, language and literature graduate student Andreea Prundeanu was put in a difficult situation when she was removed from her parents’ coverage.
Some time after, the university offered Prundeanu health coverage for every semester she was appointed as a teacher. But the nature of her employment caused her to worry about having coverage each upcoming semester.
“If we don’t receive an appointment, then we don’t have insurance,” Prundeanu said. “In terms of me having sporadic coverage, that was always a stressful situation never knowing if I’d be covered the next semester or not.”
With the Marketplace opening in October 2013, Prundeanu said she was able to find health coverage that was affordable and soothed her worry about disappearing coverage.
For students with or without health coverage, SHS offers free office visits for the first three times, although any lab tests and medical procedures are billable.
If students without insurance are unable to afford the medical costs, Braunlich said SHS can work out a payment plan. Additionally, SHS has a staff member who aids uninsured students in locating lower cost services and other options.
