It’s time to waive or pay

Saving hundreds of dollars can take just a matter of minutes.

While busy on BroncoWeb ensuring that all the right classes are added, the wrong classes dropped and all fees paid, double check that you’ve waived the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) by Sept. 8 if you have alternative insurance coverage.

Each semester, a full-fee paying student taking eight or more credits is automatically enrolled in, and charged for, SHIP. If they don’t waive the insurance, they are fined for it.

In 2003, Boise State University mandated that all full-time students have health insurance. Idaho is one of only a handful of states including California, Montana, Massachusetts and New Jersey that require insurance for full-time college students.

Shauna McConnell, SHIP manager at Health, Wellness and Counseling Services, believes more states will eventually require insurance coverage for college students.

“We have colleges calling us from all across the nation,” McConnell said. “We are considered a role model for other universities.”

The SHIP charge, if overlooked, can be quite a shock to students’ wallets. Therefore, it pays to waive the charge by Sept. 8. If insurance is not waived by this time, the bill must be paid.

“This happened to me my freshman year,” Devin Borland, senior public relations major, said. “It’s kind of a pain when you don’t waive it at the deadline. When I forgot to waive my insurance, I had to do a lot of paperwork and get special permission for a refund.”

Instead of utilizing SHIP, Borland pays for his health insurance through Blue Cross.

“[SHIP is] so limiting, and no one besides the Health Center really seems to accept it,” Borland said.

While some students prefer to keep their own private policies, McConnell has noticed more students are requesting to drop from their private insurance and re-enroll in SHIP because of its comprehensive package.

This “comprehensive package” is a result of SHIP’s new partnership with a provider named Maksin.

“It’s actually a really good plan. It covers through school breaks and the summer,” McConnell said. “I’ve worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and this is one of the most comprehensible plans that I’ve seen.”

Any student who has reservations or presumptions about SHIP can make an appointment and look over the policy.

“I find when students sit down and take the time to look at it, they’re often pleasantly surprised,” McConnell said.

However, SHIP tries to make it as trouble-free as possible if students choose to opt out.

“We have taken steps to ensure that this is an easy process for students. I feel that this year has been extremely smooth, comparatively,” McConnell said.

For detailed explanations of the waiving process and comprehensive information on SHIP coverage, benefits and FAQ’s go to boisestate.edu/healthservices/staff/index.asp.

SHIP charges a $1,394 premium for the 2008-09 academic year.

1.7 million college students nationwide are uninsured. The fastest-growing segments of the uninsured are young adults between the ages of 19 and 29.

The highest rate of uninsured Idahoans falls in the 18-24 age group at 29.1

percent.

Sources: The Commonwealth Fund, Idahoans Without Insurance, A Data Report.

LINDSEY RHODES
News Journalist

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