New insurance provider to be chosen - Campus

From BGnews.com

Two companies are in the running for next year's mandatory student health care plan

The competition is down to two health insurance companies, as to which will be named next year's provider for uninsured students.

Either the current provider, Chickering, or a new option, Student Resources, will become the University's student health insurance provider next year.

When the Health Services Advisory Committee chooses a which provider to recommend to the president's office on Friday, the decision will impact all undergraduate students on campus. That's because all students will be required to show they have health insurance before registering for classes.

If a student has no health insurance, or if their insurance doesn't meet a list of yet to be determined standards; the student will be required to buy a plan through the University.

The current plan from Chickering costs students $1,350, and includes abortion coverage, dental and vision coverage.

Both insurance companies have price estimates for a similar version of this plan.

Chickering would drop their price to $1,190 if chosen as the provider for a mandatory plan.

Student Resources has offered a rate at $1,242 for a comparable plan.

All of the these new price estimates are taken from a document that student committee member Maria Khoury gave members of Undergraduate Student Government at their meeting on Monday.

Student Health Services Director Dr. Glenn Egelman pushed for a required insurance plan last spring. Now Egelman and the committee are pushing both companies for a better, cheaper insurance plan for students.

Egelman said that the committee will bargain with both companies to increase prescription coverage from the current $2,000 per year limit to $3,000 per year for drugs.

Chickering would raise their quote to $1,217 for the increased drug coverage; a difference of $27.

Student Resources would up their price to $1,265, which is a $23 difference.

The committee is also considering adding coverage for birth control. If the committee decides to include the pill in the new plan, Chickering would raise it's price by $9, and Student Resources would charge $23 more.

But cost isn't the only factor the committee is considering when comparing the two companies. Customer service is also an important part of the decision.

"There has been a drop in customer service complaints from students," Egelman said, since Chickering has been the provider.

Egelman credits fewer complaints with Chickering's team of insurance representatives that deal exclusively with the University. Having representatives who respond to complaints from University students - and no one else - could mean faster service, Egelman said.

"And that is a real plus, and that means a lot to the committee," he said.

But even Chickering's customer service record hasn't totally convinced the committee to stick with the current provider of student health insurance, Egelman said.

"When you look at the overall proposals of each of the two companies, there are red flags in each of them, so the committee is hashing through each of them," he said.

Another issue to consider is the fact that Student Resources is going through an ownership change.

"Generally from the students I spoke with, a lot told me to stick with Chickering because of the stability of the company," Khoury said.