GPSC to consider insurance plan support

By Karsten Burgstahler

After voting 4-11-9 against support of the university’s fiscal year 2014 health fee increase, the Graduate Professional Student Council heard from a Student Health Center representative during their Tuesday meeting.

Peter Lucas, GPSC’s vice president for administrative affairs, said council members felt the university dismissed Affordable Care Act-compliant insurance plans because they were too expensive.

“Our feeling is that graduate students particularly are not automatically against paying more for insurance if we get a better plan,” he said. “That was something we’d like to see, that we wanted to see the administration explore.”

Advertisement

Lucas said GPSC President Blaine Tisdale invited Ted Grace, Student Health Center director, to speak with the council. Grace said the health center is now considering ACA-compliant plan quotes. GPSC would look at the potential plan and decide whether to support it, Lucas said.

“We will definitely revisit the issue once we get those quotes,” he said.

Under the existing plan, the university pays its own money for students who must see a specialist, Lucas said, and the plans the health center is considering would be administered by a third party such as Blue Cross Blue Shield. Pre-existing conditions would be covered, and there would hopefully be an option for spousal and dependent coverage, he said. However, the health center is not certain yet, he said.

Grace said quotes are expected within a week.

Advertisement