Most students don't come to college expecting to get sick. Health Services is around to help with the basics, but when Jumbos fall ill or emergencies arise that necessitate hospitalization, the cost isn't covered by the annual Health Services fee.
That's where insurance comes in.
Massachusetts requires all students to enroll in some kind of health insurance plan. Most students rely on their parents' health insurance to pay for medical expenses, and they never have to worry.
But not everyone gets coverage from their parents' insurance plans, and private insurance not obtained as a job benefit is expensive. Massachusetts doesn't accept international insurance, either, so students from abroad must find an American policy.
Every college in the state must offer a plan to help those students who cannot afford private insurance, and Tufts is no exception. The University offers a plan to its students that costs approximately $1,500.
Young adults are a healthy group, and Massachusetts requirements for insurance reflect that expectation. According to Michelle Bowdler, Senior Director of Tufts' Health Services, state legislators formulated the health insurance policy to fulfill basic needs.
"The intention at the time wasn't to require very comprehensive insurance; it was to make sure that students had some kind of insurance," Bowdler said.
Bowdler estimated that about 30 percent of the Tufts student body enrolls each year: Approximately 25 percent of undergraduates have insurance through the university, while 40 percent of the graduate population does. Graduate students are more likely to enroll in a university-sponsored insurance plan than their younger counterparts, because grad students are usually ineligible for coverage under their parents' insurance plans and are less likely to afford private plans.
But whether grad or undergrad, Bowdler explained that most students who buy Tufts' insurance have the same main concern.
"We do our best to get a sense from students about what would work for them," Bowdler said, "but most complaints from students relate to the cost-versus-coverage problem." Some students feel that they pay too much for limited coverage; others want more coverage for benefits like prescriptions.
But most Jumbos never think of the emergency aspect of health insurance. Only a few students ever need to stay in a hospital for several days, but when they do, the cost can be astronomical.
"Many - probably most - students won't ever use the insurance coverage, but the idea is that it's there if, by chance, they happen to need it," said Political Science Assistant Professor Gary McKissick, who studies health policy. "Believe me, if you get in a car accident and need to be hospitalized for a few days, the bills skyrocket quickly."
But for those students who need the insurance for everyday purposes, the plan doesn't cover everything.
Senior Rob Gaudet, who buys Tufts' plan because his parents' insurance doesn't cover him, explained that his only complaint is the lack of coverage for routine medical procedures.
"The insurance is supposed to be for accidents, but I wish it covered a yearly physical," Gaudet said. "I volunteered for a camp, and I needed a physical. But I had to pay for it on my own, because Tufts didn't cover it."
Still, Gaudet believes the plan is fair. "It's lower than what I would have to pay on my own, and it covers accidents. I don't really need more comprehensive coverage, because I'm so young," Gaudet said.
Kacie Nakamura, a senior from Spain who enrolled in the Tufts plan when her international insurance proved to be insufficient, agrees with Gaudet.
"Considering that I don't pay it [the Tufts insurance bill] - my parents do - I think for the cost, the coverage is fair. I just wish it covered dental checkups," Nakamura said. She explained that she had a cracked tooth and had to pay for her visit to the dentist, but not the surgery that resulted.
Bowdler said that the most common claims for students are predictable: pharmacy bills, visits to specialists and occasional surgery.
But Health Services is always there for the most basic needs.
"Generally, Tufts students are pretty well served by what their Health Services fee gets them, which is basic primary care, walk-in visits, immunizations and such," McKissick said.
For students who are generally healthy and rarely need to use the more significant benefits of their health plans, paying for health insurance may seem like nothing more than a headache.
But as McKissick explained, "Until someone figures out how to predict the future, insurance - even though it's costly - is surely the best way to protect oneself against the financial consequences of ill health. That $1,500 might seem like a lot, until you end up in the hospital staring at a bill in the tens of thousands of dollars."
