When it comes to reforming student health insurance policy, Tufts students are leading the way on both the university and state levels.
Tufts students in September 2008 initiated the Student Health Organizing Coalition (SHOC), a student-led advocacy initiative. SHOC this year worked with administrators through the renewal process to produce changes to Tufts' student health insurance policy — provided by Aetna Student Health — that led to both cost and benefit increases.
SHOC has also met with state agencies, elected state officials and students from other Massachusetts universities — like the University of Massachusetts (UMass) and Brandeis University — to push for reform.
SHOC is credited with highlighting the state's flawed student insurance system by prompting the state to evaluate its policy, which led to a report that in November exposed large profit margins for student health insurers.
"The profit margins for these plans were five to 10 times the profit margins for private plans in the state," SHOC lead organizer Vivian Haime, a rising senior, said, adding that in some cases, the reports pointed to even greater discrepancies.
From there, SHOC demanded to be included in talks with the state government about improvements to the plans, which eventually led to the creation of two expanded plans for state residents at most state schools — excluding UMass — and community colleges, announced by Gov. Deval Patrick in April.
Patrick commended SHOC for its efforts and said that phase two of reform, addressing the 86,000 students at private colleges and universities, will be underway next year.
While these changes amount to the "best possible" plans for such students, they do not include those at private institutions or those from out of state, according to Haime.
She added that SHOC's goal in the coming years is to extend these plans to UMass and private institutions.
David Robertson, a rising junior at UMass Amherst, worked last summer with SHOC to effect change and is the first to engage UMass administrators on insurance reform.
"I was asked to meet with the [Executive Director of Health Services] to discuss student health care on campus," Robertson told the Daily. "It was a combination of I just knew the right people to ask, and that kind of allowed me to get in."
Robertson's efforts, however, have yet to yield the more tangible changes seen at the state level and at Tufts.
The Tufts undergraduate insurance plan will for the upcoming year cost students $1,473, an increase of less than five percent from this year, according to Senior Director of Health and Wellness Service Michelle Bowdler.
This cost increase is balanced, however, by expanded coverage that eliminates the pre-existing condition clause, significantly increases hospital coverage and abolishes the limit on outpatient surgery costs.
Graduating senior Samuel Perrone, an active SHOC member, said that the Tufts plan is better than those offered at other Massachusetts schools.
"Overall, the plan isn't that bad, especially compared to community colleges and state colleges," Perrone said.
The Tufts insurance plan is less attractive, however, when compared to other New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools and institutions like Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), according to Perrone.
"Tufts is sort of the odd man out in the NESCACs because it's double the size of any other NESCAC school, so it makes it a little different in buying insurance," he said. "When you compare it to schools like Harvard, [Northeastern University], MIT, even [Boston University], it does not look as good. They have better plans and better prescription drug coverage."
The level of prescription drug coverage offered in the Tufts plan was an important issue for students during negotiations earlier this semester. The old plan provided for up to $1,500 in coverage, which was increased to $2,000 in the new plan.
Perrone explained that, in comparison, plans at some of these other schools provide for up to $3,000 in prescription drug coverage.
The heavy involvement of Tufts students in insurance discussions is unique, according to Bowdler, who attributes it to the fact that students view health care as a social justice issue and are deeply interested in community health issues.
"I would say that Tufts does have a distinction of having students who are very involved in the insurance process," Bowdler said.
Haime agreed that the environment at Tufts encourages students to take action.
"There's a culture of active citizenship at Tufts, and inspired by student stories, we explored the issue and seized the opportunity to effect legislative change," Haime said. "At a national level we have a climate for health care reform, so it was an opportunity that Tufts students decided to seize."
SHOC organizers had raised concerns that they were excluded from the final stages of the renewal process. Bowdler in response noted that students have never been included in discussions on policy specifics.
Still, she applauded the students for their perseverance. "I think it's right for them to try and keep the pressure on about something they're passionate about," she said.
The administration has invited students to a June 9 meeting to discuss the effects of national health care reform on students at institutions like Tufts, which may lead to further increases in benefits, according to Bowdler.
Haime added that Bowdler has indicated her willingness to engage in further negotiations on the state level.
Students hope further progress will be made in the coming years, leading to increased student involvement and insurance coverage.
"Hopefully, each university in the future won't have to negotiate [its] own plan on a yearly basis," Haime said. "If all universities come together, we will definitely have much better bargaining power."
