A few weeks ago, 23-year-old Mike Colunga got sick. The fever snuck up on him unexpectedly, draining any energy he might have had to go to work or get his homework done.
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While laying on the couch shivering with a heap of blankets piled on top of him, he thought about health insurance he didn't have and the care he needed but couldn't seek.
A student attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Colunga said he never really worried about health insurance until he got sick.
"I guess I was flying by on luck," he said. "It's not really a big deal until you need it."
Like many college students, Colunga was under his parents' healthcare benefits until he graduated from Eastern Michigan University in December 2006. He said his parents' plan covered him as long as he was enrolled in school full time and was under the age of 25. But when he decided to return to school part time, he was on his own for healthcare coverage.
With his options limited and extra money in short supply, Colunga joined the ranks of thousands of other college students and young adults who don't have health care.
In fact, 60 percent of the uninsured in Washtenaw County are 18 to 29 years old and employed, according to a 2005 report conducted by the Washtenaw County Public Health Department called Washtenaw Uncovered. The number of those uninsured in the 30 to 49 age range is almost cut in half at 32 percent and only 8 percent of the population were in the 50 and older range (See figure 2.7).
James McCurtis, public information officer for the Department of Community Health, said the bottom line is health insurance is not as easily accessible as it was in the past. But he said the younger generation is having more difficulties than other age groups because employers are offering less coverage.
Several students say the biggest roadblock to getting health insurance is the cost.
EMU student Meghan Powers of Canton said she is under her parents' insurance now, but will have to find another option in September, when she turns 26 and is no longer covered. She said she is looking at a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan for approximately $175 a month, but Powers said that is still a big chunk of change.
"That's kind of expensive if you're going to school, plus the cost of gas right now," she said.
Powers said she went without health insurance for the greater part of last year and, fortunately, she didn't run into any health problems and was able to get her prescriptions filled. But she said she couldn't go without a plan this year.
"I've gone without it, but I have attention deficit disorder, so I need to have my prescriptions filled," she said.
The physical education major added that she couldn't afford not to be insured with all the physical activity she does on a daily basis.
Emily Milan, a senior at EMU and Ypsilanti resident, said she is covered under her father's insurance and is happy to have it.
"I wouldn't be able to afford my own health insurance," she said.
McCurtis said the state of Michigan doesn't really have a plan for uninsured college students specifically because many of them fall under their parents' insurance or pay for insurance through university plans.
How are students insured?
Ellen Gold, executive director of University Health Services at EMU, said a study conducted by the university in 2005 estimated about one-third to one-quarter of the student population doesn't have health insurance. But she said it's important for students to have health coverage for their own peace of mind. Gold said not having health insurance could create barriers and place unnecessary strain on a student.
"It's an emotional and physical issue," she said. "Whereas if a student has health insurance, they can think about other things."
Most universities, including EMU, the University of Michigan and other major institutions in the state, offer some type of health insurance to their students. Students taking regular classes at University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus pay a health service fee as part of their tuition for access to services such as clinic visits, physical therapy and health education. However, students must pay additional fees for allergy antigens, immunizations, medications, routine eye exams and certain laboratory tests.
U of M's health insurance policy is $2,350 annually. The health insurance policy EMU offers is $1,131 per year.
Gold said she thought EMU's policy was reasonably priced and worth it.
"At least when you're on the university plan, you know what will be covered and there isn't too much out-of-pocket expenses," she said.
However, Andrew Miller, a biology major at EMU, has a different view of insurance plans offered at universities.
"I think they are ripping you off," he said.
Miller, who works at U of M hospital and lives in Ann Arbor, said his employer covers his insurance. But he said he wouldn't pay for the university's coverage, even if he didn't have a solid job.
"You can get a job at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble, work part time and still get better insurance," he said.
Miller's friend, Neil Maclellan of Livonia, agreed. Maclellan, who is also majoring in biology at EMU, said his wife is a pianist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and he has health care under her policy.
"If I wasn't married, I still wouldn't go though the university's insurance," he said.
Like many college students, Maclellan said he went for some time without health insurance a couple years ago but was fortunate not to get sick and not need any prescription drugs.
Of course, healthcare costs aren't just a concern for students. As insurance prices increase, parents are beginning to feel the pinch, as well.
Chelsea resident and mother of four Nancy Paul said she has great coverage for her two children, who are in college. But she said the money it costs her to keep that insurance for them has increased since her older children attended college. In fact, Paul pays an extra $2,400 a year, not including co-pays and deductibles. She said that cost, added to putting two young adults through college, puts a strain on her finances.
Where to find help
Ypsilanti's Hope Clinic Medical Coordinator Kathryn Simpson stresses, however, that health coverage is worth the expense to students and young adults no matter how they go about getting it.
"I know the whole idea of spending $2,000 (on health care) for a college student is pretty preposterous, but everyone is subject to unforeseen health problems," Simpson said.
Hope Clinic is an interdenominational Christian medical, dental and social service organization located in Ypsilanti. It was founded in 1982 to provide health care to the uninsured.
Simpson said approximately 10 percent of the population served at Hope mark themselves as "students" when filling out the paperwork. She also said though not all of them are in the young-adult age range she thought the majority probably were.
Hope also operates a clinic twice a month at Faith in Action in Chelsea, which serves the Chelsea and Dexter communities. Paul, who serves as executive director of Faith in Action, said it's important for people to have some type of coverage, even if it's minimal.
"I think it's a bad risk (not to have coverage), but I certainly understand how people cannot afford it," she said.
Another option for students and young adults who are not insured is the Washtenaw Health Plan, which provides medical care coverage for low-income individuals who are not eligible for other public or private programs.
Paul said a gap needs to be filled so younger generations can have easy access to health insurance. But, ultimately, she said "everybody needs access to health care."
"In my estimate, it's really one of the most pressing issues facing our country," she said.
Colunga recently signed up for insurance with his new employer. He said he hopes to have insurance again soon, but in the meantime he is focusing on not getting sick or breaking any bones.
As he sat on his couch fully recovered from his fever but a little tired from studying, Colunga recalled a bumper sticker he saw that described his situation and what he perceived as President Bush's and the current administration's stance on health care. The sticker read, "Don't get sick."
"I laughed because it's so true in my case," he said.
Christine Laughren is a reporter for Heritage Newspapers. She can be reached at 697-8255 or at claughren@heritage.com
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