Resolution 61

A RESOLUTION TO BE ENTILED AN ACT TO STRONGLY DISCOURAGE THE UNC BOARD OF GOVERNORS FROM MANDATING NC STATE IMPLEMENT MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE

Short Title: Health Care Freedom Act

Sponsors: Senators Webb, Chen, Lindh, J. Jones, Adonis, Cosolito, Brackett, J. Stewart, Senator Emeritus Hutcherson

Signatories:

Referred to:                        

Version: (insert either committee version, as amended by Senate, etc.)

First Reading:                                                                                    Second Reading:

WHEREAS, mandatory hard waiver insurance mandates that all enrolled students must have a certain level of health insurance, a student can opt out by purchasing or having existing coverage of a certain level; and,

WHEREAS, UNC Pembroke and UNC School of the Arts began the trend of mandatory health insurance for all students before 2006; and,

WHEREAS, most of the other 16 universities soon followed and by the fall of 2009, ECU, ASU, NCCU, and UNCW will be added, leaving only UNC-CH and NCSU, without mandatory health insurance as of fall 2009; and,

WHEREAS, projected costs for mandatory health insurance will average about $600/year; and,

WHEREAS, the current provider of mandatory health insurance is the Pearce & Pearce Insurance Company; and,

WHEREAS, beginning in the spring semester of 2010, the UNC General Administration is recommending to the UNC Board of Governors that the system be effective at NC State with the mandate covering:

                                    -Undergraduates enrolled in minimum of 6 credit hours/semester

                                    -Eligible to pay institutions student health fee

                        Graduate students will not be under this requirement; and,

WHEREAS, it can be estimated that approximately ten percent of the Student Body is uninsured, meaning around 2200 undergrads would have to purchase the mandatory plan; and,

WHEREAS,   a rural institution such as Western Carolina University has little or no healthcare providers who accept Pearce & Pearce, in essence paying for insurance they have trouble using; and,

WHEREAS,   there is no clear delineation as to what medical coverage would be considered equivalent to the coverage that both Active Duty and Reserve military receive and that which Veterans receive through the Veterans Administration Medical Centers; and,

WHEREAS,   a student who has an Estimated Family Contribution of “zero” will likely receive full aid for the increased costs, but students who are paying out of pocket, most in the middle class, will have an increased burden on top of an already tough set of circumstances; and,

WHEREAS,   the increased cost of attendance will not only affect students who already pay out of pocket, but it will affect all students “seeking financial aid” as there will be less money to go around; now therefore be it,

WHEREAS,   the North Carolina Constitution states that “the benefits of The University of                                North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as                                       practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense.”; now                                              therefore be it,

RESOLVED, that the NC State University Student Senate is hereby opposed to extending mandatory hard waiver insurance to NC State until issues relating to accessibility and financial aid are resolved; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that it is recommended that other options be explored such as lower coverage thresholds for those eligible for a waiver and/or lowering coverage standards across the board to help lower premiums; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that due to the projected lower costs for the Student Health Center that it be recommended that the Student Health Center’s fees be frozen at 2009-2010 levels or lowered to assist in lowering costs as much as possible; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that other cost-cutting options are fully explored to continue to ensure that our education is “as far as practicable” given “free of expense” as mandated by the North Carolina Constitution.

RESOLVED, that we strongly discourage any implementation of this plan before fall 2010, to allow for easier planning and a smoother transition.