Students confused after University stops accepting Medicaid as waiver for Student Health Plan
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November 13, 2019
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November 13, 2019
BYU-Idaho students signing up for registration were told they couldn’t use Medicaid as an acceptable alternative to the Student Health Plan.
“When my husband first told me about the school denying his initial waiver, which had his Idaho Medicaid information, I thought he misunderstood what the person at the Health Center told him,” said Jessica Whetten, whose husband studies software engineering. “I didn’t believe it. I was a bit livid.”
Students can no longer use Medicaid as an acceptable form of insurance when applying for a Student Health Plan Waiver. BYU-Idaho requires students to either have “adequate” health insurance coverage in the Rexburg area or participate in the Student Health Plan. In Idaho, 232,437 people, or 12.9% of the population were registered through Idaho’s Medicaid program during October.
The situation appears to change policies at BYU-Idaho and not other Church Education System Schools. BYU replied to questions on Twitter Thursday saying Medicaid will cover students’ health coverage requirements. BYU-Idaho had no comment on the changes and Public Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints referred all requests for comments back to BYU-Idaho University Relations.
Four students speaking on condition of anonymity told Scroll that when contacting the Student Health Center about the change, staff told them the Church Board of Education notified them they are no longer accepting Medicaid. Scroll contacted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who referred Scroll to BYU-I University Relations.
Tuesday afternoon, Student Health Center staff told students, “We were told not to give a reason why.”
“I would like to understand why,” said Elias Gamez, a junior studying automotive engineering. “Medicaid is insurance for those who cannot afford it, so why deny them for a plan that does not cover what Medicaid does and I can choose my own doctor instead of going to the school?”
The Student Health Center and University Relations declined to comment while referring Scroll to documents published on the Student Health Center’s webpage.
The Student Health Plan provides a self-funded plan, not insurance. Organizations using self-funded plans typically assume the financial risk for providing health care benefits to its members who pay the fee. The university automatically enrolls all students in the Student Health Plan unless they submitted the waiver. Each semester the plan requires students to pay $536 per person per semester or $2,130 per family per semester.
In order to obtain a waiver for the Student Health Plan, students need insurance through a policy held by a parent, a group insurance plan provided by your employer or your spouse’s employer, Medicare and any commercial Affordable Care Act compliant health care plan valid in Rexburg.
“Your coverage must provide full medical care if you are living in the Rexburg area,” the waiver forum reads.
The lowest cost insurance plan listed on Your Idaho Health, Idaho’s open enrollment website, for a family of three costs $666 a month. The cost likely out of reach of students places tough choices on people like the Whettens and Gamezes.
“I’ll be doing some research the next few days for sure,” Whetten said. “I can’t justify throwing money away when we’re already covered by Medicaid.”
The change by the university comes as Idaho enters the 2020 Medicaid expansion passed by voters in Nov. 2018. The expansion expands Medicaid to individuals with an annual household income of up to 138% the federal poverty level. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare estimates an additional 91,000 Idahoans are eligible for Medicaid because of the expansion.
“My wife works full time and I work part time, and we still cannot afford medical insurance without breaking the bank — literally,” Gamez said. “Now I qualify for it through Medicaid expansion, and the school changes the acceptance.”
Those above the 138% and less than 400% of the federal poverty level can enroll through Your Idaho Health and receive an advance tax credit, lowering the monthly premiums.
“We’ve been trying to get ahold of Medicaid to see if there’s an explanation they can give me, and if we have other options,” Whetten said. “We don’t make enough to qualify for the subsidy (receiving the advance tax credit).”
“I think, whatever your political stance is, welfare programs like Medicaid are for people like us students,” said Hayden Allen, a freshman studying political science. “To not be able to take advantage of programs designed for us is illogical.”
53 Comments
I think the school needs to adopt the same policy the church has by at least explaining why they’re making such a big change. I could understand from a health administration perspective why the school clinic wouldn’t accept medicaid for insurance, but why on earth would they decline medicaid as a way to waive their extremely limited insurance plan?? I’m all ears health department.
While my husband I were enrolled in school, we chose to be covered by the student health plan. We loved our doctors and counselors at the student health center. It was a much better option than any other insurance available to us. Now that we are alumni, we miss the low premiums and coverage of the student health plan. Insurance is expensive. Did we qualify for Medicaid? Absolutely. Did we take advantage of it? Absolutely not. We were both healthy individuals who qualified for pell grants and loans. We were able to pay for our own education, housing, and all other means ourselves. Some people do not have those options. THAT is what Medicaid is for. It is for individuals who cant do so for themselves. The more people that go onto Medicaid, this equals the more our tax money has to go to them. I never regret helping g another individual. However, when someone makes a choice between caring for themselves and taking advantage of some other way, that person does not have integrity. Would it have been easier for us to take Medicaid, live in subsidized housing, and gotten food stamps? In the short term, yes. We wouldn’t have had to work. We would maybe have had more to eat. We would have turn up the heater during the winter. But because we worked hard and did for ourselves, we were able to save that money that would have been spent on us. That money went to someone else who really needed it.
You dont take something because you qualify and feel entitled to it. Have some integrity and first look to yourself for help. The church does have great services to teach us about self reliance.
Rachel Mullins, you do know part of self reliance is knowing when you need help and where to get it? There’s no reason not to take advantage of the benefits of paying taxes when in the long run you will pay back more than you ever receive. You really can’t judge other college students who use it just because you feel pride in the fact that you didn’t. Sure it’s possible for you, but for some it isn’t. My wife and I are not on Medicaid, but would qualify for it. It’s not about pride though which it seems it is for you. Please don’t claim that people getting help don’t have integrity. There is a reason that they are doing it, and sure some may take advantage, but we are not here on this earth to judge. God bless.
With all due respect @Rachel Mullins, if there’s any class of people that we could label “hardworking,” and “dedicated,” would it not be the people who are making big sacrifices of both time and resources to attend a University and receive an education? While I agree that it’s healthy for a student’s confidence and accountability to provide as many things for themselves as is reasonable, I also believe and have witnessed that when a student works full time, and/or suffers under the relentless financial demands of life while trying to simultaneously take a full course load, that student’s performance and potential is limited. Oftentimes their mental health is in jeopardy. We need to strike a balance between helping students be accountable and offering assistance when the load puts their studies or their mental health in jeopardy. I don’t believe this policy strikes that balance. I for one am fine with my tax dollars going to aid students. They are the class of people that MOST deserve aid, in my opinion. These are the people that will one day contribute enormously to their communities, and are generally not the freeloaders you make them out to be. As someone who personally benefited enormously from financial aid in school while still working all throughout to make ends meet, it’s ok to both ask for and receive help. Even from the Government.
I can understand that a lot of people have a limited understanding of Medicaid and therefore don’t understand how harmful a policy like this can be. People have Medicaid for many different reasons, including chronic health conditions and disabilities. Those conditions also make getting other insurance coverage exceedingly difficult, and when they do get it it is prohibitively expensive. The student health policy would not just be inadequate, it would be useless for these individuals. By excluding Medicaid as an option, the university is essentially discriminating against people with disabilities; probably not their best move.
I don’t even know what to say to you other than congrats and your self righteousness is awesome! Im guessing both if your owners are upset middle class and though toy struggled because you didn’t have what toy had at home im sure you still had plenty. People like you are disgusting to assume that those who nerf the help are just taking advantage. Congrats and im guessing you are in your relief society presidency
I dislike auto correct
Thanks for all your lectures on integrity. Good you have an awesome life and very healthy, but not everybody has same story and experience. People are really having a hard time with different health issues and the means to stay healthy and functional. Add that lesson to your lectures.
Sounds to me like this is about $81 per month, per student. There is absolutely zero reason the state Medicaid plan would not qualify as acceptable coverage under the requirements of the school. Greed is not a Christian value. This policy needs to be rescinded, and now!
Medicaid is not insurance. It is welfare.
Extortion and greed is what it looks like to me
I’d be willing to accept a response either way. It’s the schools decline to explain their decision that seriously concerns me.
Verrrrry Interesting. and Somewhat ironically,
BYU’s student health plan is not considered minimum essential coverage under the ACA, while Medicaid is.
Source: https://www.healthinsurance.org/idaho-medicaid/#BYU
I think there needs to be more comments here. ALRIGHT EVERYONE! School health plan roasting time!
I’ll go first:
BYU-I health coverage is so0oo limited, Rihanna decided to wear it to the Grammys this year!
[…] official statement on helping students find healthcare options in the midst of their decision to no longer accept Idaho Medicaid as an adequate form of insurance for the Student Health Plan […]
[…] BYU-Idaho formally announced the change on Nov 15, the student newspaper, the Scroll, published an article highlighting frustration among students whose requests to use Medicaid as an alternative to the […]
[…] BYU-Idaho formally announced the change on Nov 15, the student newspaper, the Scroll, published an article highlighting frustration among students whose requests to use Medicaid as an alternative to the […]
[…] BYU-Idaho formally announced the change on Nov. 15, the school’s student newspaper, the Scroll, published an article highlighting frustration among students whose requests to use Medicaid as an alternative to the student health […]
[…] BYU-Idaho formally announced the change on Nov 15, the student newspaper, the Scroll, published an article highlighting frustration among students whose requests to use Medicaid as an alternative to the […]
[…] formally announced the change on Nov. 15, the school’s student newspaper, the Scroll, published an article highlighting frustration among students whose requests to use Medicaid as an alternative to the […]
[…] Scroll, BYU-Idaho’s student newspaper, reported in mid-November that the school would longer accept Medicaid as a form of health care […]
[…] Scroll, BYU-Idaho’s student newspaper, reported in mid-November that the school would longer accept Medicaid as a form of health care coverage. […]
[…] Scroll, BYU-Idaho’s student newspaper, reported in mid-November that the school would longer accept Medicaid as a form of health care coverage. […]
[…] First place: Eric Grossarth (The Scroll) – “Students Confused after University Stops Accepting Medicaid as Waiver” […]
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