New York Attorney General: Some College Health Plans Violate State Regulations
The New York Times: An investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office into health insurance plans offered to college students found that most plans "pay out far less in benefits than they collect in premiums," sometimes in violation of state regulations. "Many plans also do not cover common situations that affect students, including injuries sustained in suicide attempts or while drunk. And some colleges force students to buy college-sponsored coverage even if they are enrolled in a parent's plan or covered by Medicaid."The recently passed health reform law might affect this sector of the industry, however, as "the need for students to have their own insurance may be decreasing, because the federal health care bill signed into law last month will allow parents, starting in September, to keep children on their plans until the children are 26. ... One insurer, Combined Insurance, disputed the data collected by Mr. Cuomo's office. But the insurer declined to specify what it claimed was wrong" (Hakim, 4/8). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.