Seriously Ill College Students Should Only Have to Worry About Getting Well

by Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst
National Women’s Law Center

This post is part of a weekly series on Women and Health Reform. 

What does a college student worry about? The last time I spoke with my younger sister—a rising college senior—she was fretting over how to schedule her fall classes so that Fridays were completely free. Tough life, right? But the truth is some college students have much graver matters to worry about, such as fighting a life-threatening illness like cancer. With all that those students and their families face on day-to-day basis, there is one thing that should not ever top their list of concerns: keeping their health insurance.

But after a college student named Michelle Morse was diagnosed with colon cancer, she found that it was impossible to take the leave-of-absence from her studies that she needed to fight her cancer and remain on her parent’s health insurance plan as a dependent student. Her insurance policy required full-time student status, so even while undergoing chemotherapy treatments, Michelle had to take a full course load just to keep her coverage. 

Congress is currently considering a bill (H.R. 2851/S. 400, or “Michelle’s Law”) which would ensure that dependent college students who take a medically necessary leave of absence do not lose health insurance coverage. While I applaud and fully support the legislation, it’s enraging that we even need it, and that our health system doesn’t already include this sort of protection for very sick young adults and their families. (And frankly—given the costs of college— having to be a full-time college student to keep your coverage is just as maddening.  As my colleague Sarah has noted, some states have passed laws that allow young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance- regardless of their student status). Michelle didn’t survive her battle with cancer – what a shame that any of that precious time she had with her family was spent worrying about how to keep her health coverage. Let’s hope that H.R. 2851/S. 400 is promptly enacted (see here to send your Congressperson a letter of support) but let’s also work together to support a more comprehensive plan for health reform that would make laws like this unnecessary.

Comments

[Julie Smith]

No young person, faced with serious illness should have to deal with insurance issues.....what is that all about....its tough enough being sick when you are young without having to deal with multi million dollar companies!!!!!!
Michelle - you will never be forgotten...your message will go on.

[penny]

The question of health insurance for young people needs more attention. My daughter is fighting an eating disorder and I am already worrying about what happens if she is not well enough to be a full-time student (required to keep her on my insurance) when she graduates from high school in 2011. There is already so much of her treatment that is not covered (but that's another issue!)! It's simply WRONG that she will lose all coverage if she needs to defer college for a year, or to take a part-time course load for a while.

Another reason why health insurance for all -- and not through employers -- is critical!

[Brigette]

Mark, I am so sorry for your family's loss. Hopefully the courage of the two Michelles--and countless other young adults with similar experiences--will spur our Congressional leaders to fix this problem as soon as possible. Thank you for sharing your sister's story.

[Mark Rigney]

My sister went through the same thing. She was supposed to testify before Congress about this very thing. She coincidentally had the same first name and faught like hell to bring attention to this issue. Unfortunately she did not make it to testify as she is now an angel.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-08-09-healthcare_N.htm

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michellerigney