UNH Implements Requirement For Health Insurance

April 19, 2007

Effective for the 2007-08 academic year, the University of New Hampshire will be joining a growing number of the nation’s leading land grant universities in requiring health insurance as a condition of enrollment for all full-time students. The implementation of the requirement follows a year-long process of surveying students’ health care needs, considering program objectives in consultation with students, parents, faculty, and professional staff, and conducting a comprehensive request-for-proposals process. “Health insurance is essential to ensure that our students have appropriate access to health care beyond the services available on campus at UNH’s Health Service and Counseling Center” said Kevin Charles, Assistant Vice-President for Student & Academic Services and Executive Director of Health Services.


Health insurance will be available through the new UNH Student Health Benefits Plan administered by Health Plans, Inc., a subsidiary of Harvard-Pilgrim Health Care. The new program will feature no pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations, a $1 million lifetime maximum benefit, prescription drug and mental health care coverage, and reasonable co-payments for accessing physician and hospital services. This 12 month plan will provide coverage to students regardless of whether they are at home, school, or traveling abroad. The average monthly cost for the plan will be $115 for student-only coverage.


“We are pleased that the student health plan offered through the University will be one of the best in the country” said Cindy McGahey, Director of Finance & Administration at UNH Health Services. The new insurance requirement and comprehensive design of the plan will assure that UNH is in full compliance with student health insurance/benefit plan standards that are published by the American College Health Association, a national non-profit association for college health services. Students who have health insurance coverage through parents or elsewhere will not be required to buy the University-sponsored plan. However, the University expects that many students will choose to enroll in the Student Health Benefits Plan because of cost and/or benefit advantages compared to their existing health insurance. UNH peer institutions that have similar health insurance requirements include UMass-Amherst, Cornell, University of Connecticut, University of Vermont, and University of Rhode Island.


For more information contact Cindy McGahey, Director of Finance and Administration, UNH Health Services, 862-2853.