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TCUs
health plan cheaper than most
There
are many options for students selecting a health insurance
provider.
By
Liddy Serio and
Lori Russell
Staff Reporters
School can be financially demanding even for the most
prepared and budget conscious students. In addition to
tuition, books, housing and food, TCU requires students
taking nine hours or more to carry health insurance.
Students have the option of enrolling in the student health
insurance plan offered by TCU for $340 per semester. The
insurance is provided by The Chickering Group Insurance,
administered by the Chickering Claims Administrators Inc.
and underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company.
In comparison, semester rates at Southern Methodist University
are $545 and are $562 at Baylor University.
Health Center administrator Marilyn Hallam said there
are a number of things that make TCUs plan less
costly than those at other universities around the state.
Universities that have medical schools tend to have
higher usage of their plans and higher usage will cause
premiums to escalate. Universities that have voluntary
enrollment will have a more costly plan because its
adverse selection, Hallam said.
The location of the university may result in a more costly
plan because medical costs in Dallas or Houston are higher
than Fort Worth, Hallam said.
Some schools do not have a health center staffed with
physicians and so most of the care for students is provided
off-campus which will result in higher costs, Hallam said.
The plan is a major medical policy that provides coverage
for illnesses and injuries that occur on and off campus
and includes special cost-saving features to keep the
coverage as affordable as possible.
Health insurance is an expenditure students might
not be able to afford to do without, said Bob Rutledge,
a north Texas insurance broker. Unexpected medical expenses
could force students into bankruptcy, he said.
Rutledge advises students to evaluate several plans before
choosing a provider. He said rates vary across the state,
even with the same company.
For some reason people in Houston go to the doctor
more than people in Dallas/Fort Worth, so the premiums
in that area are generally higher, Rutledge said.
Consumers can do price comparisons online at sites such
as QuoteInsuranceOnline.com, Rutledge said.
Students under 35 should be able to find coverage between
$75 and $90 a month, Rutledge said. These are not
the cheapest policies, but they are decent mid-road plans
that will protect you from bankruptcy.
Bill Buck, an MBA student at TCU, said he signed up for
TCUs plan this semester even though he hasnt
before. The $340 fee will provide coverage through spring
and summer.
Specific information on TCU plan benefits is available
in brochures at the Health Center or online at http://www.chickering.com/stu_conn/schoolInfo.asp. |
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Brian
Wooddell/photo illustration
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Insurance
Rates
School |
Price |
Company |
Baylor |
$562
premium |
Associated
Insurance |
Rice |
$1,001
premium
$731
premium (optional)
|
Columbian
Life Insurance Co. |
SMU |
$545
premium |
Peoples
Benefit Life Insurance Co. |
TCU |
$340
premium |
The
Chickering Group Insurance |
UNT |
$587
premium |
MEGA
Life and Health Insurance |
Premiums
are for coverage in the spring and summer. |
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