Affordable
health insurance offers students alternatives,
peace of mind
By
Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
Tuition, car payments, rent and books are among the plethora of finances students
face in their day to day life. Many who are forced to prioritize their payments
often overlook an important necessity that could save their life and savings
account—health insurance.
Two Los Angeles healthcare companies are giving students a break when it comes
to paying for health insurance.
The Healthy Rebates Program, put together by Blue Shield of California and
L.A. Care Health Plan, assists individuals and families who have a hard
time paying for health insurance in the Los Angeles area according to Thomas
Tran, a representative from L.A. Health Care.
The program is funded by a $5 million grant from Blue Shield of California,
Tran said. The program is administered by L.A. Care Health Plan and offers
those who qualify a monthly rebate as long as they are paying for a licensed
health care plan.
“If you buy health insurance from a reputable health care provider that
has been approved by us for three months then we’ll send you a check ranging
from $20 to $100,” Tran said.
The amount of money rebated depends on how many people are in the family, according
to Tran. Students have two options—either purchase health insurance for
themselves or purchase health insurance for their entire family.
According to Tran a single student’s cost for health insurance can range
from $100 to $150 a month.
“So if every month you’re spending $300, with the program you get
a check in the mail for at least $75,” Tran said. “If you have family
members, then each individual gets the rebate as well.”
The program aims at encouraging students to maintain continuous health coverage.
The rebates are a way of rewarding students for covering themselves with health
insurance according to Tran.
“It’s unexpected emergencies that tend to wipe us out,” Tran
said. “We’re trying to encourage students to prevent such events.”
Students tend to neglect health care when it is thrown into the midst of other
finances Tran said.
“They tend to hope that they won’t get sick,” Tran said.
The rugged life students lead from working hard at school and work, not getting
enough sleep and not eating right often leads to sickness, Tran said. When
he was in college, Tran said he used hope he wouldn’t get sick, and if
he did, he would use to over-the-counter medical treatment such as Nyquil and
hope it would go away.
“I don’t think students should have to resort to that,” Tran
said. “This program is trying to help.”
CSULB student Kristin Fuqua gets her health insurance from her parents, but
if she had to pay for insurance on her own she would probably put other finances
in front of health insurance because she would think sickness wouldn’t
be a problem.
“I would think, ‘Oh I’m not going to get hurt,’ and then
go out and pay for other bills instead.”
Fuqua thinks the Healthy Rebates plan is beneficial because students are at
a high risk for health problems with the stressful lifestyle and sometimes
large amount of partying that students partake in.
“If students are paying for something and they’re going to get money
back they’ll be more likely to pay,” Fuqua said.
In order for a student to qualify for the program their income must meet the
designated requirement. The requirement, available at www.healthyrebates.org
or 866-LA-REBATES, is that an individual’s income or the total family
income meet or is under 400 percent of the federal poverty line.
For a family of four, this figure would be roughly $38,000 according to Tran.
By contacting Healthy Rebates students can learn if they qualify for the rebate
program as well as information about every available public health option they
qualify for. |
