LETTER: Please don’t require insurance

To the editor:

The front-page article of the Wednesday, Feb 21 Utah Statesman caught my attention.

I am currently a student at Utah State and have made the decision not to purchase health insurance, and I am opposed to a mandate requiring me to have health insurance to attend school. This letter contains my views and concerns. It is also long (please read it anyway).

I acknowledge in the interest of space that the article could not present the entirety of the issue and I would like to know more about it, particularly the results of the studies done. I, however, believe there are flaws in the arguments presented in the article.

I agree that public health is paramount. I don’t agree that simply having health insurance will prevent anyone from getting sick. I personally have only ever taken two sick days in my life. (One was the day my wisdom teeth were removed.) People don’t get sick on purpose. I have automobile insurance and wouldn’t you know it, I have still never been in an accident.

I don’t know what effect health insurance would have on retention. During my chemistry test the room was silent except for the dozens of people sniffling and coughing. (It was actually getting on my nerves!) They still came. I was there and I am not sick now as a result. I made it a point not to kiss anyone!

I know that for me retention in class would drop. Adding a $2500 bill to the cost of school is too much for me. I have up to this date paid every dime for my own education. I can’t pay three semesters of tuition to attend two. The student health Web site, usu.edu/health, recommended a $2500 plan. I also looked at other plans ranging from $60/month to $400/month. The $60/month would let me get my runny nose looked at relatively cheap, but the $5000 deductible wouldn’t afford me to have any necessary work done. The plan that I would choose is $116/month. That still adds $1400/year to the cost of my education. I haven’t spent $1400 my entire life on healthcare. I haven’t known insurance companies to ever lower their prices. Out of all of this it seems that insurance companies will be the beneficiaries.

Dr. Davis no doubt sees the consequence end of students’ risk taking. I don’t believe that fits the majority of USU students. We are all risk takers in the fact that we are hoping someday a USU degree will mean something to a future employer. My risky days of skydiving or street luge or whatever you envision crazy college kids doing, are behind me. I am married and have a child on the way (My wife is covered through her work, thank goodness). I am taking the risk that I can spend the money for health insurance in a better way. Please don’t require mandatory health insurance. I think there are other solutions. Maybe USU could offer lower tuition to students with health insurance? (I also haven’t known USU to ever lower their prices.) My hope is that a proposal can be generated that will offer incentives and not financial burdens.

Joseph Beck