[Vision2020] The UI Friday Letter from UI President White (September 16, 2005)

[Donovan Arnold]

Janesta,

We are arguing apples and oranges here. I am not
arguing that students should not have health
insurance. I am arguing students should not have to
have TWO health insurances.


The UI Health Insurance Programs is a SCAM, a JOKE, it
does not cover anything a student would actually use.
The University of Idaho requires students to have 1/2
million dollars in coverage, which might as well be
500 billion dollars in coverage on the income for most
18-26 year-olds, in order to wave out of the UI health
insurance program, which provides students with no
dental, eyes, annual exams, STD testing, skin care
treatment, or anything else most students 18-26 are
going to NEED during their average 11 semester stay at
UI. 

WSU, BSU, ISU, NIC, LCSC, and all other public
universities and colleges in Idaho only require
$67,000 or LESS in insurance to buy a different
outside health insurance. Most the other colleges and
universities also have a dental option, skin care, and
annual health exams. 

But another problem is the way the University handles
their billing. They require the insurance but with an
"exclusion" so that students cannot include it as a
cost of attending the University.  Thus, the student
most pay the cost out of pocket rather than getting it
paid for in scholarships and in their financial award
packages even if they have $250,000 in coverage
through a parent or work.


Thousands of students on campus are having to pay for
two health insurance policies, one that meets the
students medical needs and the other the University
requires. 

Bottom-line here, the University Health Insurance
Program is not really health insurance, it does not
cover anything except catastrophic injury. UI students
have always been covered by catastrophic injury
through the county indigent fund. The county indigent
fund is funded through a value added tax on alcohol,
which consequently being a college town, fully covers
the cost of indigents in Moscow and Latah.

UI students with only UI Health Insurance have to pay
all their medical expenses out of pocket and do not
get reimbursed for months on down line. They can only
seek treatment for illness at certain times of the day
and are often just referred to another hospital or
care center where they are covered by their insurance
policy.

Before 2001 UI had excellent, affordable, quality
health insurance with a dental package. 

On the Computers issue:

The University, depending on the department, requires
students to buy computers from UI too, not just any
computer you can find for cheaper, but their computer
that you could buy on eBay or at the Office Depot in
town for 1/2 or less the cost. In addition if the
computer is broken, stolen, or stops working you have
to an addition $500 to replace it, I only pay $60 a
year for insurance my computer with no deductible. 

The University is NOT using their influence and size
to bring better and more affordable deals for
students, they instead try to use it to gouge them
from 25% more for a soda to 200% more for shotty
health insurance. 

Before 2001 UI had excellent, affordable, quality
health insurance with a dental package. 

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold


--- Janesta Carcich <janestacarcich at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Donavan,
> 
> Many years ago, I worked for 8 years in billing and
> collections at Pullman Memorial Hospital. I can’t
> tell
> you how many students came in with VERY serious
> medical problems, with no insurance.
> 
> For instance, 13 years ago, a young man was injured
> in
> a head-on collusion with an uninsured motorist. The
> bill for the emergency room alone was over
> $10,000.00.
> His car insurance only covered $5,000.00 of that! He
> had to stay in the hospital for almost 3 months, to
> the tune of more than $125,000.00. Thankfully, he
> was
> in Washington, and was able to get on Medicaid.
> However, Medicaid does not reimburse at 100%, as
> most
> of us know
. We had many, many students admitted due
> to over intoxication, accidents, and just the
> regular
> things that happen to people, because we are people
> and get sick.
> 
> In Idaho, it is difficult, if not impossible for an
> adult to get Medicaid. Where do they turn to? Latah
> County. If they are approved, why should I, as a
> taxpayer have to pay for a student who has no
> insurance? I shouldn’t. Gritman has a charity care
> policy as well. In my opinion, both programs should
> be
> used for those in need. If you can afford school
.
> And
> I know it IS tight, you need to just figure in the
> cost of insurance. Period. If you can’t afford it,
> then work a semester or two until you can.
> 
> I don’t know about the computers. My daughter, a
> single mother, attends U of I and purchased her own
> for $800.00. She also has insurance with no
> assistance
> from family. I am proud of her perseverance in
> obtaining higher education. 
> 
> Janesta
> 
>   
> 
> --- Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > "UI's fall semester enrollment is 12,476 students
> > statewide: up from spring semester's 12,203 and
> down
> > slightly from last fall's 12,824."--UI
> Presidential
> > Letter.
> > 
> > Humm, I guess when we compare this fall semester
> to
> > spring's semester it appears that enrollment is
> up.
> > 
> > But when you compare enrollment fall semester of
> > 2005
> > to fall semester (like a normal person would for
> an
> > accurate measurement because enrollment is always
> > less
> > in the Spring) of 2004, we lost 350+ students
> > statewide.
> > 
> > Maybe next year if enrollment declines even
> further
> > they can compare next year's fall enrollment to
> this
> > year's summer enrollment, that would be, WOW, a
> 100%
> > increase in enrollment. This is such a better
> > approach
> > then dealing with the issue that UI is losing
> > enrollment. 
> > 
> > My suggestion, do not require students to purchase
> > $1000 of worthless heath insurance and a $600
> > notebook
> > computer for $2000 on top of 10% increases in fees
> > (every year) while students get 0% increase in
> > financial aid for living expenses.
> > 
> > Donovan J Arnold
> > 
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > --- Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > Copied and pasted below is today's (September
> 16,
> > > 2005) UI Friday Letter
> > > from UI President White.
> > > 
> > >
> >
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > 
> > > University of Idaho
> > > Office of the President
> > > Moscow, Idaho 83844-3151
> > > Phone: 208-885-6365
> > > Fax: 208-885-6558
> > > 
> > > The Friday Letter
> > > A Newsletter for University of Idaho Alumni and
> > > Friends Sept. 16, 2005
> > > 
> > > Dear Friends,
> > > 
> > > University of Idaho researchers continue to be
> in
> > > the forefront in advancing
> > > alternative fuels. That's evidenced by several
> > > events in Boise and Moscow. A
> > > group of UI researchers and educators are
> > presenting
> > > in Boise today an
> > > alternative fuel workshop that focuses on
> > > cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel
> > > with an emphasis on school bus fleet usage.
> Also,
> > as
> > > part of the Alternative
> > > Energy Festival at the Discovery Center this
> > > weekend, University of Idaho
> > > students and faculty are showcasing the
> Volkswagen
> > > BioBug and a Dodge Ram
> > > truck, both fueled on 100 percent biodiesel.
> > > Chemical engineering students
> > > have their own alternative energy project on
> > > display; a shoebox-sized car
> > > that uses hydrogen fuel cells as a power source.
> 
> > > It's a wonderful opportunity to see what our
> > faculty
> > > and students are
> > > accomplishing...ideas, innovation and
> inspiration.
> > > 
> > > Next week, the campus hosts a sustainable
> > > transportation conference and
> > > workshop. Our National Institute for Advanced
> > > Transportation Technology
> > > sponsors the event, and more than 160
> participants
> > > will consider ways to
> > > achieve environmentally friendlier
> transportation.
> > 
> > > These efforts are important for our community
> and
> > > support the University's
> > > goals of promoting science, technology and
> > > sustainability in an economic and
> > > environmental sense.
> > > 
> > > Tim White
> > > President
> > > 
> > > Here's the latest news from the University of
> > Idaho:
> > > The academic quality and size of UI freshman
> class
> > > hits a record. 
> > > This fall semester, 1,715 freshmen joined the
> > > University of Idaho, 50
> > > percent of whom were in the top 25 percent of
> > their
> > > high school classes.
> > > This is a 4.4 percent increase compared to last
> > > year's entering freshman
> > > class. UI's fall semester enrollment is 12,476
> > > students statewide: up from
> > > spring semester's 12,203 and down slightly from
> > last
> > > fall's 12,824. "This is
> > > a planned year of rebuilding, after a record
> > number
> > > of students - 2,331 --
> > > graduated last year," said Linda Morris, vice
> > > provost for academic affairs
> > > and enrollment management. "I'm thrilled with
> the
> > > promise of our quality
> > > freshman class, the increase in numbers of
> > students
> > > of color, and I'm
> > > optimistic the university's Plan for Renewal
> will
> 
=== message truncated ===


		
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