Universal UNC Health Insurance

The UNC Board of Governors, the thirty-two unelected people who just like to be called “govnah”, have decided to throw their hats into the healthcare swirl.  They have decided for all the thousands of us who attend UNC system schools that our current health insurance coverage isn’t good enough.  “Each campus doesn’t have the same common base plan.  Everything is a little bit different,'” says Bruce Mallette, senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs.  And that’s bad why?  I am starting to get tired of people with long, ridiculous titles by their names making blanket statements for the thousands of individuals around here.  It is becoming very indicative of modern American politics in general and certainly of UNC politics.

Basically the government (with you and me footing the bill of course) is going to use its power to subsidize in order to lower premiums from what they otherwise would be.  That will increase coverage they say.  But the price will increase at many of the campuses that already offer health care coverage for people who want it.  Also, we are talking about sixteen percent of the population of students here who do not already have health insurance.  And, as hard as it is for people to muster up and say, every single person without it chooses not to have it.

The reason this idea of consolidating the health coverage is that the board is going to mandate that everyone has health care coverage.  No matter if you purchase it from the school or not, you have to have what they are calling “credible” coverage.  Uh-huh.  So, what do you, as thinking people, think the next step is when government gets involved in limiting your freedom?   Correct!  More limitations on freedom.

As of now it is unclear as to what “credible coverage” means.  I suspect it is unclear for a reason.  I predict that after it is mandated in 2010, “credible” will mean a list of regulations and requirements.  Usually vague limitations on government officials, especially unelected ones who have very broad powers, doesn’t go over to well for us little folk without cool titles.  I also predict that this will lead to more subsidizing of “low-income” students and increased costs to every student.

We already have hints of this in the quotes and snip-its by Mallette, the super-duper senior vice admiral or whatever.  He has said that “any cost which is required for a student will be packaged as a cost for attendance” and that the cost will probably end up being factored into student loans (how long before it is factored into grants?).

Also, here at UNC-CH specifically, do you really think that student government can resist a student fee for subsidizing health insurance?  Maybe I shouldn’t give them any ideas, but all indications point to the fact that Jasmin Jones should be all for this.  She did after all support a transfer of wealth of $250, 000 to help an insignificant statistic of students pay for child care that they were already paying for.  Why not health care?

And of course student congress, of which I am a member, shows no hope for standing up to anyone considering they wouldn’t even condemn the infamous vandals and protestors of YWC fame last year.  So, be prepared for a health insurance fee on top of an increase in tuition if I don’t miss my guess.

Besides, you have already had your say.  Or, didn’t you know?  Yes, the Association of Student Governments agrees with the board.  The European Union of UNC student governments has spoken for you.  Whoopee.

And, before you dismiss my analysis as a pie-in-the-sky review, don’t forget we are dealing with a radical government who makes no bones about caring for your personal freedom.  Hate-crime legislation anyone?

So, congratulations Board of Governors, you have increased a lot of people’s premiums and decreased some people’s premiums all while limiting liberty.  Good work.