Students able to take medical leave without penalty from insurance agencies
The U.S. Senate approved a bill that would allow students to continue to be covered by their parents’ health insurance in the case of emergency medical leave Sept. 25.According to the press release on the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Web site, the bill would allow sick college students to take a medical leave of absence or drop below the full-time status required by insurance companies.
Students can now stay covered by their parents’ health insurance while taking a medical leave for up to 12 months.
The Senate approved H.R. 2851, also known as Michelle’s Law, unanimously Oct. 2.
“It was sent to the White House and (the President) has 10 days to sign it as of last Thursday, so he has a couple more days before he actually has to sign it,” said Keysha Brooks-Coley, the ACS CAN associate director of federal relations. “Our understanding is that it could be this week most likely.”
Michelle’s Law is named after Michelle Morse, a college student who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004.
According to the ACS CAN: Colleges Against Cancer Advocacy Web site, to continue to be covered by her parent’s health insurance, Michelle had to remain a full-time student at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
Without the coverage, she would have been unable to receive the necessary chemotherapy treatments.
Eventually, Michelle lost her fight to the disease.
“Most students have health care coverage under their parents, but to be eligible for the health care coverage, they must be a full-time, matriculating student at an accredited educational institution, and they will be covered until whatever the termination date is,” said Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic.
Brooks-Coley said under Michelle’s Law, students would be covered for 12 months by their parents’ insurance in the event illness resulting in medical leave.
“I am very much in support of the bill,” Kam said. “This is the point at which the individuals need health insurance. They didn’t drop out of school because they were partying too much, or weren’t doing well so they dropped out of school. This is where an unexpected medical illness came up and resulted in their inability to attend classes, study and do tests.”
The student would be required to have documentation by a medical professional, stating the student can no longer be in school full-time.
Kam said cancer; head injuries, such as a bad concussion; pneumonia; or severe depression are a few such illnesses that could result in medical leave.
“They can’t go to class if they can’t think and can’t process information,” Kam said.
In the case a student’s medical illness returns, that student could take multiple, one-year leaves of absence if they returned to school in between, said Trista Hargrove, ACS CAN associate director of media advocacy.
However, current law only allows students to be covered by their parents’ health insurance plan up to age 22.
Some states have increased this age limit up to as high as 26, Hargrove said.
“We looked at some data that the American Cancer Society had put together on how many folks it would actually affect,” Brooks-Coley said.
“It would actually affect up to 2,400 college students in 2008 who would be diagnosed with cancer.”
Colleges Against Cancer is a nationwide collaboration of college students, faculty and staff dedicated to eliminating cancer.
CAC strives to achieve this goal by working to implement the programs and mission of the American Cancer Society, according to the Sept. 25, ACS CAN press release.
“Colleges Against Cancer has been very instrumental in reaching out to their members of Congress about this important piece of legislation,” Hargrove said.
Auburn students can get involved by joining the Auburn chapter of the CAC.
Students can also go to the ACS CAN Web site for more information, www.acscan.org.
“We know that in terms of winning the fight against cancer, it requires that we make sure that all Americans have access to quality cancer care,” Hargrove said. “This is just one small step, but it’s an important step forward in that fight.”
