Opinion

Trick but no treat

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Related stories:

• Trick or treat? (November 1, 2004)
• Trick or treat (September 1, 2005)
• This trick's no treat (September 4, 2006)
• Bill banning intelligent design right for state (February 23, 2006)
• Beware the morning after (September 30, 2003)

Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:

• The Invisible Man Award: Wyndham Manning (May 7, 2009)
• The People's Choice Award: Jacqueline Hitchon et. al (May 7, 2009)
• The Lifetime Achievement Award: ASM (May 7, 2009)
• Honest representation (May 5, 2009)
• Junger for ASM Chair (May 5, 2009)

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Would you pay for textbooks if your parents already bought them for you? Of course not, but that’s the exact type of racket University Health Services (UHS) officials are trying to pull on UW students.

Due to an understandable lack of interest among domestic students, most of whom carry their own health insurance, the insurance companies behind the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) last year lost about $1.3 million on the program. In order for the system to remain soluble, UW health officials say they need more students to join SHIP. Unfortunately, they are resorting to trickery, hoping students will inadvertently pay for health insurance twice.

UHS officials are currently campaigning for a switch from the current opt-in system to one that is opt-out, whereby every UW student would automatically pay for full-coverage health insurance regardless of whether or not they already have insurance. Students could avoid subscribing to the policy only by checking a box on UW’s tuition form. UHS officials hope that as many as 30 percent of UW students will leave the box empty and buy into SHIP, even though many may do so by accident.

While the end result — affordable health insurance — is something UW should strive for, the proposed opt-out system is inherently dishonest. At best, UHS officials are being egotistical if they think they are doing UW students a service by automatically signing everyone up for SHIP. More realistically, the opt-out system takes advantage of student ignorance and the miscommunication between many students and their tuition and health insurance-paying parents.

Unfortunately for the average student, ASM is a willing co-conspirator in the opt-out plan. At last semester’s final meeting, ASM endorsed UHS’s opt-out plan (a sharp contrast to their cries of bloody murder every time someone suggests students should be allowed to opt out of funding student government).

We are disappointed that ASM is so quick to turn its back on apathetic students. Aren’t student government officials supposed to protect students from being taken advantage of in exactly this manner?

Fortunately, Chancellor Wiley has expressed concern over the proposed system’s inherent dishonesty. Wiley has called the plan “deceptive” and said he is uncomfortable with any proposal that promises lower rates by selling unneeded insurance to unknowing students. He should remain skeptical.

There are alternatives to simply taking advantage of students. UW System officials are currently studying the possibilities of a system-wide student insurance plan, which would vastly increase the payment pool. Placing an opt-in check box on tuition checks would achieve the same degree of visibility as the opt-out system — with the benefit of being honest.

For now, UHS officials may be forced to consider further limiting the most expensive benefits offered under SHIP and raising the still-far-lower-than-average rates. At a minimum, UHS officials must do a better job publicizing SHIP. An overhaul of the SHIP website is overdue — SHIP’s costs and benefits for the current semester are not even available online — and SHIP’s e-mails must do a better job of conveying why UHS thinks you need insurance. What must not happen is the bilking of unwitting college students of their hard-earned money.