New York Attorney General Investigates Relationships Between Colleges, Health Insurers That Cover Students

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 18 Nov 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) this month has begun to issue subpoenas and requests for documents to a number of colleges as part of an investigation into the relationship between the schools and health insurers that cover students, the New York Times reports. The colleges include Columbia University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Sarah Lawrence College and several State University of New York campuses. The investigation appears to focus on the adequacy of disclosure of health insurance policy terms and costs to students, as well as whether colleges have received any improper payments in return for the implementation of requirements that students use certain health insurers.

In an e-mail, Benjamin Lawsky, special assistant to Cuomo, wrote, "We are primarily focused on whether insurance companies are paying schools to push students into health coverage they don't really need and shouldn't really want," adding, "With students and their families being financially squeezed at every turn, colleges must ensure that they are looking out for students' best interest first and foremost as opposed to their own financial bottom line."

James Boyle, president of College Parents of America, said that he supports the investigation, adding that the "vast majority" of college students receive health insurance through the policies of their parents. "The vast majority of campus health centers do not accept that insurance as payment for service," he said, adding, "Instead, some schools force the student, as a condition of enrollment, to purchase health insurance policies offered by the school" (Glater, New York Times, 11/17).

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