Over The Edge UNBC’s Official Student Newspaper Volume 7 - Issue 2 Sept 25, 2000 Watching our office shrink since 1994 situation Critical: | UNBC Students Have no Medical Coverage! By: Kevin Milo If anyone has gone to the trouble of looking for private policy student medical cover- age at UNBC, then they have come up against a wall. The fact is since UNBC is a relatively new _ university, there are still social issues which need to be contended with including the implemen- tation of a group medical pol- icy for students. Virtually all universities across Canada have some sort of group medical cover- age, often with no choice but to opt into it (usually you can opt out of it if you already have a plan). Private group plans cover much more than basic BC Provincial (Care Card) coverage does includ- ing dental, optical, and usual- ly all or a portion of the cost of prescription drugs, some- thing which most students find they need when they least expect it. Some even cover an annual physical. Many students are surprised to find out that the question of what kind of plan to supply students with and even whether to supply them with one at all, will fall on the stu- dents themselves and not the universities administration, who have their own arrange- ments for medical coverage. This leaves students wonder- Under The Covers ing where to begin and how to plan for students’ medical coverage. Northern working on the imple- mentation of such a medical plan for stu- dents since last year. directly responsible for overseeing the process claims that student) apathy is to blame for] _ the real lack of momentum on_ this massive project. However in defence of students lack involvement also states that “stu- dents do have a legiti- mate complaint with NUGSS involving a real involvement and services provided to the student body - one way for us to change this is to offer a health care plan to the students.” After all, this is where our Student Society fees are going. Various insurance brokerage companies have already approached NUGSS, offering many different package plans. All that really remains to implement the service is for students to decide on the page 2 Memorial Held for Geoffry Weller sort of package which they need and for a student refer- endum to be held which will be the final deciding factor in Johan Boyden heads the committee to get lack of active|/Student medical coverage. whether or not to bring stu- dent medical coverage into effect. With questioned whether or not a student health care pol- icy will indeed help the stu- dents of UNBC, Robin Johnson, Coordinator/ University Nurse, commented that such a plan will “help some students more than others,” but a plan would be in their best interests. By “some” students she means page 5 Meet you NUGSS Reps to say that students who such a plan will not benefit will be those who are without basic ‘health care in the first place, although they are few in ~ ‘number. “Part of well- ~|ness,” Johnson contin- ~~ Jued “ is that doctors are only part of a greater _ {picture which encom- «passes dental care, chi- jropractors, optometrists, Jetc., which are not read- {ily covered through basic {Provincial medical poli- “Nobody budgets for jsickness, but they can jbe cosily,” said Johnson, jwhen asked what the jcost benefit of medical jcoverage to students E jmay be. “For example, Miprescriptions for pneu- monia may be between $12 and $20 each, let alone anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-depressants,” which are often long-term medications. “Ambulance costs are repeatedly a con- cern for students without ade- quate medical insurance too.” While students will not be denied service in Canada, they may be billed for their ambulance and hospitaliza- tion costs at a later date, if they are without a medical plan. It is because of Such con- page 7 Poet’s Gorner 200 cerns as these that people like Boyden and NUGSS are striving to seek more student input into the type of plan which will best benefit the students of UNBC. The two main stages of the process are going to be the immediate formation of a committee which will listen to presenta- tions from the various insur- ance companies and then discuss and decide upon the most suitable option. The second stage will be a simple student ratification by referen- dum. The important part to note according to Boyden is that “the Northern Undergraduate Student Society [as the students gov- erning body] is committed to the implementation of a med- ical plan for students.” However, a medical plan will never become a reality at UNBC unless __ students become involved in the com- mittee for selection. Students who are willing to become involved are urged to contact Johan Boyden through his e- mail at , by phone at 562-4645, or simply drop into the NUGSS office (room Johnson in the Agora) and leave a message if they are interested or have any questions. page 10 Horoscopes and Kornered