29 October, 2000

David Colburn, PhD 
Professor of History and Provost 
University of Florida 
Tigert Hall 
CAMPUS

Re: Health Insurance Coverage for Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Dear Provost Colburn:

As I am sure you recollect, during the UF Faculty Senate Session of 1999-2000, I presented the issue of potentially inadequate health insurance coverage availability to graduate students on our campus. At the time, I suggested that the Senate evaluate this issue, and President Young offered that we put together an ad hoc committee to look at this issue from a campus wide perspective; this was done and a Health Care Committee was formed, with myself as Chairperson.

Through last year and continuing to the present, we have first of all attempted to define the nature of the problem related to health care on our campus. It appears that the following are true, based upon the best data to which we have access:

1. In most of the Colleges queried at the University of Florida, health insurance is quite uniformly not provided to graduate level students, although in some colleges students are "required" to have coverage. Even in these latter situations- and it appears that the College of Medicine falls into this category- at least some students use funds allocated for health insurance to maintain their daily lives.

2. Graduate students, whether employed or not, appear to lack coverage, with perhaps a few exceptions [i.e., individual departmental stipends in the College of Health Related Professions]. Professional students, a subset of graduate students, appear to be in the same situation. Residents in the College of Medicine are covered under the faculty health plan. Residents in the College of Veterinary Medicine are soon to be so covered, as well.

3. Information on health coverage of undergraduate students is essentially non-existent, despite our best attempt to obtain such data. The best estimate generated from the Modell study [20 November, 1995], prepared for then-Provost Andrew Sorensen, was that perhaps 60% of undergraduate students are uncovered.

4. Additionally, individuals brought in as OPS [other professional services] employees have no benefits, including health insurance. This category of worker, which encompasses post-doctoral scientists as well as student assistants, includes older individuals with spouses and children. Thus, not only do the OPS employees not have coverage, but entire families may be put at risk because of the lack of health coverage amongst members of the University Community.

Attempting to put these data into perspective, we queried peer-institutions related to this issue. Although the data are neither easily accessible nor complete, even when using both human and world-wide-web based resources, eight UF peer institutions were contacted. Health insurance coverage is unequivocally required of both graduate and undergraduate students in three [38%] of the peer institutions, unequivocally not required in another three, and the requirements are unclear in two [24%]. The student [graduate or undergraduate] is required to pay for health coverage in five [62%] of the peer institutions. In six of the institutions- which includes some of the previous five- the university pays all or most of the premium for either employed graduate students [five, 62%] or undergraduate and graduate students [one, 12%]. Of no little significance to our students, the cost of these premiums are quite steep and would be difficult for the student to bear by him/her self.

It is recognized that the problems alluded to above are not proprietary to the University of Florida, but are issues as well on the other campuses of the State University System. Indeed, the lack of health insurance and the difficulty had in obtaining it at a reasonable price are national rather than regional issues.

In an attempt to initiate work toward a solution to this problem on our campus, the Chairman of the Senate Health Care Committee queried Mr. Paul M. Rosenberg, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel for Shands HealthCare. Because of Mr. Rosenberg's experience in organizing health care coverage, we asked him to consider the possibility of SHC writing a contract with the University of Florida for the provision of health care to graduate and undergraduate students and OPS employees. It was determined by Mr. Rosenberg and his colleagues that SHC could not take the risk of underwriting such a program. Rather, he recommended that we approach Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance Corporation of Florida or the State Employees Insurance Program to determine if one of the two of them might provide an acceptable policy.

Because the Senate Committee to investigate this issue was ad hoc, rather than a standing committee, and as we are now at the stage in which we must begin to consider the possibility of obtaining the assistance of a firm whose expertise is setting up insurance programs, the Senate Chairman was authorized by the UF Faculty Senate to pass this issue back to the University of Florida Administration. We therefore request that you take the following actions:

1. Empanel a Presidential Committee on Health Care with the objective of outlining the basics of a health plan that would be acceptable to the uninsured members of the University Community. a. Authorize administrative support for this committee. b. Charge the Committee with having three plans to present to the President by the end of this academic year. The development of these plans will likely require the utilization of a consulting firm whose expertise is developing programs to be presented to underwriters. Thus, the Committee will require the authority to locate and utilize such a consultant.

2. Obtain, if possible, the agreement and assistance of the Council of Academic Vice-Presidents in the creation of this program.

3. Develop funding contingencies for such a program, assuming: a. No new funding from the State; b. Funding from the State that would allow the student to pay a portion of the premium for this program; c. The possibility of utilizing a portion of the presently collected "health fee" for this program.

I appreciate your continued assistance with the many issues brought you by the UF Faculty Senate. I remain willing and able to assist you in the completion of any of the above-noted tasks you wish me to be involved with.

Sincerely,

AJ Layon, MD Chairman, UF Faculty Senate, Professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Medicine

Xc: President CE Young Senate Steering Committee UF Faculty Senate

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