College-Sponsored Health Plans Overhauled

Proposed regulations by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could increase costs and jeopardize the ability of colleges and universities to continue offering affordable health insurance to their students. Should the proposed rules become a reality, institutions may need to modify their policies quickly.

Last week, HHS proposed regulations that would establish rules for student health insurance covered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, ACA). The proposed regulations come on the heels of an investigation by the New York Attorney General (NYAG). In April 2010, the NYAG released findings that concluded that some college-sponsored plans were inadequate and offered extremely limited coverage.