Plan Covers Abortion And Partners

Special Report - August 10, 2010
As college students prepare to head to campus this fall, students attending one of the state’s 16 University of North Carolina (UNC) system campuses will be required to provide proof of creditable health insurance or else could be forced to pay a mandatory school fee and automatically enrolled in a student health insurance plan that includes coverage for elective abortions and domestic partners. The system-wide Student Health Insurance Plan was approved by the UNC Board of Governor’s in August 2009, and requires a hard waiver model of student health insurance for all 16 of the system’s 4-year campuses beginning this fall. The plan is being provided by Pearce & Pearce.

According to the plan Web site, the hard waiver model means “that any student meeting three specific criteria is required to show evidence of an existing creditable coverage health insurance policy OR enroll in the UNC System-Wide Student Health Insurance Hard Waiver Plan.” The eligibility requirements for undergraduate students provide that a student must be “Enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester, AND Enrolled in a degree-seeking program, AND Eligible to pay the university Student Health Fee.” Students who meet these eligibility requirements and do not provide evidence of creditable insurance coverage as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 will be automatically charged the insurance premium fee, along with their other school fees and will be automatically enrolled in the plan.

The system-wide base plan coverage lists a “domestic partner” as a “student’s eligible dependent” without including any definition of “domestic partner.” Additionally, the plan will cover up to $500 and 80 percent of PPO Allowance toward elective abortions. Each campus has the option of charging a higher premium in order to add campus-selected enhancements to the system-wide plan.

At North Carolina State University, the student cost is $744 per year or $362 per semester. The NCSU-specific page on Pearce & Pearce’s Web site also tells students they “can add annual dependent coverage for $1,220 ($610 each semester) for spouse/domestic partner,” but any dependents covered under the plan on any of the campuses will only have access to the system-wide plan’s base coverage and not any campus-selected enhancements. At UNC–Chapel Hill, the student premium is $361.50 per semester, while spouses and domestic partners may be covered for $820.50 per semester. Appalachian State University will charge student $325.50 per semester for their coverage, while spouses and domestic partners will pay $610 per semester. More information on the system-wide plan and campus-specific plans can be found here.

Students for Life of America has unveiled a new Web site, www.noabortioninhealthcare.com, “dedicated to raising public awareness and mobilization around this issue.” The site includes a petition expressing disagreement with the inclusion of abortion in the mandated health care plan and asks citizens to email the North Carolina Board of Governors and do the same.

Related article:
Domestic Partner Bendfits - October, 2004

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