MSU Students Say N-O to Spartan Care

 

As the U. S. Supreme Court mulls over a decision on the constitutionality of the health care mandate, one collegiate executive plans to implement it anyway.

 

Michigan State University president Lou Anna K. Simon fully supports an insurance authorization for current freshman and incoming students. The uninsured are automatically roped into a $1,505 per-year school-sponsored plan. To date, around 700 students have been forcibly charged the fee as a matter of continued enrollment.

 

On behalf of students’ rights, several factions stand in opposition.
Part of a joint effort, a pair of officially recognized organizations – Campus Conservatives and Students for Life – sent a letter this week to President Simon highlighting the faults of the ill-advised policy. The mandate will “place an unnecessary financial strain on students who are already suffering from high costs of tuition, student debt, and an economic recession. “ “It is not the role of the university administration to dictate the health care of students,” continues the letter.

 
The editorial board articles of late sum up the point. On March 26, the piece entitled “Mandatory health care ails students” describes the detrimental consequences of the authoritative scheme. Spartan Care will add “another large cost to college bills, and it’s just giving students another fee to worry about paying on top of the expensive price of college to begin with.”

 

Republican lawmakers have also voiced their concern. State Representative Bob Genetski, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, expressed an issue with the legality of the measure: “It sounds like the early onset of Obamacare and I don’t know that that’s their right to put it in” (MichiganRadio.org). House Republicans are advocating for students while counteracting President Simon’s misguided views. However, public funding may be lowered if MSU fails to alter its stance. “It’s unreasonable that MSU is forcing some students to pay for required health insurance,” proclaims The State News, “[b]ut the university obviously isn’t too concerned with students’ opinion on the matter, seeing as they likely will give up funding to keep the health care that many students don’t want or need.”

 

The hefty health care fine could determine key academic decisions. It is nearly equivalent to an additional four-credit hour course for an in-state lower division student. Promising students may consider attending an alternative school (i.e. as Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Grand Valley State, or Wayne State) due to the added cost of living. “We are concerned that this mandate will drive potential applicants away from Michigan State University and discriminate against our current student body,” declares the letter.

 

Whether for financial gain or petty political points, or both, Spartan Care does not belong at MSU. Top-down rule by decree is wrong for the student community and it is wrong for America.