Dive Brief:
- A proposed federal healthcare plan that will replace the Affordable Care Act could mean schools will no longer face requirements for coverage of students and adjuncts.
- The proposed bill limits subsidies for more financially vulnerable families and eliminates the employee mandate provision, which many observers say could help in boosting work hours for adjunct professors but could limit or eliminate coverage options at certain institutions and within certain states.
- The proposal allows college students to remain on parents' plans until the age of 26 and bans denial of service for pre-existing conditions, but could weaken Medicaid support and force students to choose healthcare costs over tuition expenses.
Dive Insight:
Colleges do not have the obligation to explain healthcare law to families, and likely do not want to appear as a partisan player in a very political discussion. But their may be increasing pressure to keep students updated on changes and to make sure that they and their parents understand what the potential new rules will mean for on-campus health centers, unexpected trips to hospitals or urgent care, or prescription drugs.
There may be new freedoms as it pertains to raising student tuition or fees to contend with rising healthcare costs, but with millions of dollars at stake in costs and the potential to shift the balance of many schools budgets, campuses should look to be as transparent as possible to avoid potential labor or student advocacy protests.