Health Care Plans Contain Problems for College Students

A national organization has alerted the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about provisions in the new health care plan that could make it impossible for public and private universities to offer certain types of student health insurance.

The American Council on Education said the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would imperil certain plans commonly self-funded by universities or administered through licensed health insurance companies.

Health care reforms require individuals to carry health insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty, with such plans requiring a certain standard of “minimum essential coverage,” according to statements by ACE.

Unless university student plans meet the definition of such coverage, students and parents would have to obtain coverage elsewhere or pay a penalty, according to the organization.

“This would adversely impact the ability of colleges and universities to continue to provide affordable quality health coverage for those students who are in need of coverage,” a letter from the organization said, asking for HHS to designate such student plans as meeting the requirements for “minimum essential coverage.”

Such policies often are issued for a limited period, less than a year, which means that they have been classified as short-term, limited duration policies under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Currently, students with comprehensive student health plan coverage would not satisfy the minimum essential coverage requirement due to a “definitional technicality,” the organization said.

The organization is seeking a “framework for understanding,” said Steven Bloom, assistant director — federal relations with ACE.

“As you might expect, it’s a big, complicated piece of legislation,” Bloom said of the health reform bill. “We needed them to clarify certain things for us.”

Some schools may begin negotiating health insurance this fall for contracts that may last up to or include 2014, he said.

“Our goal is to ensure that we make available to students and their parents student health plans that are affordable and high-quality,” Bloom said.

Such coverage is particularly important for both international students and students whose parents’ health plan is limited by geography, he said.

Changes under the health reform bill would allow individuals to remain on their parents’ health insurance all the way until age 26, he said.

“But for those who can’t do that, these health insurance plans are there,” he said.

Current language, ACE said, also would prohibit colleges and universities from providing coverage only to their student population, rather than the whole individual market.

The organization is seeking clarification before 2011 contract negotiations to avoid “unnecessary premium increases,” according to ACE’s letter.

Whether the changes might affect an individual school in Abilene varied.

McMurry University Dean of Student Affairs Vanessa Roberts said all students at McMurry are required to show proof of health insurance.

The school does offer students the chance to buy health insurance through a company called Academic Health Plans, administered through Aetna, she said.

“All the ones that we offer are for a full (calendar) year,” she said.

All international students are required to purchase a plan through McMurry, Roberts said. Also required is “hard-waiver” health insurance for all student athletes.

“They are required to purchase the McMurry health insurance plan unless they have their own health insurance,” she said.

Optional health insurance may be purchased from the university by all other students, Roberts said.

International students attending Hardin-Simmons University are required to purchase health insurance through the school, said Janlyn Thaxton.

For all others, “we provide brochures to help students buy insurance if they want it, but they get it on their own,” she said.

It was unclear how new national health care policies might change what the school is doing, Thaxton and others said.

“We will have to continue to conduct business as usual until we discover something new to cause us to change,” said Michael Whitehorn, HSU’s senior vice president for student development. “Right now, we just don’t know how new national policies on insurance and health care might affect our international students.”

Abilene Christian University offers, as most schools do, services through its medical clinic subsidized through student health fees, but at the moment does not offer insurance plans, said Jeff Arrington, associate vice president for student life.

“We will not be serving as an insuring agent,” he said, saying the school most likely in the future would work through an insurance broker to help match students with plans that fit them.

“But the business arrangement would be with the student and the insurance company that offers this plan,” he said.

The majority of students who attend the university have insurance through their parents, he said.

Cisco College does not offer student health plans nor does it operate an on-campus clinic, said spokeswoman Amy Evans.

“We refer students who need health care and/or health care plans to third-party providers,” she said in an e-mail.

Health Benefits of Eating Peas

You may remember pea as one of the food you hate when you were a child. Though as you grow older you realize the nutritional value of a pea and other foods and vegetable that you love to hate that even start a fight with your mom.

Green peas are generally described as a green spherical that contains seeds. A member of the legume family and is classified as Pisum sativum. Green peas are usually harvested during spring up to the beginning of winter but frozen, canned and dried peas are available all year round.

Just like any other legumes, peas have a very rich nutrient value. It is high in protein and forms vitamins and minerals too. Peas are different from beans. Beans have higher calcium and phosphorus and peas offers lower level of them but they provide similar level of proteins and carbohydrates. The fiber content of a pea aids to lower the cholesterol level of the body, thus, making it good intake for dieters.

Nutritional values of Peas

Green peas are nutritious because it contains:

• Most of the vitamins of the B group use to enhance metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. They are a rich source of vitamin B1 or thiamin. Green peas are full of folic acid in the synthetic form and a water soluble vitamin B. They are a good source of riboflavin, niacin and pyridoxine.
• Green peas are rich in vitamins A, C and K.
• High level of calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and potassium.
• Much protein and energy as meat, being high in good quality protein may also be a substitute for meat if consumed at the same amount.
• the best sources of soluble fiber
• Very low level of fats.

The nutritional value that peas can give to your body also depends upon the amount of intake. Here is the list of nutritional value of green peas in a 100 gm of serving

• Dietary fiber – 5.1 g
• Phosphorus – 108 mg
• Fat – 0.4 g
• Vitamin A – 38 μg
• Beta-carotene – 449 μg
• Carbohydrates – 14.5 g
• Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 – 0.1 mg
• Niacin or Vitamin B3 – 2.1 mg
• Pantothenic Acid or Vitamin B5 – 0.1 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 0.2 mg
• Sugars – 5.7 g
• Folate or Vitamin B9 – 65 μg
• Vitamin C – 40.0 mg
• Calcium – 25.0 mg
• Iron – 1.5 mg
• Magnesium – 33.0 mg
• Thiamin or Vitamin B1 – 0.3 mg
• Energy – 80 kcal (340 kJ)
• Protein – 5.4 g
• Potassium – 244 mg
• Zinc – 1.2 mg

The Fresh peas may contain different nutrient value from dried or canned peas.  Dried peas have more calories due to its lack of water. Peas give almost the same nutritional value and health benefits with other common beans but it provides few more nutrients than the others.