The online marketplaces will likely have minimal to no effect on the number of students covered by the DSGHP, said Valerie Lewis, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
The marketplaces opened for enrollment across the nation on Oct. 1 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Pushing to expand health coverage to all citizens, they allow individuals and employers to find and compare health plans, see if they are eligible for tax credits and enroll for coverage beginning as early as Jan. 1.
All plans listed on the online marketplaces must meet ACA requirements, such as offering a minimum benefits package that covers preventative care, laboratory services, mental health, substance abuse treatment and emergency services.
Under the ACA, self-funded student health insurance care plans like Dartmouth's are not subject to the same requirements that all other health plans must meet. Still, the College has voluntarily revised DSGHP coverage and operations to meet and exceed requirements of the ACA, said Ginger Farewell-Lawrence, DSGHP and patient accounts supervisor.
Starting last school year, the DSGHP began to offer an unlimited lifetime benefit maximum, an increase from the previous $2 million limit.
The annual cost of the plan for one student rose to $2,187 from $2,006 last year. The annual deductible remained constant at $200 for an individual plus $50 for prescription medications. In comparison, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average monthly premium in 2010 for individual health insurance nationwide was $215, adding up to a total cost of $2,580 per year. The average annual deductible for single employer coverage in 2012 was $1,097.
Dartmouth offers students who receive a financial aid grant a $1,094 award to cover half of the insurance plan costs. The College requires that all students, including those on abroad terms, have health insurance.
While all are automatically enrolled in the DSGHP every year, students who have coverage from outside plans that meet Dartmouth's standard health requirements can apply to waive their enrollment. This year, about 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students are covered by DSGHP, and another 3,400 chose to waive their enrollment.
Currently, the Dartmouth insurance plan fully reimburses those preventative care services required by the ACA for other health insurance programs if they are received through an in-network provider, including those at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and in the Cigna preferred provider network. However, the plan does not cover services received out-of-network.
The plan does not cover dental care, such as cavity fillings, but will cover accidental teeth injuries besides biting or chewing injuries. DSGHP membership also offers access to the Basix Dental Savings Program, a group of providers who have agreed to offer service at lower rates.
When Mehdi Oulmakki '14, an international student from Morocco, went to see the dentist as a freshman, he was surprised to find that DGSHP would not cover his expenses.
"Back home, insurance is kind of holistic, so when you gain insurance it covers anything," Oulmakki said. "I wasn't familiar with the system as a whole."
However, Oulmakki said the price of DGSHP is feasible for him and other students he knows who receive financial aid.
While Charles Springer '17 is currently enrolled in Dartmouth's insurance, he said that he plans on re-enrolling with his previous health insurance next year.
"I went to Dick's House once and everything went smoothly," Springer said. "I think that the idea behind it is good enough, but it is too expensive to be worth the cost, considering that most people only spend about three-fifths of the year in Hanover."
Jessica Link '17 chose to enroll in the DSGHP after her father, a physician, felt that it offered more benefits and was more practical than their family plan. However, she said it would have been helpful if the details of the plan were presented more clearly.
"I got a letter with some information on the technical aspects, but it's very difficult to read," Link said. "I wish they had informed us better of how we are allowed to use the insurance and what services are offered."
