House bill 103 awaits Governor Perry’s decision

Jun 17 2009 - 3:16pm | Lyanna Fuentes

EDIT: Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the legislation Friday.

Governor Rick Perry will decide whether or not to end free trips to the Student Health Center.

House Bill 103 was passed in both the Texas House and Senate and is awaiting a signature or a veto.

If passed, HB 103 will replace the college health-care system with a private insurance model. This change will affect all public, four-year universities in Texas with 20,000 or more students enrolled, including Texas State, which has more than 30,000 students enrolled.

The bill would require universities to bill insurance companies if students are already insured. If they are not, universities will be required to offer uninsured students an insurance plan through the school. It is estimated that this would cost students $6,000 to $10,000 during their college career.

If passed, the bill will take effect Sept. 1.

According to the Student Health Center’s surveys, 25 to 30 percent of Texas State students are uninsured. Stacy Alford, communication design senior, is one of the approximately 7,000 Texas State students who would be affected by this bill if passed.

“The reason I don’t have insurance is because I can’t afford it,” Alford said. “Having it is an extra expense that’s not readily available.”

Alford said if the bill passes, she will lose a resource for when she is ill or needs medication because purchasing insurance is not a realistic option for her. She said HB 103 will hurt university students in the long run because uninsured students will not be able to see a doctor when they become sick and therefore, may spread illnesses.

Currently, Texas State students pay for the Student Health Center’s services with a $53 fee per semester. This charge is applied to all students who register for classes, whether or not they use the center.

HB 103 will only affect full-time students at four-year universities.

Texas Rep. Fred Brown (R-14), author of HB 103 has said he believes passing the bill will help save state funds and taxpayers money, which he says fund college student health centers.

Asha McElfish, public administration sophomore, traveled to Austin to speak against HB 103. She believes the students will not benefit from this bill, but private insurance companies will.

However, McElfish said she believes the bill will pass and worries about how it will affect students.

“It’s going to impact students horribly,” McElfish said. “They are now going to have to pay $20 or $30 per visit. I can bet more students won’t go to the Student Health Center.”

Emily Crawford, exercise sports science junior, was insured under her parents’ plan until recently.

Soon after losing insurance coverage, she broke her hand and visited the Student Health Center for an X-ray and prescription medication.

“It was only $35 for an x-ray,” Crawford said. “That’s less than it would cost at any doctor’s office.”

Crawford said if HB 103 passes, she would rather purchase insurance outside of the university and visit “a regular doctor’s office.”

“I’m sure the health center is convenient for students who live on-campus, but not for those of us who live off-campus,” Crawford said.

She said she would be forced to purchase insurance through her workplace and somehow find the money to pay for it.

“I think it’s a really poor choice of legislation,” McElfish said. “Hopefully, Rick Perry agrees and vetoes it.”

Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center, was unavailable for comment.

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