? for those that have health insurace...

Published

My program requires that have health insurance. Luckily, I still have private insurance through my parents. Those of you who had your own insurance and were required to provide proof, did you just show your instructor your insurance card? Obviously, each school may require different things, but I was just curious.

Specializes in Medical Telemetry, SICU.

Luckily my program doesn't require health insurance. So far.... in the past since I work two jobs I know there is no way I'd get medicaid. Perhaps now that I'll be quitting one of my jobs and have to take my full-time job down to part-time I'll qualify....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
interesting. i haven't thought of that before. i was considering transferring to another school because it was a bit closer for me. they told me that unless i had insurance, i couldn't be accepted. i applied for medicaid but by the time it was approved (i'm finally poor enough, i guess! i've always been turned down in the past) it was too late to transfer as my classes begin tomorrow.[/quote]

you have the basis for a law suit against the school. because you are very low income, you may want to contact a leagal aid society to see if they would take on the lawsuit based on the fact that you could not apply to the nursing program because you could not afford the health insurance. to deny a student admission based on this artificial requirment is unfair.

insurance is a contact between two parties (the insurance company and the person who took out the insurance). it is designed to procted the insured. the school has no interest in the insured's insurance (aka they are not a beneficiary). now, if the state requies the insurance, then it could be argued that not only the school but also the state is practicing discrimination. that is, they are putting roadblocks to admission to a state school that has kept you out of the program because you could not possibily pay for the health insurance.

so far, no one has provide me with a valid rationale for the health insurance requirement. one person stated that the school wants to make sure the student remains healthy. last i heard, this is not an orwellian country.

let's keep admission to nursing school based on the the merits (the student and record) and not some artificial requirement that keeps the poor from being admitted. after reconstruction, many states passed laws to keep african americans from voting. that is, if anyone wanted to vote, they had to own land or have a certain amount of money/property (or something like this). most african americans were poor/displaced people and they were denied the right to vote. one could use the same argument to denying consideration for admission to a nusing school based on wheteher the student could afford health insurance.

if you decide to research the problem and talk an attorney, you may want to pritnt out this argument or the info others have posted allnurses as an example how others have been denied admission based on this artificial barrier.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You know I have a real problem with the sue, sue, sue mentality. There are real reasons that they would require health insurance and I'm pretty sure it is not limited to nursing students. My university makes low cost insurance available to those who do not have their own private insurance.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My university provides student health insurance. However, whether one decides to sue for a discrimination is up to the person. I appreciate your opinion, but your opinion does not apply to everyone.

Without someone who stood up to a huge corporation, we could still be driving a Ford Pinto. There was a whistle blower and an accident victim who suffered a loss but declined to accept Ford's settlement because they would have been restrained from getting the word out about the problem.

Instead, the lawsuit revealed a huge conspiracy within Ford. Ford examined the cost of spending money on a 12 cent O-ring that would keep the contents of the gas tank from leaking out and exploding during a rear end accident. Ford compared what they would have to pay out on personal injury lawsuits with what it would cost them to upgrade their Pintos with the 12 cent O-ring. Instead, Ford decided to forego the upgrade and many people/families were burnt to death.

Another example: Chevrolet trucks had fender gas tanks and they did not have double walls. When the truck was innvolved in an accident, the gas tanks would rip/explode. Many drivers and their passengers were burnt to death. Again, it was a survivor family who refused to accept the settlement and keep quiet about the problem. The lawsuit forced Chevrolet to make changes and saved many lives.

Not long ago, the government has decided to make make CEO's and those in upper mangement responsible for their actions that had caused huge problems with loss of life or money (see Enron)--the changes to the law were all based on lawsuits.

While silly lawsuits are useless to society, those with merit can help society and protect our rights.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So it's a big conspiracy to keep certain people out of nursing school. I appreciate your passion about discrimination and certainly do not endorse it, I just think you are reading more into this than is there. For heaven's sake the gov't is requiring us to have health insurance.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
So it's a big conspiracy to keep certain people out of nursing school. I appreciate your passion about discrimination and certainly do not endorse it, I just think you are reading more into this than is there. For heaven's sake the gov't is requiring us to have health insurance.

Well it's really not considered discrimination but I could see where it would be a problem if they didn't offer a insurance program through the school.

and it's NOT cheap. I paid $400 for my yr of completely useless insurance. It was basically just "in name only". When I had to go to the dr. I couldn't get anyone on the phone. They don't have a provider list...you name it. It was basically a means to an end. Still cheaper than adding on to husbands insurance through his job.

For our program it was the clinical locations that require us to have insurance so they just made it policy just like you have to have cpr certification and the Hept B vaccines. I didn't find it discriminatory just a bit of an inconvienence.

But as I keep telling people in my class...whenever they complain. You knew when you applied what was required so if you didn't want to comply you shouldnt have bothered to apply.

I know the money is the issue. I get it. My family sacrificed for me to go to school too. There were no extra's at my house due to the money and lack there of because I was not working full time like I would be normally. BUT..it does pay off. Just do what you gotta to get there. Make the sacrifices and be done with it. Complaining about it doesn't change a thing.

Good luck in school!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room.
It is illegal to discriminate against people or use specific rules to discriminate. If you are poor but do not have Medicaid/MediCal and cannot afford private insurance the school is using this requirement to deny admittance to the program. I would absolutely love to see a lawsuit based on the requirement to have personal health insurance to be admitted into nursing school. There is no rationale for the requirment and it is invasive. Sooner or later the lawsuit will happen.

WHAT?? The state I live in requires all students that go to public universities to have health insurance. Plain and simple. How is this discrimination? Higher education is a privilege, not a right. The nursing program operates under university policies. If you do not agree to a university's policy, then don't go there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I do consider it discrimination because it is hindering those without the means to purchase insurance and in doing so, keeps that person down.

Someone explain to me how having insurance keeps one healthy? Are the germs rebelled by one's covered status?

I mentioned before that my university required insurance coverage and also provided it. It was also pretty much useless. We had to use the student health center, which we were already paying for via $400 in 'student health fees'. This was in addition to the other $400 for the 'health insurance fee'.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
WHAT?? The state I live in requires all students that go to public universities to have health insurance. Plain and simple. How is this discrimination? Higher education is a privilege, not a right. The nursing program operates under university policies. If you do not agree to a university's policy, then don't go there.

Indeed. But it should be a privilege based on merit and academics, not the ability to fork over a huge insurance premium every month. Its discrimination against those of lesser means.

I'd be willing to bet every one of those of you who support the ridiculous requirement of insurance to be enrolled in school are indeed insured. :uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Indeed. But it should be a privilege based on merit and academics, not the ability to fork over a huge insurance premium every month. Its discrimination against those of lesser means.

I'd be willing to bet every one of those of you who support the ridiculous requirement of insurance to be enrolled in school are indeed insured. :uhoh3:

It appears you and I are in the minority. Sad, because nurses should be advocates.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It appears you and I are in the minority. Sad, because nurses should be advocates.

I'm lucky that the school in my county doesn't yet accept only those who are blessed enough to have health insurance coverage. I'm sure if these people were standing on the sidelines instead of attending nursing school due to lack of insurance, they would have very different opinions. It is very easy to consider only oneself and no one else.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
so it's a big conspiracy to keep certain people out of nursing school. i appreciate your passion about discrimination and certainly do not endorse it, i just think you are reading more into this than is there. for heaven's sake the gov't is requiring us to have health insurance.

i can't say there is a "conspiracy". often rules/regulations are passed to save money or divert responsibility away from the school/program, and no one thought through the rule/regulation. this has happened before when something that made sense but turned out to be discriminatory or against the law.

as far as the "government requiring us to have health insurance", it is years away from taking effect--if it ever does. i still do not understand the rationale for a nursing school requiring its nursing applicants to have health insurance. what amazes me is the insurance companies are providing information to the college/university about the student's health insurance. what safeguards has the university/college put in place to safeguard medical identity theft? fortunately, my school/state does not require its nursing applicants or students carry health insurance. if it did, i would vigorously address the situaiton.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion