Running head: AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
Affordable Health Insurance amongst College Students in the U.S
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
1
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
Background and Introduction
Background Information
College students in the U.S. are supposed to take healthcare insurance seriously since
they fall at risk of illness and financial constraints like the rest of the population. The largest
populations of college students are young people vulnerable to situations which demand for
healthcare coverage. The cost of care in the U.S. remains high, and such efforts as ACA, which
are beneficial to vulnerable populations has decreased value in the current administration (Jones
et al., 2018). Some healthcare requirements for students include STIs and unexpected
pregnancies, drug and substance abuse complications, vulnerability to illness and accidents.
Also, about 20% of youth in the U.S. have a chronic medical condition (Lemly et al., 2014). The
college students in the U.S. thus have high healthcare demand like the rest of the population. The
number of young adults joining community colleges, private and public universities is
increasing. The health statistics of young adults in the U.S. are thus reflected in the college
population.
The special healthcare requirement for college students is also high in the U.S. For
instance, many students want to learn about diet, supplements, and massage (Nguyen et al.,
2016). College students are a vulnerable population since, in the event of emergency medical
expenses, they lack financial capabilities to meet these expenses. College students also have
increased preference in using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). In most students
healthcare center (SHC) is the standard medical care. Nguyen et al. (2016) found that the
majority of college students who seek medical care use CAM and more, so try CAM when
covered under insurance (Basch, Kernan, & MacLean, 2019).
2
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
The number of college students with a chronic medical condition is high. Many SCH
only can provide primary care and in the management of some acute conditions. According to
Lemly et al. (2014), most of the institutions (or SCH) also lack a proper system for the
identification of youth with chronic medical conditions (YMC). Chronic health conditions for
college students in the U.S. can lead to increased health risks and disruption of education. The
prevalence of risk behavior, such as intensive alcohol use in colleges, also make YMC highly
vulnerable to health problems. Poor diet and lack of sleep among college students also intensify
health problems. The low capacity of the SCH to provide adequate care is thus a critical
challenge to college students diagnosed with chronic medical conditions. College students also
fall at risk of ineffective transition medicine. This refers to the planned and coordinated
movement of children, adolescents, and young adults to adult healthcare systems. When students
are moving to college, there is little regard to this change process as a critical factor for
healthcare transition. This leaves students at high risk of inadequate healthcare, especially upon
seeking services in SCH. The use of parents' healthcare plans was extended to 26 years, but
payment for the use of SCH is not included. This presents critical financial challenges to college
students and especially those with chronic conditions.
College students in the U.S. are also at high risk of mental health problems. The number
of students seeking mental health treatment is high (Eisenberg et al., 2011). Students hold
skepticism on the effectiveness of treatment received from student health centers. Compared to
adolescent young adults have high risks of substance abuse, which increases the risks of mental
illness. Most of the mental disorder arises at 15-24 years making mental treatment critical among
college students (Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007). Young adults in college are also
transitioned to adults’ roles, followed by withdrawal of support (Park et al., 2006). The young
3
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
adults with mental health problems in foster care are left to navigate on their own. In college, as
such, students struggle to balance educations with social and economic demands; they fall into
the risk of mental health issues. Some of the college students also have declining insurance
coverage and are unable to receive adequate services. Some of the services available such as free
campus mental health and near-universal health insurance, are absent in the general population,
yet the services help-seeking is low. This arises from the various barriers such as stigma, concern
on privacy in addition to financial constraints.
Introduction
This research study will explore how a college student can access to affordable health
insurance as a requirement to address health issues affecting them. The out-of-the-pocket cost of
healthcare services is detrimental for college students and would make them forego services.
According to James et al. (2018), college students have low knowledge of health insurance (low
health insurance literacy), which affects their healthcare utilization. With many changes
occurring on affordable health insurance in the last two decades, many college students are
unaware of the best options available to them. Non-white students are at the highest risk of low
health insurance literacy leading to a lack of confidence to use the health insurance plans.
By use a literature search, the study will help acquire insight into affordable health
insurance by providing a comprehensive literature review on the topic. According to Nobles et
al. (2019), knowledge of insurance plan type and options can be challenging for college students
in the U.S. and hence. The enactment of the patient protection and affordable care act (ACA) all
individuals in the U.S. have gained some responsibility to find, compare, choose and use health
insurance (McLeod, & Adepoju 2018). In this case for college students the concern is to
understand the health insurance which meet the health needs and enhance effective cost control.
4
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
The expansion of health insurance coverage for students to the age of 26 was an opportunity to
provide health insurance for college students. College students have not been primary health
insurance policyholders and hence health insurance information is both complex and confusing.
Making decisions on affordable health insurance is further confusing and require comprehensive
literature search. The current study provides a foundation for an education program to increase
college students' knowledge on affordable health insurance plans within the country. The general
assumption that individuals at the age of 15-30 years are at lower risks of illness than the older
adults is wrong and hence there is need for college students in the U.S. to have adequate insight
on the available, affordable health insurance and find, compare, choose and utilize a health
insurance plan.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive literature analysis of the ways to
access affordable health insurance amongst college students in the U.S. This will involve an
analysis of the characteristics and the benefits of different insurance plans which can be
affordable to college students. This covers both undergraduate and graduate students taking a
course in community colleges, private or public universities. The concern is also for those
students who are either unemployed or are in part-time employment and hence do not have an
employer-based health insurance coverage plan. These are also young adults (18-30) years
vulnerable to financial challenges to meet out of the pocket cost of healthcare or those who
cannot conveniently pay for regular health insurance plans.
This study reflects on such plans as ACA focused on enhancing health insurance
coverage for vulnerable populations. In this case, this study will focus on college students in the
U.S. as one of the vulnerable populations who are unable to have healthcare plans. The study is
5
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
based on the fact that the state of different health insurance plans is constantly changing, and
hence the college students' current knowledge of affordable health insurance is inaccurate. When
students were enrolled in school fulltime, and past 22 years, they were not eligible to use parents'
health plans, but with ACA, the coverage is extended to 26. There are also changes in the
affordability of premiums irrespective of the individuals' medical history. This is important since
most college students in need of using specialized services and complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) may need to receive subsidies for premium plans. The knowledge on whether
eligibility to use parents' health plans can be confusing. This study also aims to explore Medicaid
opportunities for students with limited incomes. These are students primarily who are not eligible
to use the parent's healthcare plans or do not have access to other health insurance plans such as a
spouse. The literature review also explores the current state of student health insurance plans and
the most critical benefits which they can provide to the students.
This study also focuses on providing a comprehensive analysis of the benefits from each
of the available, affordable health insurance plan for students to be able to compare them and
utilize the most appropriate plan which will meet their health need. The study is mainly focused
on affordability as the most important message to college students in the U.S. Although the
implementation of affordable health insurance for students can vary from one jurisdiction to
another, this study aims to provide a comprehensive view based on national statistics.
This study uses a qualitative research method on available literature to respond to the main
research questions. Focusing on ACA as a primary step toward affordable health insurance in the
U.S., this current study will be limited to literature from 2010 to the present. Reliability and
validity of data are among the most critical element of a qualitative research design and hence
scholarly materials and government publications will be used to complete the purpose of this
6
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
study. The most recent data published during Trump administration will also be highly
prioritized in order to account for the changes in affordable healthcare resulting from the political
climate. This current study will also focuses on research studies which were conducted
independently by accounting for the credibility of the sponsors. By the end of this analysis, this
study should be able to provide college students in the U.S. with accurate information about
affordable health insurance, which can be reliable in making a health plan investment that will
meet the student needs and reduce financial burden.
Research Questions
This study focuses on some specific research questions relating to affordable health
insurance amongst college students in the U.S.
General Research Questions
1. What can insurance plans be affordable to college students in the U.S.?
2. Are the affordable health insurance plans in the U.S. available to the college students, and
what are their major restrictions?
3. Are the affordable health insurance plans available to the U.S. college students
appropriate to meet the healthcare needs of this population?
Specific Research Questions
1. What is the current state of ACA in the U.S., and how have the changes influenced
college student access to affordable health insurance, which is appropriate for the health
needs of this population vulnerable to acute and chronic illness and with high demand for
highly specialized services such as complementary and alternative medicine?
Significance of the Study
7
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
The current study has implications for a wide range of population and fields, including
research, student population, parents, and college administrators. This study has significant
implications for the literature on affordable health insurance among specialized populations. The
study also has some significant implications for U.S. college students regarding their health
insurance plans. In general high health insurance literacy has significant implications on
healthcare utilization. Although the issue of health insurance among college students in the U.S.
has been explored, this study provides a comprehensive analysis from the perspective of
healthcare vulnerability and the availability of affordable care.
One of the most critical significances of this study is to promote a high level of
healthcare utilization among college students by promoting healthcare insurance literacy, which
is simple, clear, and comprehensive. When a student chooses a health insurance plan, there is a
significant level of prediction that they would effectively utilize healthcare. Although choosing
healthcare insurance has been reported by some researchers as not a strong predictor of effective
health utilization, there is a strong relationship between the two elements. According to (McLeod
and Adepoju (2018), when students lack confidence in choosing healthcare insurance, there are
significant challenges in their efforts to utilize healthcare. This study will, therefore, provide
college students with health insurance literacy, which is up to date, influencing a choice for an
appropriate healthcare plan. Most of the current information is not up to date, and hence these
populations are not confident about making healthcare insurance plan decisions. The study will
also help boost the success of the insurance marketplaces enhancing leveraged access to quality
care. Most of the students will benefit from using specialized services, including mental health.
The current study will also provide college students with a variety of affordable health insurance
plans, thus helping compare to make choices on the most appropriate plan. Also, the study will
8
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
provide insight on managing health insurance. The capacity of the student to compare and
manage health insurance is reported to significantly predict healthcare utilization (McLeod, &
Adepoju, 2018). Most of the previous literacy materials report on one of the affordable health
insurance plans. This study will reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of all the affordable
health insurance plans available to students. Based on the findings of this study, college students
will make individual and group decisions about insurance plan most appropriate to their needs
and then commit to healthcare utilization.
Having access to premiums and cost-sharing plans can encourage students to seek
healthcare services for a wide range of conditions otherwise ignored. The study provides insight
into all students on how ACA affects them. This study will include an analysis of all the
provisions given by ACA, which will be beneficial to the different student populations. This
includes college student eligibility to use parent or spouse health insurance plans while accessing
subsidies for premium services. Another benefit is on student eligibility for Medicaid when they
have no access to other healthcare plans. This information will particularly benefit the most
vulnerable college student, such as low-income households. Since the enactment of ACA, each
individual, including college students, received a responsibility to find, compare, choose, and
utilize a healthcare plan based on its appropriateness to their needs. However, one of the
limitations of this study in fulfilling the benefit of comparison and management of a health
insurance plan is failing to include the demographic characteristics on the availability of
affordable health insurance. This study focuses on affordable health insurance among all college
students in the U.S. without an account of their race or state jurisdiction. For ensuring all
students will benefit from the findings of the research, this analysis will connect the various
9
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
insurance plans to eligibility characteristics. The study also includes an analysis of Medicaid
insurance plans, which account for eligibility for low-income households.
The study will also benefit U.S. college students and other populations by providing
insight on how ACA affects them. The constant campaign on universal care has created an
assumption that ACA is an intervention which only benefits individuals without an insurance
cover. In other words, there are individuals whose interpretation of universal care is only
promoting the accessibility of care among the minority groups. One important aspect of universal
care is promoting access to quality care. Although the term quality of care can have different
meanings in different contexts, this study highlights the opportunities for college students to
leverage healthcare services. The study specifically provides all provisions of ACA for college
students to make decisions, including exploring for subsidies to receive premium services. For
instance, college students below 26 years benefiting from a parent healthcare plan can be
confused about how ACA affects them. Other than the extension of eligibility to use ACA, this
study highlight other opportunities available to the college students to leverage the quality of
healthcare services without out of the pocket costs.
The study will also advance the literature on low literacy on ACA among other U.S.
populations. Since enactment of the ACA researchers have explored individuals' knowledge and
attitude on ACA. For instance Trout et al., (2018) found that students with individualized
education programs have low health literacy. Ghaddar, Byun, and Krishnaswami, (2018) on the
other hand report low literacy on ACA especially among minority groups making individuals to
remain uninsured. This study add to this literature by providing insight on the need for education
programs which is based on what the population would need to learn. In this case, the study
provides an ACA campaign which is based on responding to the needs of the college student in
10
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
the U.S. The information on ACA is complex and continues to be complex as several
implementation changes are made in different federal administrations. Unless comprehensive up
to date analysis of the benefits is availed to a specific population, the impact of ACA may remain
low in the future. The study also responds to some of the key research gaps in the current
literature. For instance, the study will account for the changes in the implementation of ACA as
proposed and enforced in the Trump administration.
The study has significant implications for the health market. The study will highlight the
need for providing affordable healthcare insurance amongst college students in the U.S. While
most of the stakeholders in the health insurance respond to the ACA provisions for minority
groups such as the elderly, minorities' college students are not in the priority list for vulnerable
populations. Most of the academic studies explore college students as a subset of the general
young adult population. However, this study presents U.S. college students as having unique
health needs. For instance, the study will explore the implication of the availability of affordable
health insurance to college students' access to CAM. The literature on college students' increased
demand for CAM is limited, and hence a healthcare policy in the institutions is based on standard
care in the general population. These study findings will also inform the need for SCH to
improve the nature and quality of services as an effort to increase healthcare utilization among a
wider scope of the student population. The study also focuses on college students as a vulnerable
population to healthcare problems while facing social and economic challenges in their transition
from dependence to parents to independent adults. The study will thus promote and emphasize
on the accessibility to affordable health insurance among vulnerable populations.
11
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
References
Basch, C. H., Kernan, W. D., & MacLean, S. A. (2019). Improving understanding about dental
health issues in college students. Journal of prevention & intervention in the
community, 47(1), 25-31.
Eisenberg, D., Golberstein, E., & Gollust, S. E. (2007). Help-seeking and access to mental health
care in a university student population. Medical care, 594-601.
Eisenberg, D., Hunt, J., Speer, N., & Zivin, K. (2011). Mental health service utilization among
college students in the United States. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 199(5),
301-308.
Ghaddar, S., Byun, J., & Krishnaswami, J. (2018). Health insurance literacy and awareness of
the Affordable Care Act in a vulnerable Hispanic population. Patient education and
counseling, 101(12), 2233-2240.
James, T. G., Sullivan, M. K., Dumeny, L., Lindsey, K., Cheong, J., & Nicolette, G. (2018).
Health insurance literacy and health service utilization among college students. Journal
of American College Health, 1-7.
Jones, D. K., Gusmano, M. K., Nadash, P., & Miller, E. A. (2018). Undermining the ACA
through the executive branch and federalism: what the Trump administration’s approach
to health reform means for older Americans. Journal of aging & social policy, 30(3-4),
282-299.
12
AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN US
Lemly, D. C., Lawlor, K., Scherer, E. A., Kelemen, S., & Weitzman, E. R. (2014). College
health service capacity to support youth with chronic medical
conditions. Pediatrics, 134(5), 885-891.
McLeod, A., & Adepoju, O. (2018). Toward a Health Insurance Literacy Model: What Do
Young Consumers Know about Insurance?. Perspectives in Health Information
Management.
Nguyen, J., Liu, M. A., Patel, R. J., Tahara, K., & Nguyen, A. L. (2016). Use and interest in
complementary and alternative medicine among college students seeking healthcare at a
university campus student health center. Complementary therapies in clinical
practice, 24, 103-108.
Nobles, A. L., Curtis, B. A., Ngo, D. A., Vardell, E., & Holstege, C. P. (2019). Health insurance
literacy: A mixed methods study of college students. Journal of American College
Health, 67(5), 469-478.
Park, M. J., Mulye, T. P., Adams, S. H., Brindis, C. D., & Irwin Jr, C. E. (2006). The health
status of young adults in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(3), 305-317.
Trout, A. L., Lambert, M. C., Epstein, M. H., & Avery, M. (2018). Health literacy of students
with and without individualized education programs: a brief report. Exceptionality, 26(1),
35-45.
13
Purchase answer to see full
attachment