The Health Care Debate is a Hot Topic
For more than a year during the Primary elections, every political candidate for President of the United States has debated solutions to accessible and affordable health care coverage. Voters are more worried about health care costs than about Iraq, according to a Fortune magazine article ("We All Pay for the Uninsured", 5/1/2008), and health care expenditures are more than 16 percent of the gross domestic product. The U.S. Census Bureau counts 47 million people as uninsured, and about 10 percent of this group are college and university students.
This weighty issue has influenced businesses, coalitions, organizations and others to step forward with ideas and proposals. Aetna is a leader in this movement to make health insurance affordable and accessible. For example, Ron Williams, Chairman and CEO of Aetna, testified before the Senate Finance Committee on June 10, 2008, about Aetna’s Transforming Health Care in America initiative to lead the way to better health care access and quality.
In some ways, colleges and universities are steps ahead of the public discussion on health care coverage. They have had to face issues, such as drop out rates, student financial hardships and health-related concerns, and they are aware of the relationship between good health and academic performance.
Aetna is actively supporting (and advancing) federal legislation to encourage schools to establish a health insurance program, including strong support for: (1) allowing health insurance costs to "count" for purposes of calculating financial aid; (2) encouraging schools to establish mandatory health coverage programs; and (3) paying health insurance premiums for financial aid students from budget funds earmarked to help the uninsured; or (4) federal funds or regulatory pressures to "encourage" schools to establish such programs.
Aetna has both an opportunity and an obligation to be a key part of the solution for the growing number of uninsured. Its core values – integrity, quality service, value, excellence, accountability, and social responsibility – drive its involvement. Transforming Health Care in America built on 10 components intended to serve as a framework for policy action.
Some of these key components include:
- Strengthen public programs to ensure certain populations have access to quality health care.
- A competitive marketplace and a strong public health system are not mutually exclusive.
- Permit the purchase of health insurance across state borders, so consumers can use phone, mail and Internet facilities to purchase coverage in states with legislative and regulatory environments that facilitate the existence of affordable health insurance options.
- Preventive care should receive first-dollar coverage. Public and private health insurers should promote wellness vigorously in member and provider services. Access to wellness tools, such as health risk assessments, weight management and smoking cessation programs are provided to schools by Aetna Student Health (ASH).
- Initiatives to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care are important to ASH. Aetna sponsored guest speaker Magic Johnson at the American College Health Association Diversity Reception to bring awareness about these issues. Magic Johnson is dedicated to providing health education and access to diverse urban neighborhoods.
- Adopt health technology replacing outdated and costly paper-based records and billing systems.
After ACHA stated in 2005 that health issues could have a major impact on the quality of student and academic life at institutions of higher learning, there has been a strong national movement towards insurance requirements for all students.
There are several reasons for the increase in the cost of health care – hospital care, escalating prescription drug costs, the steep cost of medical innovations, consumer demand for high-cost services, and state benefits mandates. Aetna Student Health with Aetna’s leadership is leading the industry in adapting to the changing landscape of health insurance.
Helping Students Adjust to New Situations
We all know that making the first-year adjustment to school is tough. The stress of academics, new living arrangements, changes in diet or sleeping habits, or not having a support system right away can lead to health problems.
The right tools and resources make it easier for new students to do well academically, stay in school, enjoy the college experience and adjust to being away from their previous homes. Aetna Student Health (ASH) has solutions for students.
Nutrition
The “Freshman 15” has been a cliché used for decades to describe the extra 15 pounds freshmen gain their first year. In actuality, weight gain among first year students averages three to four pounds, not 15. But it is important to help students identify healthy living practices. Before settling down in a college environment, students may make the wrong food choices and overeat, such as snacking all night while studying. Additionally, reports from the American Diabetes Association indicate that more and more students arriving on campus are overweight.
ASH offers tools to help students maintain a healthy balance. ASH’s Health and Wellness site provides interactive tools, such as a Body Mass Indicator and a food calculator, along with articles on nutrition and weight loss. Some schools take advantage of Aetna Weight ManagementSM Discount Program, which offers access to discounts on Jenny Craig® weight loss programs and products, eDiets®, a 25-percent discount on weekly dues for an eDiet membership, and a 30-percent discount for online subscriptions to Zagat Survey® Healthy Dining restaurant and lifestyle guides.
Stress
The stress of new courses and study habits, new living arrangements and getting used to making decisions on their own can be taxing for some students. Aetna Student Health’s benefits may also include a SpaWish® Gift Certificate redeemable at a national network of 1,300 day spas and the Aetna Natural Products and ServicesSM Discount Program with access to reduced rates from natural therapy professionals, including acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists and diet counselors. In addition, some schools offer the Aetna Student Assistance Program, a 24-hour, online and phone support service that complements on-campus student health and counseling services.
Support
“On campuses across the country, mental health has become a challenge,” according to a USA Today report in September 2007. The report cited that 92% of college counseling directors believe the number of students with severe psychological problems increased in recent years (Survey for Counseling Center Directors 2006) and that 63% of Center Directors say their primary concern is a growing demand for services without an increase in resources.
If students are feeling anxious, blue, or just not their “old selves,” the Aetna Reawakening Center is an engaging, online source to help them assess their risk for depression; learn more about themselves; discover ways of dealing with different feelings and emotions; and access important information and tools.
Health
For an online generation, the Healthwise® Knowledgebase found through Aetna Navigator® is a decision support tool that provides valuable information about thousands of health topics, medical procedures, support groups, medications and more.
- Health information –To learn about various diseases and conditions and how to help prevent them
- Insurance information - To become an informed consumer
- Personalized tools - To help better manage health
- Financial tools - To help spend health care dollars more wisely
Members can go online - 24 hours a day, seven days a week - from wherever there is Internet access, go to Aetna Navigator® and then, visit Healthwise Knowledgebase. Need a resource in Spanish? Visit www.aetna.com/espanol.
More health information
Members can also get health information from a registered nurse Informed Health® Line.
Through Informed Health® Line, students can talk to a registered nurse about health issues, toll free, any time.
Also, the MayoClinic.com Bookstore offers discounts for books on health and wellness.
Your account team can discuss how to implement some or all of these programs to help get your students through the first year and to help them throughout their stay with you.
Services are meant to complement on-campus programs and courses rather than stand alone. This material is for information only and is not an offer or invitation to contract. Health insurance plans contain exclusions and limitations. Providers are independent contractors and are not agents of Aetna. Provider participation may change without notice. Aetna does not provide care or guarantee access to health services. While this material is believed to be accurate as of the print date, it is subject to change.
Smoking Bans on Campus Fire Up
For years, NO SMOKING signs have been visible on campuses. Now, colleges and universities are tackling ways to cut down student, faculty and administrator smoking. Smoking at 14 of Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities has been banned anywhere on campus, according to the September 16, 2008, AP Online. The action has sparked protests against the law, which extends beyond buildings at educational facilities to include all campus grounds, such as courtyards, parking lots and athletic fields. If Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Iowa are examples, schools may have to toughen up their anti-smoking efforts even more.
Recently, Governor David Peterson of New York signed a law banning smoking in all college dormitories across the state, including both private and public colleges and universities. The law aims at reducing the amount of secondhand smoke in residence halls, according to World Now online news. Schools such as Illinois State University are changing their policies to comply with the new state law. They plan to go smoke free by Summer 2009. In July, Iowa enacted a law that prohibited smoking anywhere on campus. Both the smoker and the institution are penalized if they don’t comply.
According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, there are now at least 131 smokefree campuses with no exemptions; 31 with minor exemptions for remote outdoor areas; and 500 forbid smoking in residential housing.
Some administrators theorize that banning smoking on campuses will only force students to smoke elsewhere and not address the smoking issues. As far back as 1999, the College Tobacco Summit stated that tobacco use was increasing on college campuses. Today, two-thirds of young smokers say they want to quit.
In 2006, roughly one in five college students smoked. Active members of fraternities and sororities reported higher smoking rates than students who were not members. Although still unacceptably high, this marked the lowest rate of smoking among college students since 1980, according to a recent report by the American Lung Association: Big Tobacco on Campus; Ending Addiction.
Considerations in maximizing anti-smoking efforts on campus
√ Studies show that teen and college smokers consistently smoke the top three advertised brands of cigarettes. Students are influenced by advertising, but they may be skeptical if the ads are exaggerated or dogmatic. To ensure the credibility of the "quit smoking" message, local data might be more credible than national. For example, photos of real students from your campus would be more believable than models.*
√ Educate those in authority about smoking and the school’s mission. Your students might ask questions of a faculty member or a resident assistant rather than a doctor.
√ Repeat the message over and over to be effective. Vary the ways the message is delivered and presented. Cigarette companies are using these tactics, so should you. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that tobacco companies deliberately changed the menthol levels in cigarettes to appeal to young smokers who preferred milder brands. Data analyzed in the study indicates that significantly more adolescents and young adults smoke menthol cigarettes. (Associated Press online; 7/17/08; Kevin Freking)
√ Stop the sale of cigarettes on campus, whether in vending machines or at college bookstores.
√ Publicize, with Aetna Student Health’s help, Quit&FitTM tobacco cessation program, provided by Healthyroads. The program is available to your students at no cost. Quit&Fit will teach students how to make better choices so they can say "no" to tobacco and improve their health. It features phone-based coaching and support from tobacco cessation experts, customized meal plans and exercise routines, up to a six-week supply of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), an award-winning program manual (including a stress management audio CD), and Internet-based tools and trackers.
√ College students report they often use smoking as a means of controlling stress or depression, stated the American Lung Association report. Colleges may work with Aetna Student Health to incorporate counseling programs.
* smokefreecampus.org
Employment statistics suggest that fewer employers are offering health care coverage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and more and more employers are dropping coverage for dependents. Typically, dependent children lose health care coverage under a parent on their 19th or 23rd birthdays even if the student is attending school full time. As more employers drop dependent coverage, school-sponsored medical plans will become more important to parents and students looking for access to quality, affordable health insurance coverage. For more information, visit www.aetnastudenthealth.com/parents.
Perspectives is published quarterly
by Aetna Student Health
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www.aetnastudenthealth.com
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Student health insurance plans are underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company and are administered by Chickering Claims Administrators, Inc. Self-funded plans are administered by Chickering Claims Administrators, Inc. Aetna Student Health is the brand name for products and services provided by these companies.
