Anoushka Kathiravan, My-Lan Le, Emma Bartholomew, Emma Chen, Sunny Xiao, & Suraj Kulkarni
THESIS
In response to the range of complicated platforms of information regarding healthcare and access to healthcare services displayed by UCLA, the UC SHIP insurance offered to students must be reformed to be more accessible.
BACKGROUND
While accessibility to healthcare is an issue that plagues populations of all demographics, the struggle of college students to understand and utilize the resources available to them when transitioning to a life independent from their parents is one that often goes unnoticed. Preventative healthcare holds great power and promise in American society. If the emphasis is put on methods such as encouraging and instilling healthy living alongside promoting regular check-ups, significant amounts of money and lives could be saved. For instance, according to Trust for America’s Health, an estimated investment of “$10 per person per year in community-based programs tackling…[preventive health methods] could yield more than $16 billion in medical cost savings annually within 5 years.”¹ However, without their parents making and driving them to appointments, college students often lack the literacy and initiative to take preventative action. For instance, research conducted on Philadelphia residents in 2015 found that many young adults are unaware of healthcare insurance terms such as deductible, premium, and preventive care.² Young adults are often excluded from healthcare resources due to a lack of awareness of and literacy on healthcare-related topics. This issue particularly rings true in a college setting, when these insurance options and preventive healthcare measures are not made abundantly clear.
POLICY IDEA
We propose a plan for increasing accessibility to both UC SHIP and non-UC SHIP users by incorporating resources for students in existing portals such as MyUCLA. Such resources include:
A personalized algorithm that allows students to input their healthcare information and obtain advice about a suitable and affordable healthcare plan;
Better inclusion of UC SHIP insurance details; and
Frequently asked questions on UCLA students’ commonly accessed websites.
POLICY ANALYSIS
Accessibility is directly correlated to health insurance literacy. A quick video that incoming Bruins likely neither have the patience to sit through nor pay attention to during orientation does not suffice. The myUCLA portal, the central website every UCLA student visits daily, has no clear tab pointing to the ASHE website or any related resources, such as basic healthcare guidelines. The ASHE building may stand in the center of campus, right next to the Wooden gym, but there are likely very few people – outside of those that have actually used the resource – that even know where it is, let alone the fact that it exists. However, about 28,000 UCLA students rely on UC SHIP each quarter with the benefits it gives them while not using it entirely.³
Furthermore, according to John Bollard, the chief of operations for the Ashe Center, over 65% of the UCLA student body is still on their parents’ or caregivers’ insurance plans, and those who are navigating the process of buying and utilizing their insurance are likely to find these steps confusing and overwhelming.⁴ CNBC has reported that only 4% of Americans understand seemingly basic healthcare-related terms, such as copays and deductibles.⁵ Now, consider how much a young adult student would know. From comparing plans to choosing optimal premiums, college students are often unaware of how to best take advantage of their insurance—if they have any, to begin with.
One method UCLA could implement to address healthcare insurance literacy is including tools within UCLA platforms to help students simply navigate challenging decisions. For instance, a module that allows students to input information about their health and history as a patient would then generate estimates of different plans and prices, giving students a footing to navigate the insurance world. This solution, specific and unique to UCLA students and their use of the ASHE Center, would better educate students on their benefits and costs, whether they have UC SHIP or are still on their own insurance plans. Additionally, spreading awareness about crucial preventative health reminders – keeping up with premium payments, establishing a primary care provider to go to in times of need, and keeping track of unused benefits – could keep students on top of their benefits and encourage them to maximize their healthcare insurance.
References
REFERENCES
1. “Prevention for a Healthier America.” Trust for America's Health, 2022, www.tfah.org/report-details/prevention-for-a-healthier-america/.
2. Wong, Charlene A., David A. Asch, Cjloe M. Vinoya, Carol A. Ford, Tom Baker, Robert Town, and Raina M. Merchant. “Seeing Health Insurance and Healthcare.gov through the Eyes of Young Adults.” Journal of Adolescent Health 57, no. 2 (2015): 137–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.04.017.
3. Merz, Emily. “Emily Merz: UC Ship's off-Campus Services Are Inaccessible, Potentially Expensive.” Daily Bruin, 2018. https://dailybruin.com/2018/02/01/emily-merz-uc-ships-off-campus-services-are-inaccessible-potentially-expensive.
4. Said, Omar. “On-Campus Health Care Should Be Option for All Students, Not Just Those with UC Ship.” Daily Bruin, 2018. https://dailybruin.com/2018/10/25/on-campus-health-care-should-be-option-for-all-students-not-just-those-with-uc-ship.
5. Leonhardt, Megan. “Nearly 1 in 4 Americans Are Skipping Medical Care Because of the Cost.” CNBC, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/nearly-1-in-4-americans-are-skipping-medical-care-because-of-the-cost.html.
6. Merz, Emily. “Op-Ed: UCLA Must Remove Hurdles Preventing UC Ship Beneficiaries from Receiving Care.” Daily Bruin, February 18, 2018. https://dailybruin.com/2022/04/13/op-ed-ucla-must-remove-hurdles-preventing-uc-ship-beneficiaries-from-receiving-care.
7. Wright, Molly. “The Quad: Students Have a Lot to Weigh in Choice between UC Ship and Private Health Insurance.” Daily Bruin, 2018. https://dailybruin.com/2018/09/10/the-quad-students-have-a-lot-to-weigh-in-choice-between-uc-ship-and-private-health-insurance.
8. CDC. “The Power of Prevention.” CDC Chronic Disease, 2009. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf.
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