2008 Woodie Awards
Influenza hits MT hard; takes toll on health and wallet
Jessica Laven
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Opinions
Over the past couple of weeks, many MTSU students have been staying home from school. No, they aren't skipping class. They're sick.
This year's batch of winter flu seems to be hitting the campus harder than in past years, sending student after student to the doctor with fevers, congestion, and a general feeling of "blah."
While the flu is bad enough, some students will be feeling the effects of their illness long after their physical symptoms have subsided.
For the uninsured student, a quick trip to the health center on campus is affordable enough. But what happens if your fever spikes in the middle of the night? Or on a weekend?
I found this out on Monday, when I headed to Vanderbilt's emergency room with a high fever. I couldn't wait until the health center opened because, in my delirious state, I had convinced myself I was dying. So, off to the ER I went, knowing full well that it was going to cost me.
When an insured person goes to the hospital, the costs associated with doing so may not even enter his mind. Five dollars for a couple of acetaminophens? Okay. A couple hundred dollars for a saline intravenous drip? Bring it on! For a person without insurance, though, every test and treatment, along with the cost of actually seeing the doctor, comes at a hefty cost-one that may take years to pay.
Health insurance policies are largely regulated by each individual state. Most states offer some sort of government-subsidized insurance program, including Tennessee, but these programs vary greatly from place to place, and budget cuts often affect the number of people the state can insure. On top of that, being accepted for Tennessee's state health program, TennCare, is no easy feat. One often has to endure months worth of paperwork and repeated visits to the human services building in downtown Nashville, usually requiring one to wait from open until close.
MTSU does have an insurance plan available through a private company, but the plan does not make sense for most students. Most of the time, the student must pay for a procedure or prescription out of pocket and then send in paperwork, praying that the insurance company will approve the expenses and cut the student a check. This process usually takes at least two months, inevitably resulting in the insurance company denying the claim for one reason or another.
This year's batch of winter flu seems to be hitting the campus harder than in past years, sending student after student to the doctor with fevers, congestion, and a general feeling of "blah."
While the flu is bad enough, some students will be feeling the effects of their illness long after their physical symptoms have subsided.
For the uninsured student, a quick trip to the health center on campus is affordable enough. But what happens if your fever spikes in the middle of the night? Or on a weekend?
I found this out on Monday, when I headed to Vanderbilt's emergency room with a high fever. I couldn't wait until the health center opened because, in my delirious state, I had convinced myself I was dying. So, off to the ER I went, knowing full well that it was going to cost me.
When an insured person goes to the hospital, the costs associated with doing so may not even enter his mind. Five dollars for a couple of acetaminophens? Okay. A couple hundred dollars for a saline intravenous drip? Bring it on! For a person without insurance, though, every test and treatment, along with the cost of actually seeing the doctor, comes at a hefty cost-one that may take years to pay.
Health insurance policies are largely regulated by each individual state. Most states offer some sort of government-subsidized insurance program, including Tennessee, but these programs vary greatly from place to place, and budget cuts often affect the number of people the state can insure. On top of that, being accepted for Tennessee's state health program, TennCare, is no easy feat. One often has to endure months worth of paperwork and repeated visits to the human services building in downtown Nashville, usually requiring one to wait from open until close.
MTSU does have an insurance plan available through a private company, but the plan does not make sense for most students. Most of the time, the student must pay for a procedure or prescription out of pocket and then send in paperwork, praying that the insurance company will approve the expenses and cut the student a check. This process usually takes at least two months, inevitably resulting in the insurance company denying the claim for one reason or another.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Cynthia
posted 2/04/08 @ 2:46 PM CST
Last year while a student at MTSU, I purchased health insurance through the company GM-Southwest (via a hyperlink from Student Health Services' webpage). (Continued…)
Kim
posted 2/04/08 @ 11:16 PM CST
It is my understanding the reason the government gives the patent to the drug companies is to help cover costs of research and development for new drug therapies. (Continued…)
Vollie Stone
posted 2/09/08 @ 8:43 AM CST
What is interesting is that 99% of thees cases are the common cold. I quess "a cold" doesn't elicit as much sympathy. I TN and I guess elsewhere...nobody gets a cold anymore. (Continued…)
Vollie Stone
posted 2/09/08 @ 8:46 AM CST
What is interesting is that 99% of thees cases are the common cold. I quess "a cold" doesn't elicit as much sympathy. I TN and I guess elsewhere...nobody gets a cold anymore. (Continued…)
Post a Comment