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SB 154

Health Insurance Coverage of Full-time Student on Medical Leave

(Roessler/Nygren)  Under current law, if a dependent student withdraws from school at a later point in the semester where tuition is no longer refundable, he/she remains covered under their dependent  health insurance plan until the end of the calendar year.

If the student withdraws early in the calendar year, when tuition can be refunded, the student’s health insurance coverage is terminated.

This bill would allow for coverage for the entire calendar year, regardless of when the student withdraws, when the status for that absence is a medical leave of absence.  

Referred to: Transportation, Tourism, and Insurance Committee

SUPPORT:  Eligibility for a dependent student’s health insurance coverage should not depend on when that leave of absence occurs in a given semester if the reason for the loss of student status is the result of a medical leave of absence.

This bill ensures that students who must leave early in the semester are covered by insurance just the same as those who must leave later in a semester.

Under the bill, insurance coverage would be uniform when the loss of student status is the result of a medical leave of absence.

Students in these situations already face significant challenges that could undermine their success in college.  UW System supports legislation to maximize the chance that those students will return to college and ultimately earn their degree.