About Student Health

In April 2010 Attorney General Cuomo revealed troubling practices uncovered by his office’s investigation of the student health insurance industry. In a letter sent to more than 300 colleges, universities, professional schools, and trade schools, the Attorney General cautioned schools to review their sponsored student health insurance plans and alter potential problems that add gratuitous expenses and put students at risk. 

Many colleges and universities require students to purchase a school-endorsed, private health insurance plan unless students prove that they have comparable insurance coverage.  The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that many of the school-endorsed plans have extremely low coverage limits, excessive costs for the coverage provided, and inconsistencies with federal protections recently signed into law.

The Attorney General’s letter advised colleges and universities to review their policies related to student health insurance coverage and to modify them, if warranted, to ensure that they sponsor fair plans.  The letter notes that since college students who purchase insurance are a generally healthy population, schools have strong bargaining power to ensure that the school-sponsored plan provides sufficient, fairly-priced coverage.  The letter provides recommendations for schools to help the schools evaluate the adequacy of school-sponsored plans.