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A group of bold and daring staff and students connect NIC l o worl d by means of Internet Please see story on Page 5.
wrestlers win regional title. Please see Page 11 for story.
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Friday, February 17, 1995 Volume 71, Number 8
Sentin
North Idaho College's Student Newspaper • Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Student insurance to be clearly defined in future , refunds not delayed by Sherry L. Adkins Srt11111rl Reporter apid insurance waiver refund\ and clearly defined coverage are what studcnu can cxp,:cl next semester from tl1e campus insurance plan. according to Leah McGowan. NK 1nsumncc advocate. A si~-mcmbcr insurance commi ncc mode up of staff and students me1 Tuesdll) in an cffon 10 dc~ign 1hr.:c ve~1on, of an in~urance plan with op1ion~ 1hn1 ,, ill ,ati~ly ,1udc111 needs. McGowan said. TI1e comminc.: i~ considering .1 munda1ory 80/20 co,eragc plan and a non-m:mda1ury 8000 wilh the '-'\me baMC oplions lhat currently exist. The 80 pcrcenl is to be co,crlld by the plan and the 20 percent being the ,1~dent5 rcspon,ibility. Another pos;ihility is n mandn1ory and non-mand.,l<>I)' ,·er.ion of o policy using cocffil'ient~ similar 10 the current policy. conunill..?~ member Dean Dennen said. The plJn i, 10 basically ha,·e lhe same bcncfirs thnt nrc now avnilnble but wi1h upgrad,: option~ withom a huge price incrc,i-e, according to Dennett. The prim ill)' 11bjcc11ve of the comminei: i, 10 huve a policy which gunranree<. all in~urancc waher monr~ will be rtturrn.'d within llm.'C weeks Jlld ck.irl) define-, ~tudcnt tinruicinl rc.\pomibili1y, McGowan ~id. ~kGO\~an said numerous ~tud~nt, h:we come to h~r with quc,1ioM and concern~ about 1hc current policy ~ausc the coefficient pay rate, arc very confu,,ing. '1nerc i:, concern because ~1udenL~ are not sure of the coverage," She said. "Many (studcnlS) probably don't read the policy but it's confu,,ing for thos.: who do." The current policy. a SI0.000 m.uimum bcnefi1 plnn from Monumcn1al Life Insurance, pays on a coefficient value rale. This rate is dependent upon a nationwide pay scale (CPT rate) which doctors use to set a specific fee for
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cen:iin procedures. The ,•aluc 10 be paid in 1he present heahh plan (coefficicnl) i~ muhipliL'<I by the CPT ralc and tlrnl is whai is covered. The rest i< the s1udent's rcspon\ibilily. With lhc new plan5, lhe s1udcnts' rc~ponsibili1y should be dearly defined on :, percentage of 101al cost bash. McGowun said. cGowan \:lid 1hc probkm the stmlcnl faces when u<ing codlic1(·nto, is 1hc fuc1 1ha1 1he CPT nllc< arc unknown 10 1hcm, ,he smd. When s1udcnt, seek medical nucmion 1hcy ac1uully hove no 1dca of wha1 i~ covered and how much of 1hc finnnci.11 respon<ibihly belong, Ill them. On ~omc ba.,ic 1hing~. ~uch a., blood work, the policy is ade<1ua1c hll the Mudcn1 end, up s:111sfied with the cnJ resuh, but in coMly opcr:uion procedures 1ha1 involve ho~pirnl s1.1y, the studem ends up confused nbou11hcir end of lhe dcul. McGowan explained. Ano1her op1ion being considered in the 80/20 packages is a student deductible, McGowan said. Currently. s1udcn~ hove no deductible, bm McGowan s.1id ~he i~ impressed with a s1udcn1 in,urance plan u~ed by Lewis and Clark State College that workl. with II deducliblc. The LCSC plan h a non-mandatory 80/20 coverage plan with a S150 smdcm 1foductiblc. with a yearly cos1of $305 to be paid on n scmc:-1.:r basis. Specilicotion bids should go out 10 insurance companies within the neM few wcel..s, and lhe insurance commince will u~ the return responses 10 determine wtuch policy is to be put imo effect ror lhe individual needs of NIC studcnlS, McGowan said. ··we will send out bids to o.s many insurance companies o.s we can gel offers for," McGowon said. "We're pushing to get something eslllblishcd by next scmes1er." Student insurance pamphleu arc available upstairs in the Student Union Building. For insurance information cllll McGowan at 769-7761.
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Photo by Fekadu Kiros Lights, cameras, action!- Student Beth Carey gets ready to film a news broadcast as a part of her Internship at Coeur d'Alene's Channel 58. Please see related story on Page 18.