Graduate Student Senate passed a resolution Tuesday asking Ohio University to increase the percentage of the cost of health insurance the university subsidies for graduate appointments.
Saeed Nazemidashtarjandi, commissioner of academic life and research, said the cost of the OU student health insurance plan increased by about 29% in 2019 and is projected to increase by another 14% this August.
Currently, student health insurance costs about $1,410 per semester and will cost about $1,573 per semester starting in August.
Mohamad Javad Haghighat Manesh, senator of the Russ College of Engineering, said the quality of service that students are getting from the health plan does not justify the cost.
“It’s like paying 10 bucks, 15 bucks for each bus ride in Athens. It’s just not worth it,” Manesh said.
He said that he has faced trouble in the past when he has been sick because of the cost of health care.
“I risked my life because I didn’t want to pay money, because I didn’t have money to pay,” he said.
Ohio State University, Kent State University and the University of Cincinnati subsidize about 75% of the cost of their graduate student health insurance while OU only covers about 10%.
“What I propose to ask the university is … to meet the average coverage of the other universities,” Nazemidashtarjandi said.
Executive Vice President and Provost Chaden Djalali gave updates about how the coronavirus is affecting international travel for the university.
Djalali said after considering Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and consulting with the state health department, OU has decided to stop any trips endorsed by the university to and from countries with a level 2 and level 3 risk assessment from the CDC.
Djalali encourages students who will be traveling to level 2 countries for personal reasons to let the university know and to continually visit the university’s website for updates from OU regarding the coronavirus.
“We tell people there’s no need to panic. Go by facts and not fear,” Djalali said.
