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Editor:
Regarding your editorial: "Have insurance?" from Nov. 4 - what kind of insurance?
I am one of the 2,200 international students which are forced in the UA policy and I don't like it. Let's see what my German insurance offers me: I have a free choice of any doctor in the whole world, they cover all costs including dental and glasses, and there is no maximum limit on the policy (something unthinkable in Germany). Sure this policy is more expensive than the UA policy, but I am not criticizing the price of the UA policy; I am unhappy with its coverage.
Why would I need more coverage? Lets assume I would get cancer. I had people in my family die of cancer and believe me thei medical bills exceeded $50,000 by far.
Why would I need worldwide coverage? Let's again assume I have cancer. Then I really don't want to stay in the United States because I want to go home to my family. However, if I am already ill, no German insurance company will provide me with insurance, and the UA insurance doesn't cover the higher medical costs in Germany.
In Germany it is also cheaper to join an insurance if you are young. So at the time I go back, my entry fee in the German system will be much higher. I currently solved my dilemma by being insured in Germany and wasting $606 per year for the UA insurance.
I think the notification system proposed by Maria Karlsson Gillespie is a much better solution. To finance it just let every participant pay $50 for it. This should be enough to keep track of my insurance.
Oliver Spatscheck
computer science graduate student
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