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Editor:
I am writing in response to the Nov. 4 Wildcat editorial "Have Insurance?" Your statement, "International students come here knowing the rules" is correct only to a certain extent. Of course, as an international student, I am a visitor to this county and am aware that I have to comply with the rules. This, however, does not mean that there is no room for change or improvement.
At the Health Forum on Oct. 24 that addressed the health insurance issue, many international students agreed that information about the mandatory UA health policy is quite poor. I came here as a J-1 student and had at no time prior to my arrival been informed about the mandatory UA plan. During the orientation week, I attended a health insurance seminar in which all the horrible things that could happen if I did not have health insurance were highlighted. Besides the fact that I am old enough to handle the responsibilities of purchasing health insurance, I want to be able to choose what I consider adequate coverage at a reasonable price.
The UA mandatory health insurance should not be a 'one size fits all' arrangement, i.e. the policy should not be as inflexible as it currently is. Students should have the option to choose from a number of different maximum lifetime benefit levels at different costs. Similarly, students with dental or visual problems should have the option to purchase additional coverage at extra cost. There are international students who are concerned with the price of UA health insurance (starting from $606 per year) and those who are concerned about the adequacy of coverage. What they, we, have in common is that we ask for a right to choose.
Kristina I. Wernicke
geography senior
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