Spring Break
Bill would preserve students' health care
Doyle expected to sign legislation aimed at those who leave school ill
Jacob McCormick
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Campus News
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The bill allows college and technical college students on medical leave with a serious illness to keep their health insurance for up to a 12-month period.
The legislation is one of many "Michelle's Law" bills going into effect across the country. It was inspired by a college student in New Hampshire who was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her health insurance plan required her to either continue a full course load or risk being dropped by the company.
Soon after graduation, Michelle Morse died from her illness and New Hampshire became the first state to pass such a law into existence, co-author of the bill Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, said.
If faced with the situation of losing health coverage or going to school full time, senior Alexandra Hammer said she wouldn't know what choice to make.
"I'd be very upset about that," Hammer said, "but I really don't know what I would do."
She said the legislation should make things a bit fairer to students.
"It sounds like an awesome idea," she said. "It's not fair to make students make a choice on something they don't have control of."
Nygren said he has also had experience with his constituents involving a similar situation.
"The parents of a young man attending college contacted me and said their son had two major surgeries and the doctor recommended he take a semester off to focus on his recovery," Nygren said. "We learned that if he did that he ceased to be a full-time student and would lose his health coverage … it didn't seem right to me to take something away when you need it most."
He said there have been similar bills proposed in the past, but none made it very far. But because Nygren has a background as an insurance agent, he was able to contact insurance agencies around Wisconsin and bring them to his office to talk about the possibility of this legislation.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
AnnMarie Morse
posted 11/15/07 @ 8:46 AM CST
My name is AnnMarie Morse and I am Michelle's Mom for whom the bill was named in NH. I am very pleased to see Wisconsin has added its name to the growing list of states that have implimented Michelle's Law or a version of it. (Continued…)
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