Changing student health insurance policies and the possibility of requiring all students to carry health insurance, was the main topic of the Government of the Student Body’s Wednesday meeting.

For an hour and a half, senators directed questions to Student Health Insurance Advisory Board officials. The officials attended the meeting to give a presentation about the committee’s consideration of changing the university’s policy on the level of coverage students should be required to have.

During their presentation, advisory board members discussed how the university’s current student health insurance coverage needs to be changed because of increased claim rates.

“The committee is looking into stabilizing the loss ratio,” said GSB Director for Student Affairs Nathan Johnson.

Johnson said the loss ratio is the ratio of a student’s medical bill to their insurance premium.

“Basically, increased claims by students are taking too much out of the insurance plan, creating a significant loss ratio, and we’re trying to figure out ways to stabilize that,” Johnson said. “This creates problems with the university being able to safeguard students against large medical bills.

By coming before the senate , we’re trying to gather students’ input into how the university can best safeguard them from expensive medical bills,” he said.

One approach the committee said they’re looking into to safeguard students is a hard waiver policy.

The hard waiver policy would make it mandatory for all students to have adequate insurance coverage. The committee said it’s looking into such an option because the University of Iowa stated earlier this year it will adopt a hard waiver policy for its students.

As of now, the university has a voluntary insurance coverage policy for students. This means having health insurance is voluntary for students.

“The hard waiver would say students need to be insured either through the university or through other adequate health insurance providers,” Johnson said. “It is up to the students to decide what’s best for themselves. The committee is just trying to inform students and gather input from them.”

He said the committee will submit a recommendation to university administration. Johnson said the decision needs to be made by March.

“I’m glad [the Student Health Insurance Advisory Board] came before the senate to inform us and gather students’ input. But I am concerned that adopting a hard waiver that would make it mandatory for every student to be insured might burden them financially,” said Off-Campus Senator Cara Harris.

“[The price for insurance coverage the committee gave] looks pretty expensive and I’m worried students wouldn’t be able to pay for it because of the rising cost of tuition. I hope a reduced or discounted rate could be provided.”

The senate also postponed a vote, in order to gather more student input, on a resolution stating the senate supports the current academic calendar and opposes proposed changes to it.

In other business, a bill was introduced by the GSB Finance Committee giving its recommendation for funding to student groups for the spring semester.