Iowa State administrators are considering the possibility of requiring students to have health insurance in the future, the implementation of which would impact the lives of everyone attending this university in a multitude of ways.

In a perfect world, every student would have adequate coverage for any medical problem that may arise in their lives. But 20 percent of ISU students have no sort of medical insurance whatsoever, according to a study done last year by the Thielen Student Health Center. For these students, even a minor injury or illness could cost them a significant amount of money.

Having health insurance could help students breathe easier about their finances, but the very cost of maintaining a health insurance policy prohibits needy students from having one in the first place. On top of tuition increases and the sheer cost of living, this requirement could become the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

While students would not be required to carry the university’s health insurance, the cost of Iowa State’s plan is said to be on the “lower end” at $846 per individual or $5,780 per family per year.

Thus, if the university were to require students to have health coverage, the 20 percent of students who don’t currently have it could be caught in a Catch-22. They could buy health insurance and undergo more financial hardship, or either transfer universities or drop out altogether because they couldn’t afford to pay an additional $850 and up per year for health insurance and undergo even more financial hardship as a result. What would ISU administrators do about that problem?

Terry Mason, chair of the student health insurance committee, said that assistance for financially disadvantaged students would certainly be explored. “We’re still in the process of researching the feasibility of requiring health insurance for all students,” he said.

A positive aspect Mason pointed out about having all students included in a health plan is that having more people on a particular insurance policy like Iowa State’s would spread out the financial “risk” for the insurer, thereby lowering the cost of student premiums. But it would still be an extra cost for students who aren’t already covered under their parents’ insurance.

Both the Government of the Student Body and the Graduate Student Senate have student representatives on the student health insurance committee. Mason also stressed the importance of student feedback on this issue, and said they will be gathering more information and sharing it with students. “This is not going to be something we rush into headfirst,” Mason said.

If the university can find a way to make health insurance affordable to all its students, that’s great. But if not, requiring it could have major repercussions.