Student Health Survey: Trends and Strategies

Cyboran Consulting, LLC and Rogers Consulting Group, Inc. are conducting a Student Health Plan (SHP) survey sponsored by the University of Kentucky and the University of Oklahoma. Universities will need to make critical decisions soon for the upcoming 2017-18 academic year. This survey is designed to help institutions assess how colleges and universities are responding to the current regulatory challenges, and provide a tool to help manage their SHPs in the future.

The regulatory environment for SHPs has become increasingly complex, yet an SHP remains a cost competitive means to provide health coverage to students. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and, more recently, IRS Notices 2013-54, 2016-17 and frequently asked question (FAQ) (refer to our Compliance Brief for more information on the FAQ) have created an especially challenging environment for institutions who sponsor a SHP for their Graduate Assistants (GAs) for whom the institution pays at least a portion of the cost of the SHP. 

For now, the FAQ makes SHP’s a viable method of offering health coverage to GA’s, without making significant changes in the way the SHP cost is paid by the institution. In many ways, this makes the survey even more important, as institutions must now consider, or reconsider, even more options.

Because of the recent FAQ regarding SHP’s and graduate assistants (GA’s), we extended the response deadline for the survey until November 18, 2016. The original survey has been updated with questions that reflect the options presented by the recent FAQ.

All participants in the survey will receive a report of survey results and can choose to keep specific identifying information private, or share their specific responses.

Please contact Steve Cyboran or Wes Rogers if you have any questions.