Each year, the University of Arkansas contracts for a student health insurance plan. In academic year 2014-15, the University of Arkansas circulated a bid for student health insurance plans that would be more cost effective for students who enroll in the plan.

The bid committee recommended that Academic Health Plans, underwritten by United Healthcare Student Resources insurance plan, be awarded the contract for the academic year 2015-16. Academic Health Plans is affordable for students, allows them access to a reasonable dental and vision plans and support services to assure good customer service to students who are enrolled.

The student health insurance plan is compliant with the Affordable Care Act, benefitting students with coverage for prevention, no preexisting conditions, equitable charges for dependent premiums and no maximum coverage limitations.

"The Associated Student Government is pleased to announce that the fringe benefit for graduate assistants will be positively impacted by the reduction in cost," said Tanner Bone, Associated Student Government president. 

Effective Aug. 1, the University of Arkansas will support 66.6 percent of the cost of the student health insurance plan for those graduate assistants who opt to enroll in the plan. 

"This new plan is an increase in benefit support for our graduate assistants and also reduces the portion they have had to pay in years past," said Scout Johnson, speaker of the Associated Student Government's Graduate Student Congress.

"An additional benefit to this new plan is the reduction in cost for the enrollment of spouses and children," said Johnson. "Previously some premiums have been as much as 280 percent of the cost of the student who enrolled in the plan. Dependent premiums are now the same as the premiums charged for student enrollment."

"ASG is appreciative of the Student Health Insurance Review Committee, especially Assistant Vice Provost Mary Alice Serafini for extending the invitation to the Associated Student Government Graduate Student Congress to participate in this process and in bringing a better plan to all of our students," Johnson said. 

For more information about student health insurance, please visit the Pat Walker Health Center website at health.uark.edu.