Can my private university force me to buy its student health insurance?

Question

I am currently covered by a state-enhanced version of Medicare; my family is extremely low-income and this health coverage is far superior to that offered by the private graduate school I will be attending this fall. However, the school is not accepting my waiver form saying that government insurance does not meet the school's waiver qualifications (only employer insurance programs do). Can they do this to me and make me pay thousands of dollars I don't have for redundant school health insurance I don't need? Anyone knowledgeable enough to know whether this is something I can fight legally? The school and my insurance are in NJ.

Answer 1

A private school can require you to do just about anything as a condition of admittance -- because they are a private institution, not a govt agency. It's all a matter of contract -- you can either do what they want, or not accept admission. Your choice.

Racial prejudice is about the only thing prohibited -- and that's only under the 13th Amendment, which affects private groups -- the 14th only applies to govt action.

Answer 2

I'm a paralegal and I don't work in NJ so this amounts to best of my knowledge and not sure known fact. That said. You're fighting a schools admissions policy. They haven't broken a law that I know of and they are not forcing you to buy anything because you can always go to another school. You could sue them and it will cost you more then the insurance and you might not win. Your probably not going to get a lawyer to help without money up front on this because you wouldn't be suing for a huge settlement but rather for them to admit you which would mean the lawyer couldn't take his fee out of the settlement. Some lawyers would avoid a case such as this even if you did have the money for their fee. I don't agree with what the school is doing but if it is a private school that doesn't rely on state funding then there isn't allot of oversight on their admissions policies. I am sorry but while there may be things you can do I doubt whether they will be overly effective. If the school won't see your point of view on this then perhaps you should consider another school.

Answer 3

You answered your question with I will be going to a private school. This fact means that since they are not discriminating on the basis of race, gender or hell in todays PC world sexaul orientation what they are doing is legal. They can say part of registration at this school is buying our insurance. Sorry but that is how I see it.

Answer 4

No, you can't fight it legally. They have the right to set down whatever conditions they want. If you write them an appeal letter laying out the details of your plan and proving that they are superior to the school's plan, they may consider it, but it's at their discretion. You have no legal recourse.

Answer 5

unfastened speech? No. unfastened marketplace? sure. The libertarian view is which you would be allowed to purchase scientific well being coverage everywhere you please. despite if, basically libertarian questioning dictates that, in case you do no longer carry coverage, there could be no government backed charity (welfare) to conceal your scientific expenses. via mandating which you purchase automobile coverage, the government attaches this accountability on your privilege to force a automobile. despite if, there is not any such privilege to which you would be able to connect the accountability to hold scientific well being coverage. existence is a proper - and an inalienable one - no longer a privilege.

Answer 6

You don't need to sign up with their Insurance. You have a choice. Right now, your already covered. It's none of their damn business if your insured or not. When I went to college I didn't even have Insurance.

Answer 7

Yes. But you should negotiate with them, since you have coverage of your own.