UNC-Charlotte just announced that all undergrad students will be required to provide proof of having health insurance before being admitted.  If they don’t have it then they will be required to pay $595 for the year to use the university’s preferred provider health plan.

Some of the highlights of the article which just amazed me:

• $595 for the year?  That’s less than $50 per month.  I think maybe I should go back to school.
• 4,000 of the 20,000 UNCC students are expected to take the university’s plan.  Tha means that a full 20% of the students may come from a family without coverage.  That’s frightening.  On the other hand that number might reflect the fact that some parents view it as a way to reduce their insurance load, especially if their kid is getting financial aid and the policy can be rolled into the aid package (which they ARE allowed to do).  Still that’s a lot of people without a safety net.
• If the students use Student Health Services there’s no cost, but if they have to see a real doctor they have a 20% co-pay (they don’t have to pay a deductible).  I don’t know about you, but when I was a student I didn’t have a lot of money for anything beyond the essentials…food and beer.  I’d have to be on my deathbed before I’d see a doctor if I knew I was going to have to pony up $40 or $50.

I’d say that health care is pretty much the biggest non-war issue in the US right now.  It’s affecting everything, and not in a good way.