Student Health Care Baylor Graduate Students Work to Relieve Policy Migraines
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE MYTH BUSTERS: GLOBAL AIDS WALK TO DISPEL HIV/AIDS RUMORS page 3 PAID BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ROUNDING UP CAMPUS NEWS SINCE 1900 THE BAYLOR LARIAT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2007 Student health care Baylor graduate students work to relieve policy migraines By Shannon Daily headacheheadache Reporter He received coverage from an employer and are about seven students on the com- coverage offered at the University of North mittee so far. hile United States health Carolina before he came to Baylor. Baylor is in its second of three care and health insurance “I sort of thought all health insurance years with its chosen provider, Aca- battle problem after prob- was the same, and it’s not,” Beavers said. demic HealthPlans. According to lem, Baylor student health During the first meeting with the gradu- Townsend, the insurance provider insurance faces a conun- ate students, Townsend proposed a kind of selection process involved a commit- drum of its own. “Insurance 101 seminar.” tee composed of students, faculty Students don’t under- “Any students would be welcome,” and staff that collaborated with the stand health insurance. Townsend said, “but it would be especially university purchasing department W“Most students don’t know a great deal important to students who had chosen to to compare proposals. about insurance because that’s normally an purchase the university plan.” The committee chose a plan with area that their parents have taken care of,” The graduate students also discussed the low cost and a greater num- Rosemary Townsend, director of business ways to make health insurance at Baylor ber of benefits, Townsend said. affairs and administration, said. “So it’s a more affordable and beneficial for students, “It’s trying to find that balance learning process for most students. (Stu- North Carolina graduate student Daniel between how much of what we dents have) never before this time been a Beavers said. want we can afford to buy.” consumer of an insurance product.” Townsend said an increase in the insur- In February and March A group of graduate students, all having ance pool would help to lower the cost for of 2005, the Texas Depart- encountered different problems with their all students. ment of Insurance sur- student health insurance coverage, have “The greater the number of people cov- veyed students on nine begun a dialogue with Townsend and other ered, the less the risk is,” Townsend said. college campuses in student health insurance representatives in “The probability of all of them getting sick Texas, including an attempt to clear up areas of confusion. decreases with the number of people cov- “We’ve (been) cutting through the myths ered.” Please see POLICY, and realities of (health insurance),” Beavers The greater the size of the pool also helps page 4 said. to decrease a policy’s premium. “Your pre- Although they’ve only had one meeting mium each year is based on two things – so far, Beaver said it served as an education- what’s the size of the pool, how many people al session. Townsend said the health center are in this covered bunch, and how many wants to help students get the most from claims have been made against this plan their insurance. this year,” Townsend said. “To me, it’s a part of education that the The Baylor Health Center has recently health center can provide,” Townsend said. launched a student health advisory com- “We want (students) to be well-informed, mittee. Linda Bostwick, nurse practitioner savvy consumers,” at the Health Center, is helping to start the It’s important to have a full understand- group. Bostwick said the committee is only ing of what you’re dealing with, Beavers said. in its preliminary stages. “We’re trying to While some of the students within the dia- figure out what role this group will play, but logue are paying for their insurance on their basically (the group is) a conduit of informa- Photo Illustration own for the first time, Beavers was more con- tion from the students to the Health Cen- Abbie Rosen cerned with the nature of health insurance. ter,” she said. According to Bostwick, there and Laurisa Lopez Lariat Staff Technology gap closing, study says Baylor professors say Defense for Personnel and Readiness United States was to lose their edge in tinue to encourage young people to asked the RAND Corporation to hold science and technology, the national develop technical science and engi- foreign advancement a meeting to discuss data presented economy, security and standard of neering skills. not a concern for U.S. by experts from academic circles, living could all take a dive. “We need to grow more of our own government and the private sector. In an e-mail sent to The Lariat, Dr. talent,” Gardner said, “The downside Bryant Clark The meeting was held on Nov. 8, Joe McKinney, professor of interna- of retracting a lot of talent from other Reporter 2006. Last Friday the RAND Corpo- tional economics, said, “the fact that countries is that you’re promoting ration finished their assessment and we have the leading research univer- brain drain from developing coun- The United States has long been released the report to the public. sities in the world, in combination tries— countries that need to have atop the world when it comes to sci- Dr. Mike Thompson, an associate with great venture capital markets their own young, talented people ence and technology, but lately con- professor of electrical and computer and a good business climate, should serving their societies.” cern has been developing that the engineering, said he thinks the rea- give us the edge for quite a while.” Still, Gardner thinks the U.S. is U.S. is losing its competitive advan- son so many international students Concerning why other nations are ahead of the game. “In terms of over- tage. want to come and study in the United making such strides, “Some coun- all research funding, publications, Globalization, the rise of science States is because of its exceptional tries have been very poor for awhile. Nobel Prize winners, by almost any centers in developing countries, such educational system. And it’s just been in recent years that measure, the United States currently as China, India and South Korea, the “You want to study at the best they have developed an economy of has a wide lead over any other coun- increasing number of foreign-born programs to be the best,” Thompson quality,” McKinney said. “As they do tries,” he said. Ph.D. students in the United States said. “Our national structure is set that, they’re going to move up the In addition to the research con- and claims of a shortage of science up to take advantage of intellectual technological ladder.” ducted, a future report will draw on Laurisa Lopez/Lariat staff and technology workers in the United property. In other words, people can Dr. Stephen Gardner, professor these papers and other research with Grand Prarie freshman Robyn Fuller and Weatherford States all drive these competitive con- profit off their ideas, and that gives of economics and the director of the the intent of creating an over view and freshman Tacey Stogsdille work on their biology lab cerns. In light of this apprehension, us an edge.” McBride Center for International presenting further discussion of the worksheets Tuesday at the Baylor Sciences Building. the Office of the Under Secretary of According to the study, if the Business, believes we need to con- findings and policy implications. African culture Bears look to eliminate week focuses major fundamental errors on the positive By Brian Bateman not playing very smart,” head coach Guy Sports editor Morriss said. Missed tackles, turnovers By Tessa Shockey and penalties all spelled disaster for the Reporter With a 3-3 record on the year, Baylor’s Bears since Big 12 play began, but the bowl hopes hinge on three more victo- team expects the second half efficiency The African Student Association is holding a ries. And with four ranked teams still to appear in Kansas. culture week from Oct. 15 to Oct. 20 to celebrate waiting on the Bears’ schedule, includ- But it will have to work against the African heritage. ing Saturday’s opponent the University conference’s best defense. Led by junior “We’re trying to educate the Baylor commu- of Kansas, this weekend is as good a time cornerback and Texas-native Aqib Talib, nity and the Waco community about Africa and as any for Baylor’s next win. the defense has allowed just 161.2 pass- the diversity that is represented by ASA,” Lagos, Baylor will play their second 11:30 ing yards per game, and Talib already Nigeria, senior Isioma Coker said. a.m. start in two weeks when the Bears has three interceptions. Add to that the Isioma is the social chair for the association visit undefeated, No. 20 Kansas at Memo- conference’s best pass defensive efficien- and is responsible for planning the week’s events, rial stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. cy and a linebacker Joe Mortensen’s 2.1 which incorporate the theme of A.F.R.I.C.A., Afri- Following Saturday’s 43-23 loss to tackles for loss average, and the Bears cans Free and Rich In Culture and Arts. Abbie Rosen/Lariat staff Colorado, the Bears expect to fix their have one tough opponent on Saturday. Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa fundamental mistakes. Baylor’s offense struggled with fundamentals during the Colorado game Oct. 6. The team can’t repeat in Kansas if it looks to bring home a win “Something we are trying to overcome Please see AFRICA, page 4 Saturday.