Health insurance is required of all University of Minnesota students in degree programs. To be eligible for enrollment in the University-sponsored Student Health Benefit Plan, students must meet specified requirements, e.g. they are admitted to an on-campus degree program and are registered for six or more credits per semester; online course credits do not count towards eligibility.

By excluding online course credits for students in on-campus programs, the current policy limits the flexibility of students to complete their degrees in a timely fashion, particularly students working full or part-time, students with family obligations and students with disabilities.

This policy is outdated and should be revised to meet the needs of the current student population and allow online credits to count for eligibility for students in on-campus programs. I encourage policy makers at the University to develop a more equitable approach to healthcare for our students. For more information, see the attached policy brief. 

Kristin Anderson, Ph.D., MPH, is a professor emerita of the University of Minnesota.

This letter to the editor has been lightly edited for style and clarity.