Graduate students are being stripped of their low-cost health insurance due to flawed ACA interpretations by federal regulators.
Colleges and universities across the U.S. (particularly research institutions) often provide subsidized health insurance to graduate students, especially those providing teaching or research services. These students enroll in their school's student health insurance plan (SHIP). Federal agencies are interpreting these subsidies as violating an ACA rule against employers providing funds for individual plans. Graduate students are students first, and should be considered as such. The funding they receive is subsistence level; health insurance is a critical part of their compensation. Regulators need to make a final rule that these subsidies are ACA-compliant.