The University at Buffalo recently announced its plan to withdraw health insurance benefits for domestic students beginning Fall 2024. The announcement cited rising costs and decreasing participation in domestic health insurance plans. It stated that while this is a service they will no longer offer, it was strongly recommended that students seek health insurance elsewhere. The University at Buffalo also entirely removed the requirement for health insurance for domestic students.

This is extremely dangerous to those who are unaware of the risks of being uninsured or have no other choice. At the same time, students were recently informed that the UB Student Health Pharmacy will be closing permanently on December 12, 2023, removing yet another essential service for all 30,000 students of the university.  

Though some students may find temporary coverage under their parents, many will be forced to choose between going without insurance and navigating the nebulous landscape of private and public plans. The New York State of Health Individual Marketplace was cited as a solution for students. However, for many students with little to no income, this is not a practical expectation, so pursuing Medicaid may be their only option.

According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, those without insurance are over 2.5 times more likely to forgo primary care. Switching health insurance policies for students may mean loss of access to essential care given varied coverage benefits. As such, many providers may not accept a student's new insurance. While UB Student Health Services takes all UB student patients regardless of insurance status, they are only open for non-emergency medical care with limited hours. This will disproportionately affect students with disabilities and other chronic health conditions who rely on comprehensive health insurance. 

Without a robust health insurance option, nor a requirement to be insured at all, countless students will choose to remain uninsured and face the daily fear of unexpected illnesses or accidents, in addition to the risk of financially crippling debt.

UB medical students began this petition because we believe finances should never be a barrier to care - healthcare is a human right. This development is following an alarming trend: health insurance is becoming more and more a phenomenon for the wealthy, while paradoxically those who can't afford it pay the steepest long-term costs physically and financially.

Please join us in support of our fellow students. Every single student should be given the best chance to succeed, and this includes fair and affordable access to healthcare. In addition, we worry that prospective students will be discouraged from joining our institution due to its lack of healthcare and pharmacy services.  

This petition calls on the University Administration to reevaluate and reverse this decision. Please add your name below. For more information or if you would like to help with organizing efforts, please email jacobssnahp@gmail.com.