You’re young, healthy and invincible, right?
     Wrong. Chances are you’re not some kind of superhuman, but a typical student trying to balance your studies along with jobs and personal lives. And just like anyone else, you are vulnerable to illnesses and accidents. But where do you go for medical treatment?
     Unlike others who receive health benefits from full-time jobs or from a family member’s insurance, many Skyline students do not have any form of health coverage. Since the beginning of this fall semester, 360 students have had nurse visits to the Skyline Health Center and only 220 of them had health insurance.
     “The percentage of students that are uninsured is a little alarming,” said Barbara Wylie, Health Center coordinator.
     According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those who are age 18-24 are the most likely to be without any form of health insurance. This population is particularly vulnerable because many get dropped from a parent’s coverage if they are no longer full-time students. These uninsured students might also be working, but many employers do not offer health benefits to part-time workers.
     “The jobs that young adults have these days, almost none offer insurance,” said Barbara Raboy, director of the Daly City Youth Health Center. “They’re usually working in lower-pay jobs.”
     In addition to the economic factors preventing people from seeking health coverage, many youths simply feel invincible to illness and injury.
     “Unless there is an emergency, they’re not thinking ‘I need insurance’,” Raboy said regarding youths making the transition into adulthood.
     According to Wylie, the importance of seeking medical care even if you don’t have health coverage cannot be stressed enough. Delaying the treatment of an illness or injury can have detrimental consequences for the uninsured, as more severe, expensive health problems can arise.
     “You’re not going to be turned away (from medical care) just because you don’t have insurance,” Wylie said. “You’ll get cared for, but someday you’re going to get a big, fat old bill.”
     Students participating in competitive sports might be particularly prone to injury, according to Wylie. Skyline Head Athletic Trainer Jo Silken said that Skyline would cover any injuries that occur while playing varsity sports, but pre-existing medical conditions would have to be treated by an athlete’s personal coverage. She estimated that nearly a quarter of competitive athletes at Skyline are not insured.
     The good news for those who are uninsured is that free or low-cost medical treatment is available.
     One option Skyline students have for free healthcare is the Health Center located in building 2, which is completely funded by the Health Services Fee paid by students at the start of each semester.
     The Health Center is the first place an uninsured student with a non-urgent medical concern should visit, as the nurses can either treat basic health problems or provide referrals to free or low-cost clinics.
     According to Wylie, seeking advice from the Health Center might save a student an unnecessary and expensive trip to the doctor.
     While free health clinics can provide basic medical treatment, having some form of insurance is necessary to avoid the high costs of emergency care of a broken leg or other spontaneous injury.
     An option for low-cost health insurance available to students at California community colleges is the Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan. This coverage provides medical and dental care to students on an annual or semester basis. The value plan offers students age 24 and under a year’s worth insurance for $526. A person age19-29 would pay nearly three times as much for annual coverage from Kaiser Permanente.
     going to go find insurance’ for different reasons,” Raboy said. “They can’t afford it, they don’t know where to go, or they think they are invincible.”
     Although many youths recognize health as a priority, uninsured students continue to face possible financial troubles due to a failure to acknowledge the medical problems that might surface.
     “I will have it (health insurance) sometime in the future,” said Neelo Shafa, an uninsured 19-year-old Skyline student. “I just don’t have it right now.”