New Mexico State University Graduate Workers United met with university administration on Thursday, March 27, to discuss information regarding health insurance options for international graduate students. Lindley Hornsby, the president of the union, said the focus of the meeting was eligibility for advanced premium tax credits.
Graduate Assistant Caedmon Ragland, who has since been elected president of the union for the upcoming term, said the university had told international students they were not eligible for advanced premium tax credits. Advanced premium tax credits reduce the cost of health insurance. Ragland said after receiving advice from United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) that international students could receive the tax credits. The union sent a policy brief to university administration on January 31.
“Our whole goal of this meeting was to get NMSU to retract their faulty legal advice that international students are ineligible,” Ragland said.
Graduate Assistant Andrew Zerwekh stated graduate students often choose between two options for health insurance: GeoBlue and BeWellnm. GeoBlue is a third-party international health insurance company. BeWellnm is a health insurance marketplace that residents of New Mexico can use to enroll in health insurance plans. Ragland said while GeoBlue costs over $1,000 per semester, BeWellnm plans can cost $0 per semester, if the student using it has advanced premium tax credits.
Ragland said the union surveyed international students and found many of them want to use BeWellnm rather than GeoBlue because they believe the former is the most affordable option for them. Ragland also said some international students have switched from BeWellnm to GeoBlue because of information they received from NMSU.
Zerwekh said the university has told international students they could face legal repercussions for enrolling in BeWellnm. He also cited frustrations about students being double enrolled in GeoBlue and BeWellnm.
“The point of the meeting today is, or was, to sort of refine this information and maybe clear up some of the uncertainty and try and work together to actually be able to provide the international students with the necessary instruction to be able to, you know, safely enroll and have health care, right?” Zerwekh said.
Ragland expressed frustration with the university administration’s level of preparation and initiative at the meeting.
“They haven’t read our legal briefing,” Ragland said. “They don’t know what we’re talking about. They aren’t prepared. Some of their committee members didn’t even show up, and the best we’ve gotten is that they said ‘We’ll make a Google document that we can work together on.’”
Hornsby said the university and the union were not able to come to an agreement about whether international graduate students can enroll in health insurance plans through BeWellnm or apply for advanced premium tax credits.
“They said they couldn’t give us an estimate at this time as to when we can see this issue cleared up. But we are hoping for two weeks, because we think that’s what’s timely,” Hornsby said.
NMSU administration has declined to respond to requests for comment.
