The Associated Press reported recently that a new federal law has been passed to, “Spare seriously ill or injured college students from having to choose between taking time off and keeping their health insurance.”
This initiative called “Michelle’s Law” was named after Michelle Morse who died of colon cancer at age 22. Morse was a Plymouth College graduate who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005 and died six months after graduating from Plymouth State College with a degree in education.
In Morse’s case, she had to be a fulltime student to receive health, “Her mother's insurance coverage stipulated that Morse must be a full-time student to receive her benefits. Meaning that either Morse could drop out and face impossibly high increases in her premiums, or stay in school, receive what treatment was available and battle the cancer as best she could,” said an article reported in The New Hampshire.
The Michelle’s law foundation was started by AnnMarie Morse in order to reform this “catch-22” stipulation of the health care system. On October 8, 2008 President George W. Bush signed H.R. 2851, making Michelle’s Law a federal law effective October 9, 2009.
The following are the criteria of Michelle’s Law:
-Michelle’s Law allows full-time college students to take up to 12 months medical leave.
-Michelle’s Law applies to students who are covered under their parent’s health insurance plan.
-“Medical leave” can mean that the student is absent from school or reduces his/her course load to part-time.
-The date the medical leave begins is determined by a student’s physician.
-Signed into law on June 22, 2006, the legislation was officially named “Michelle’s Law” and took effect immediately.
AnnMarie Morse commented on her daughter’s legacy, “‘Can one person make a difference? The answer, profoundly and in front of us, is yes,’ she said.”
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