Grad students protest health insurance cuts

The chants of about 30 IU graduate students echoed down Kirkwood Avenue Wednesday morning as members of the IU Graduate Employees Organization protested cuts in their health benefits.\nThe students gathered at the Sample Gates, holding signs and repeating chants like "They say cutbacks -- we say fight back!" Meanwhile, inside Bryan Hall, administrators and student representatives discussed which specific cuts would be made for graduate employee health plans.\n"We're here to protest the administration's decision not to fully fund the increases in our health care coverage, and that's leaving us with either increased costs or cuts to our benefits," said Elizabeth Rytting, a graduate student and internal communications officer of the GEO steering committee. "One way or another, it's going to come out of our pockets."\nHealth insurance plans have risen in cost nationwide, and IU administrators said it would not be feasible to pay for all coverage of graduate students and their dependents.\nIU plans to pay about 69 percent of next year's increases, leaving graduate employees about $181.20 in additional costs, according to an Indiana Daily Student article on March 29. Premiums for students' spouses and children will also rise substantially.\nOne sign held by a protester claimed that, as an associate instructor in the English department, the student made $12,000 per academic year. The sign said coverage for the student, his spouse and his child would cost about $6,000, or exactly half of his yearly stipend. Most associate instructors make $9,000-$12,000 per year, while some make as much as $15,000.\nStudents at the protest said it is unfair to receive anything less than full health insurance benefits.\n"As employees of the University, we should be given full benefits," said graduate student Sharyn Emery.\nThe budget for graduate employee health insurance has not been approved by the IU board of trustees yet, and the trustees could decide to fund the full increase in premiums. \nBut students at the protest were not convinced the trustees have enough funding.\nSome students, including protester and graduate student Morgan Fritz, said increasing health insurance costs might drive away potential graduate students, and that IU needs to maintain an attractive environment for students.\n"Over the range of the Big Ten schools, we have one of the inferior compensation packages," he said.