Following Carleton’s suspension of the TA healthcare plan, it is clear that the way the university informs students and staff about changes to their healthcare coverage desperately needs to change.
This lack of communication was put on full display earlier this week when funds allocated for healthcare for TAs ran out, and students were first told that their insurance under Carleton was invalid by a healthcare provider—rather than by the university. Good communication about such a vital service is absolutely essential, especially in the wake of vague changes to Ontario healthcare, as announced by the Ford administration earlier this week.
Additionally, with out-of-province and international students reliant on school healthcare insurance and not on OHIP, it is crucial for the university to be as open about how coverage works and any changes being made to the process.
Carleton must do better in informing students and other members of the community right away about changes to their healthcare coverage. It is not acceptable that students were not well-informed about what was going on with their healthcare insurance funds well ahead of time.
It’s difficult to focus on assignments if you’re scrambling to figure out how to pay for a much-needed pair of glasses or physiotherapy. Students’ primary concerns should be working on their education—not worrying over how to pay for health services crucial to helping them succeed.
