Bowling Green State University is the latest school to tell students that a health insurance policy is part of their education.



Starting this year, students are required to carry health insurance -- either their own or a university policy. For the 10 percent of BGSU students who had gone without, it means $1,200 more in student fees for insurance. This includes emergency room and doctor's visits.



The press is on to insure more 20 and 30 year olds, the biggest and fastest-growing segment of the uninsured. Colleges, businesses, insurance companies and, most recently, legislators are all offering alternatives, many of which lead to higher premiums or pull more money from mom and dad.



"There's a lot of invincibility in the population," said Dr. Glenn Egelman, BGSU's student health service director. "And there's a lack of understanding of the importance of health care and health insurance."



College students have more opportunities for insurance than others their age. Most state laws, including Ohio's, let parents keep college students on their policies until age 23.



Many public and private schools already require health insurance. Ohio State, Case Western Reserve and Ohio universities and the University of Toledo all have rules similar to BGSU's.



Those that don't attend college leave their parents' policies by age 19, under most state laws. Plus, young workers don't have health insurance where they work or think the price is too high, said Jennifer Tolbert, principal policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Some young workers just decide to go without, she said.