Maximum lifetime insurance coverage for students who opt for university health insurance will be reduced to $250,000 from $1 million next year despite a 13-percent increase in cost, approved by the Board of Trustees Thursday.

The decrease in coverage was implemented to help contain costs, said Student Insurance supervisor Regina Crosby, who serves on the health insurance fee review committee. The committee consists of health insurance employees and students who advise the Board of Trustees.

Crosby said the $1 million lifetime maximum coverage was only in effect for the 2005-06 school year on the recommendation of a consultant, and the $250,000 maximum was the standard amount of coverage before that. Crosby said to maintain the $1 million maximum, students would need to pay significantly higher prices due to rising health care costs.

“Health care costs in general have gone up,” Crosby said. “It is very inflationary in our society and it is really hitting our plan.”

Insurance claims data does not support a need for a $1 million lifetime maximum, Crosby said.

“Really it was a matter of ‘Was there a need to go that high?’ and there really wasn’t,” Crosby said. “A student that is probably only going to be here four or five years is unlikely to hit that scale of benefit level. The odds are really against it.”

Crosby said one of the primary goals of the committee was to keep costs for students down.

“We are trying to contain costs without losing [the insurance plan’s] integrity,” Crosby said. “We’re trying to maintain good coverage and keep the cost down.”