Health Care

The Issue

The American Council on Education (ACE) works on a variety of health-care issues and advocates for policies that consider the needs of students as well as the particular circumstances of campuses. ACE took a leading role in discussing how to support institutions and students throughout all phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the aftermath of the pandemic, a mental health crisis among students has emerged and intensified. ACE has urged lawmakers and regulators to support and prioritize the mental and behavioral health needs of students when crafting policy. In addition, as various bills and regulations to modify the Affordable Care Act have been proposed in the years since it was signed into law in 2010, ACE has routinely advocated for policies that protect institutions and help them support their students.

Our Work

Letter Urging Congress to Support Student Mental Health Care Needs

Letter from a coalition of nearly 100 organizations to the leaders of the House and Senate education committees, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee strongly urging them to prioritize the needs of college students ...

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Letter of Support for the TREAT Act Amendment to the PREVENT Pandemics Act

Letter to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions leaders requesting the inclusion of the telemedicine-focused TREAT Act amendment to the HELP Committee’s PREVENT Pandemics Act.

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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 Federal Contract Requirements on Colleges and Universities

The Biden administration has issued guidance to implement its executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for federal contractors. This issue brief will help you sort through the details and plan your institution's response.

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Letter to the House on the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act

ACE and the higher education associations signing this letter are concerned that the legislation fails to provide campuses with sufficient flexibility in the specific resources they highlight and the manner in which they are shared with students.

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Letter to Senate on the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act

Letter to Sens. John Kennedy and Kyrsten Sinema on the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, a bill that would require all colleges and universities to include certain mental health hotline numbers on student ID cards.

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Issue Brief on Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements at Colleges and Universities for Fall 2021

The brief looks at issues such as whether institutions can require students to be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine and other questions involved in making the decision.

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Higher Education and the Future of Telehealth

Letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Subcommittee on Health following the subcommittee's March 2 hearing on “The Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care.”

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Letter to Congress in Support of the TREAT Act

From ACE and 53 other associations to congressional leaders to request that Congress enact the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act to ensure temporary reciprocity in licensing health professionals so they can practice across state l...

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Letter on Telemedicine Licensing Reciprocity

Letter to the nation's governors urging them to provide reciprocity in licensing health care and mental health care professionals to enable them to practice across state lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Letter to Senate on the Graham-Cassidy Bill to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

Letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on the healthcare legislation recently proposed by Senators Graham, Cassidy, Heller and Johnson on behalf of ACE and about 20 other higher education associations.

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Letter to Senate Leaders on the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017

Letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) from ACE and 18 other higher education associations about the serious concerns the groups have with the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, the Senate bill ...

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Analysis of the IRS Notice from Ernst & Young Regarding Graduate Student Health Insurance Subsidies

An analysis of the IRS notice from Ernst & Young LLP regarding Affordable Care Act rules for institutions offering subsidized student health coverage to graduate students.

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Fact Sheet: The ACA and Graduate Student Subsidies for SHIP Coverage

On Feb. 5, 2016, the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Labor issued guidance that providing graduate students with student health insurance plan coverage is not permitted under the ACA’s employer mandate.

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A Strategic Primer on College Student Mental Health

A report by NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the American Council on Education, and the American Psychological Association focusing on student mental health issues. Includes examples of practice that contribute to student ment...

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Letters Endorsing Bills Exempting Student Workers from the ACA Employer Mandate

ACE and a group of seven higher education associations have endorsed two bills that would exempt full-time students from the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate, which requires large employers—including colleges and universities—to offer health insu...

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Letter to the Department of Health and Human Services on Self-Funded Student Health Plans

A request for clarification in regulatory guidance on how self-funded student health benefit plans may be recognized as providing minimum essential coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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Comments on Proposed Student Health Insurance Regulations

The regulations are in part a response to a request from ACE, the American College Health Association and several other organizations for guidance on how colleges and universities can continue to offer affordable, high-quality student health plans that...

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Student Health Plan Regulations from the Department of Health and Human Services

A summary of the major provisions of the proposed regulations for student health plans from the Department of Health and Human Services. Part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

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See all of our work on this topic

Latest News

Joint Statement by ACE and the American College Health Association on Safeguarding Student Health and Well-being

As leading higher education organizations, we support the efforts of our colleges and universities to provide a high-quality educational experience to all who attend.

Becoming a Health Promoting Campus: Facilitating Student, Staff, and Faculty Success While Contributing to the Public Good

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020, The University of Alabama at Birmingham became the first university in the United States to formally adopt the Okanagan Charter and become an internationally recognized Health Promoting University.

Supporting Mental Health on Campus Learning Circles

Committed to the well-being of students, faculty, and staff? Join a Supporting Campus Mental Health Learning Circle. Participants will learn from each other about strategies to center mental health for students, faculty, and staff.

Mental Health in Higher Education Roundtable

The opening portion of the Mental Health in Higher Education Roundtable included a fireside chat with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. The roundtable was generously sponsored by Lumina Foundation.

Back to School Prep: Monkeypox, COVID, Public Service Loan Forgiveness for Your Campus

With the fall semester about to begin, the Biden administration is getting the word out to campuses on two key topics: Preparing for the latest phase of COVID-19 and the new challenge of monkeypox, and taking advantage of changes to PSLF ahead of Oct. 31.

College Leaders Express Concern About the Impact of Supreme Court Ruling Overturning Abortion Rights

A group of college presidents met with Vice President Kamala Harris Aug. 8 at the White House to discuss the consequences for colleges and students of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Address Student Mental Health

The House has passed two bills that seek to address the growing mental health crisis on college campuses: the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act and the Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act.

Webinar Helps Colleges Learn More About Using Federal Relief Dollars to Support Student Mental Health

Watch the May 25 ACE-Department of Education webinar to learn more about how federal relief dollars can help colleges and universities expand mental health resources for their students.

Legal Challenges Complicate Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors, Including Universities

In the latest development on vaccine mandates, a federal district court in Georgia last week blocked President Biden’s mandate for millions of federal contractors’ employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Biden Administration Announces New Vaccine Rules for Public and Private Sectors

Last week, the Biden administration rolled out two new COVID-19 vaccine regulations covering over 100 million employees, including at colleges and universities.

ACE, Higher Ed Groups Urge Flexibility for International Students as COVID-19 Travel Ban Is Lifted

ACE and other higher education associations are calling on the administration and the CDC to make the Biden administration's new travel policy flexible enough to accommodate students and scholars from countries where the vaccine is not widely available.

What Colleges and Universities Need to Know About the Biden Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors

A new ACE issue brief summarizes the Biden administration’s new guidance on mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for federal contractors, including colleges and universities.

While Biden's Vaccine Mandate Will Impact Colleges and Universities, Details Remain Unclear

President Biden’s recently announced COVID-19 action plan has a number of provisions that will impact colleges and universities in the coming weeks and months, although many of the specifics are still unknown.

CDC, ACHA Release Guidance on How Campuses Can Operate Safely This Fall

CDC and ACHA have released new guidance on how higher ed can operate safely this fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, taking into consideration the substantial progress the US has made in the months since vaccinations were made available.

College Student Mental Health and Well-Being: A Survey of Presidents

To better understand how college and university presidents are navigating issues of student mental health and well-being, ACE conducted its third Pulse Point survey at the end of April.

ACE Issue Brief Suggests Framework for Campus Vaccination Requirement Questions

The brief looks at issues such as whether institutions can require students to be vaccinated with one of the three COVID-19 vaccines so far approved in the United States, and some of the questions involved in making the decision to do so.

Congress Should Act Quickly to Pass TREAT Act, Improve Access to Telehealth

ACE and 50 other higher education associations are urging Congress to pass legislation creating temporary license reciprocity across state lines for health care professionals or practitioners who treat physical or behavioral health conditions.

ACE Member Campuses Help Roll Out the COVID-19 Vaccine

ACE members across the country are offering their campus facilities and other resources to assist with vaccine distribution and and other critical pandemic-related needs.

Mental Health on Campus Group

In this Engage group, several experts in the field of mental health share valuable resources and answer your questions about mental health issues on campus. Only on ACE Engage—Create your account!

ACE, Other Organizations Urge Governors to Cooperate on Health Care Licensing Reciprocity During COVID-19 Pandemic

ACE and more than 60 other organizations are asking governors to take immediate action to ensure their states provide reciprocity in licensing of health care and mental health care professionals.

ACE South Winter Summit - Tackling the Mental Health Crisis on American Campuses

ACE is convening a regional community to proactively address the challenge of student mental health and how it impacts individual institutions.

Our Staff

Steven Bloom

Assistant Vice President

Government Relations

Steven M. Bloom came to ACE from the Independent Sector, where he served as senior lobbyist and director of government relations. As assistant vice president of Government Relations at ACE, Bloom’s primary focus is on tax issues, hea...

Steven Bloom

Assistant Vice President

Government Relations

COVID-19 Policy Developments

ACE led the higher education association community's efforts to urge Congress and the federal government to address the many challenges students and campuses faced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.