Health Insurance For Students
College is often remembered as some of the best years of a person's life
. The freedom of finally being able to manage your own schedule without curfews or limitations, meeting new people from varying walks of life, and figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life are just part of these great years. During such a carefree time, few students stop to think about what would happen if some health problem or injury befell them, making health insurance all the more important for this population.It is thus important for parents to carefully examine their health insurance policy and contact the company regarding the terms and conditions of continuing health insurance coverage for their college student. Most students are still covered under their parents health insurance policies if the parents elect to continue coverage, but students need to discuss this with their parents to ensure this is indeed the case.
Some policies require students to be full time students in order to qualify under their parents policy, with the actual definition of what full time actually is varies from company to company. Others are satisfied covering dependents through most of their 20s if they are enrolled in college part time. Many have provisions and options at least for part time students, particularly those that work at the same time.
Colleges and universities generally have their own student health center, staffed to deal with minor medical issues and run minor diagnostic tests. However, these lack specialists and most diagnostic equipment, so local hospitals, physician groups, and diagnostic facilities should also be explored. Since out of network health care is so much more expensive than in network health care, local facilities and practitioners should be matched with the insurance policy to ensure that they are in network.
For students going to an out of state university, there may not be any in network facilities nearby. In this case, it is necessary to explore alternative health insurance options. Most, if not all, higher education entities have programs available specifically for students needing health insurance. Generally these require students to go to the student health center for all care unless referred elsewhere by a medical professional there. While coverage is decent, these health insurance policies are not recommended for students with significant pre-existing conditions, as coverage is not extensive and the care obtained at a student health center is generally not on part with that obtained elsewhere.
Since most college-age students are relatively healthy, many may find that a private insurance policy is even cheaper than that offered by their school. Though this is certainly not always the case, it often is. Especially for students that live on campus, it is important to make sure that the student health center is considered in-network, as this is the closest and most convenient place to go for minor medical issues, such as colds, the flu, sinus infections, and minor injuries.
As with all decisions in regards to health insurance, it is important to carefully weight the options in order to make the best decision possible.
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