|
||
Most educational institutions in the United States require a student to have at least a minimum amount of health care insurance. Unfortunately, most students are often in the unfortunate position of not being able to afford to pay much for their insurance. As with anything else, the first rule is simply to shop around - this can be done easily by phone or by comparing quotes on-line.
Check to see if you are covered for health insurance under your parent's existing insurance plan. If you were previously covered under your parent's health insurance before going to school, your parent's insurance company may offer to continue your benefits for another 18 months.
This extra coverage is known as COBRA but the extra cost to include a student as a dependent on an employer's coverage can vary – it isn't always cheaper. Some plans require a student to be a certain age, usually 19 – 23 or they may require you to have a certain minimum number of college credit hours.
Your college or university will probably offer you a choice of health care plans – some of these may be group plans offering coverage through a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) If you are going to school outside an area with HMO or PPO coverage, you may pay more for your health insurance.
Coverage through one of these organizations is usually cheaper than if you simply took out health insurance for yourself. However, many college plans are often basic and you may want to have more comprehensive coverage than they normally provide. If your educational facility has its own hospital or medical school, a plan that makes use of these facilities may save you money.
Health insurance plans for students have the usual exclusions and restrictions – they may not cover you in the event of a pre-existing condition. And two of the things students traditionally enjoy may not be covered – there may be exclusions for sports injuries, and the coverage may not be valid when traveling outside the United States.
Student health insurance can be affordable, and even cheap, if you choose a plan that offers the exact coverage your student needs, and if you understand the coverage your student has. By choosing the coverage your student needs, you won't have to worry about paying for any medical costs that you know your student will acquire. And, by making sure you thoroughly understand your student's coverage, you won't be hit with any surprise costs along the way.
The first step to finding affordable student health insurance is to ask about any health coverage offered to your student by his or her school. Many colleges and universities provide medical services via on-campus clinics to students. These medical services may be available free or at a very low cost – and what's more affordable than that?
Next, ask about pre-existing conditions. For example, your student may be diabetic; medical care for pre-existing conditions such as diabetes may not be offered through the school. If this is the case, consider purchasing a smaller, additional health insurance policy to cover treatment for diabetes while using the school-provided services for situations such as common colds. This will help keep student health insurance affordable.
Finally, find out everything you possibly can about the student health insurance plan and/or the medical services offered by the school. How much is covered if your student visits the emergency room? Is your student allowed to visit any health care professional, or is there a network of doctors from which he or she must choose? You may think you've purchased an affordable student health insurance plan, but if emergency room visits aren't covered – or very little of the cost is covered – you'll be faced with a bill that won't make the student health insurance plan seem so affordable after all.
Know which services are available, which services aren't, as well as how to obtain each and you'll find affordable student health insurance.