Domestic College Student Insurance
Looking for college student health insurance but aren't sure what to look for? Here are some helpful articles that can help explain college student insurance and help you find a plan that is best for you.
Written by Victoria Troupe
With financial aid and housing on your mind, you may not have given much thought to what could happen if your future roommate contaminates you with mononucleosis or the influenza virus. Perhaps you have thought of it but are worried about the burden of an additional expense, so you decide you should go without health insurance. As it turns out, some universities and visas require students to be covered before admittance - and health insurance is one of the most important safety precautions you will have to take as a college student, so we're here to help.
There are many factors you will need to consider before choosing an appropriate college student health insurance plan. Of course, the most important factor is making sure you choose an affordable plan that best suits your needs. For example, you may already be covered by your parents' insurance, but need more flexibility. You may have a policy provided by your school that is too expensive for your student budget. Perhaps you need short-term coverage. Whatever your situation may be, health insurance for college students is readily available with a variety of options.
Finding an affordable, quality college student insurance plan
As a college student, affordability will be the first thing on your mind when it comes to adding health insurance to your budget. While a reasonably priced plan should certainly be an integral part of the decision making process for finding health insurance, you also need to make sure it is the best health insurance for you. A good college student health insurance plan will be affordable while offering high quality benefits that will adequately protect you from potentially expensive medical expenses. This means that you should carefully analyze your situation in order to balance affordability with quality benefits. For example, you may end up paying more in the long run if you choose a cheap plan with limited benefits.
Before you begin researching different health insurance plans, it is important to first understand health insurance terms that can affect your out-of-pocket expenses. In order to recognize what quality insurance is, review these terms (as defined by Mass.gov):
Co-pay
Co-payment is a fixed amount of money you pay at the time of your visit for health services. For example, depending on the type of plan you have, you will only pay a certain amount while your insurance takes care of the rest.
Deductible
A deductible is the amount you will pay before your plan begins covering health services for you. For example, you may have to pay an annual cost prior to benefiting from insurance coverage.
Benefits
It is important to identify the benefits of a plan before you decide to commit to it. For example, sometimes there are limits on the dollar amount or how many health care visits you can have under your covered service.
Exclusions
Exclusions are listed services without any benefits. For example, if you are a college athlete, you would not want to purchase a plan that excludes intercollegiate sports.
All of the above will determine the quality of your insurance plan. For help with these details, feel free to contact us at info@eStudentInsurance.com. We can help you choose a plan that is both affordable with necessary, quality benefits.
Our college student insurance plans offer you the flexibility to purchase a plan specifically for your needs. For those whose main concern is finding an affordable plan and are not concerned about specific benefits, your will have the option to choose a high-deductible, low-premium plan.
If you are a student with dependents and need insurance for your whole family, finding the best health insurance plan becomes even more crucial. You will need to find a plan that provides adequate coverage for you, your spouse, and your children, and that comes at an affordable price. Our College Student Health Insurance plan is ideal for you, because you can choose the level of coverage your family needs, while staying within your student budget.
What if I'm covered by my parent's insurance plan?
Are you or your parents worried about you losing college student health insurance coverage now that you're going off to college? US citizens under the age of 26 can now remain on their family plan if they choose to. However, it can be cheaper to switch to an individual insurance plan.
Before deciding whether or not continue with your parents' plan, you should find out if it is a Health Maintenance Organization Plan (HMO). These plans often only include coverage for your home location. If you are referred to a physician at your student health care center, or choose a physician that is not covered by your parent's plan, there's a chance of increased deductible and co-insurance, and therefore higher out-of-pocket expenses.
Sticking with your current HMO plan is a good route to take if traveling home to visit your primary care physician isn't an inconvenience. But, if it's not possible to make it home in case of an immediate emergency, you may want to consider moving to a new college student health insurance plan.
Graduate students and students transitioning to a job
If you have just graduated from college or are attending graduate school, it is stressful enough to be on what seems like a never-ending search for jobs, let alone the fact that you may not have health insurance coverage anymore. You may no longer be eligible for your school's insurance or you may be ineligible for you parent's insurance plan.
You don't have to wait until you have a job to get health coverage! Finding the best health insurance is a very important to make sure you are not leaving yourself vulnerable during this important time. The best option for you is to look into individual coverage.
If you're in need of health insurance coverage for up to 90 days, eHealthInsurance offers Short Term Medical Insurance. This coverage is available in most states, and provides college students, graduate students, and those looking for temporary coverage with a high quality, short-term option.