College is an exciting time in a young person’s life, and most of the excitement comes from being away from home and meeting new and interesting people. However, being close to new people and moving to new places can also have a negative aspect on your health through exposure to all sorts of bugs and germs. If you have a decent health plan, then you don’t need to worry much because you are protected, but if you don’t, it’s time you learned about your options.
The Parent’s Health Plan
Recent litigation has left many students eligible for coverage through their parent’s health plan, which continues until they are 26. Each school will have their own specific requirements about your parent’s health plan, and this will determine the doctors you can access through an in-network program and so on.
Students whose parents don’t have health insurance are not eligible and have to work with the following options:
College Health Insurance
The majority of colleges in the country have their own health plans, and they’re usually low cost. However, low costs shouldn’t be the driving force behind your search for a health plan. Some of the low cost plans come with questionable coverage caps and wouldn’t be ideal if you get an illness. Coverage usually focuses on smaller threats, such as immunization and medicine because schools tend to focus on keeping the population healthy.
Individual plans
This is a valid option if you have concerns about your school’s health plan and would like more features on the policy. Individual plans won’t cost much and they also come with more options than the typical college plan. In addition, they can be applied for online. The premiums would be slightly higher, but if you have a chronic condition to worry about, this route offers you more security.
You will have to contact an insurance broker or agent who will give you more information about the kind of coverage you need and the related costs. Your health will have to be evaluated before you can get any type of plan, and should you have any major pre-existing medical conditions, several stipulations will be added to the plan, or in some cases, your application could be rejected.
More and more colleges are dropping the student health plan because the federal government requires it to be more comprehensive than it is currently. The 2010 healthcare overhaul helped put in place guidelines, which necessitate substantial coverage for students. About two-thirds of full time college students operate on their parent’s health plan and aren’t affected by less than satisfactory plans offered by college insurance.
A minimum of 600,000 students in college, about 7% of the total number, purchase their own insurance from the school. An increase in premium by the president requires most colleges to up the cost to much higher figures than the students are currently paying, which is why many colleges just opted to drop insurance this year.
In order to stay safe and informed, take time to check your school’s health policies, and see which type of coverage they offer. A school may offer several types of policies, and depending on the school, they can range from widely comprehensive policies which cover major critical illnesses and minor accidents among other conditions. It is advisable to take up the more comprehensive cover because it will take care of your visits to health services, any medical procedures and diagnostics you may need and any visits to a specialist.
Much information is required when assessing medical insurance and medical plans, so take your time, and ensure you only pick the health plan that will keep you safe over a range of situations and isn’t costly.
Author Bio
Andrew Deen is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to law. In this article, he explains student’s health insurance plans and aims to encourage further study with an online masters in health law.