Student Health Insurance

Every year, a new group of students will travel off to attend college. Although many students have coverage through their parent’s health insurance policy, moving far from home can create a distressing coverage situation. There are a few areas of concern that students and parents should thoroughly understand when it comes to their healthcare coverage.

Many times student may be left without a good network of healthcare providers near their school or without local providers at all. Students may also lose their coverage for many reasons such as student status (i.e., are they now full-time students), current state residency, or their age. In these situations, it may be prudent for parents and students to consider exploring coverage through an Individual Student Health Insurance plan.

Student Health Insurance Trends

The growth of managed care plans has made it more difficult to seek treatment in different geographic locations. Finding doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers that accept your health insurance plan may also be tricky. In addition, your plan benefits may be reduced if you seek treatment from an “out-of-network” provider. In today’s healthcare environment, parents and students should consider the following possibilities:

• Does the Student anticipate any travel? If so, you may want a plan with flexible or national provider networks to help maximize your benefits and help ensure that you have a choice of providers.
• Is the network of health insurance providers located near the school adequate? If not, a simple task like making a doctor’s appointment for a minor illness could be a challenge.
• Will school activities (e.g., sports) require health insurance to participate? Getting preventative care or having proper coverage before a serious injury occurs is an important consideration.
• Will the Student need continued health insurance coverage after they graduate from school? Many students want to carry their coverage after graduation or for an extended period of time. In addition, their next employer may be a small company that does not offer coverage.
• Will the Student’s plan cover other family members too (e.g., a spouse or children)? Many of today’s students are also parents or spouses. Getting a comprehensive plan that fits the needs of all family members may be an important consideration.

After spending many years in school and investing thousands of dollars in your education, putting your financial future at risk due to an unforeseen medical emergency is unwise and unnecessary. Many students are eligible for an Individual Student Health Insurance plan. We provide side-by-side plan, benefit, and price comparisons to simplify your choices and ensure you avoid overpayment. Although everyone needs health coverage, taking the guesswork out of the process is what we do.