6 Promising Health Insurance Options for College Students

Some of the health insurance options available for college students are health insurance provided by the college, individual insurance policies, your parent’s insurance, group health insurance from a former employer, Medicaid, and the state’s insurance pool.

There are a lot of important preparations that you should make if you are going away to college any time soon. Among the things you should consider is health insurance. Being in college will not exempt you from the inconveniences brought about by illnesses or accidents, so it is best to be prepared. There are several health insurance options that college students can consider, and California insurance quote lists some of these. Knowing what alternatives you have available can make it easier for you to set your plans. Here are some of the health insurance options you can consider.

Health insurance provided by the college

Some colleges and universities enter into agreements with private insurance groups in order to provide health insurance plans for their own students at a more affordable price. You can contact your college’s admissions office and ask if such offerings are available. It is also important that you ask what coverage you can take advantage of. It is generally advisable to buy a comprehensive health policy that will include visits to the campus health services, specialists and to cover costs for diagnostic tests.

Individual insurance policy

You can also buy an individual insurance policy if you can afford it. Individual policies are quite expensive and you will need a health evaluation before you are granted the insurance plan. You can contact a health insurance agent or broker for further details and to learn more about the  options that are available to you.

Your parent’s insurance

If your parents have health insurance you can ask them if you can remain on their plan as a dependent child. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed now allows dependent children to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they reach the age of 26. However, children who are eligible for employer health coverage will not qualify. You may need to look further into the details of your parents’ insurance to make sure that their coverage is not from a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Most HMO’s only offer full coverage for areas where their policyholders live or within their local base.

Group health insurance from a former employer

If you were relying on a group health insurance provided by a former employer, the federal law called Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) makes you eligible to use that same health insurance for a minimum of 18 months if you pay the required full premiums.

Medicaid

Medicaid is currently the biggest source of health and medical-related funding for people who have limited resources in the United States. Medicaid may be suitable for you if you have low family income and resources, if are suffering from a disability or have high medical bills.

State’s insurance pool

There are certain states that offer special health plans for people who are unable to enroll in Medicaid and cannot purchase their own health insurance.

One should always have a proactive mindset when preparing for college because this period in one’s life is formative for one’s future. Having health insurance can help prevent future health and medical-related problems and risks from hampering the course of one’s college life and even one’s future.