Most colleges today provide some level of student health insurance to full-time students. In fact, a number of schools even require full-time students to be enrolled in a health plan as they understand that providing students with health insurance keeps students healthy and helps to avoid a disruption in their college goals. However, if your college does not provide a student health insurance plan, then having health insurance is vitally important.
Though health insurance is really important, thousands of students go to school each year without any form of health care coverage. In many cases, these uninsured students rely solely on their university’s student health care clinic rather than paying for insurance. This is not a wise thing to do as many of the campus clinics are not equipped with the resources needed to provide a comprehensive level of health care.
For example, if you were to break an arm or leg while in school, your clinic would not likely handle this. They would instead refer you to an off campus emergency room. A visit to the emergency room without insurance can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars for a single incident. Beyond broken bones, there are other serious health issues to think about, including TB, Flu and other airborne illnesses. Many of these illnesses can be life threatening, therefore, it is important to have health insurance coverage.
While health insurance can be expensive for students, the following are some steps students can take to find affordable health insurance:
Compare Student Health Insurance Rates
Student insurance rates will vary from one provider to the next. To find the best deals you must shop around and compare both rates and benefits. It is recommended to obtain 3-5 rate quotes from different providers. Keep in mind that these quotes don’t cost you anything, therefore don’t be shy about asking for quotes from as many providers as you’d like.
As you begin your search, below is a list of questions you should ask insurance providers:
- What is the maximum I will be covered for?
- What will my deductible be?
- What is the monthly, quarterly, or annual cost?
- What will the cost be if I were to increase my deductible?
- What am I not covered for (e.g., some insurance plans don't cover varsity or even intramural sports injuries)?
- Are there restrictions on which doctors I can use or facilities I can visit?
- Do I have access to health care coverage if I am away from school?
- Do I need a referral to see a specialist?
- Do I need pre-approval before seeing a health-care provider?
- Is my coverage still available if I attend graduate school?
- What are your hours of telephone customer support?
The questions above will get you started, however, please keep in mind to ask your specific questions that pertain to your own health needs.
The Cost of Student Health Insurance
While rates will vary from one provider to the next, student health insurance policies can start as low as $25 a month. This rate is dependent on your specific health history; therefore, rates could go up to as much as $75 a month or more. Therefore, be sure to shop around.
Where to Find Student Health Insurance
There are many student insurance providers out there. Some of these providers include the following: United Health Care, Aetna Student Health, and Care First. In addition to direct providers, there are a number of student health insurance sites that allow you to compare plan offerings. Some of these sites include the following: eHealth Insurance and eStudent Insurance.