"What's the chance of me coming down
with a major disease or illness? I'm too young for something like that to
happen. If I get really sick, I guess I could go to the student health center.
But, if I had to go to the hospital I don't know how it would be paid
for." |
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College Student
Stay on Your Parents’ Insurance
This is one of the more affordable
options.
Parents need to determine at what age their dependents
are terminated from their individual or employer-sponsored health plan
policies. Dependent care coverage for children varies widely from ages 19 to
25. Many plans extend coverage until the next verification period. This is
usually the fall following graduation. But some plans terminate coverage upon a
child’s graduation from high school or college.
Make sure you or your parents talk to their
employer-sponsored health plan and ask these questions:
- If your insurance is through a
health maintenance organization (HMO),
does the plan's service area cover the region where you will be living? If not,
what coverage options are available? You may only be covered for emergency
care.
- If the plan is a
preferred provider organization (PPO),
how strong is the network of providers in the
area where you will be living?
- Does the plan cover emergency room visits without
your parents' prior approval? What are your parents required to do if you are
hospitalized? Which hospitals and urgent care facilities can you use?
- Are any outpatient or preventative services
covered? If you have chosen a primary care physician or medical group at home, should you choose a new provider where the
school is located?
Excerpts taken from the CareCounsel,
LLC web site, www.carecounsel.com
and, Insure.com.
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