Student Medical Insurance – A Must-Have for the College-Bound
If you’re a parent, you know you put a lot of effort getting Junior through high school and into college. Protect your investment with a student medical insurance policy. It may be cheaper than continuing to carry your child as a dependent on your health insurance plan, which is going to have an age cap on how long you can do that, anyway and, depending on your policy, may not cover costs incurred by your child at the college health clinic. A student health insurance policy will undoubtedly provide more comprehensive student medical coverage than anything your child’s college or university will offer in their student insurance plan.
If you’re a college-bound young adult without parental assistance, you definitely should be getting student medical insurance quotes before you head for school in the fall. Young adults are among the most under – and uninsured group in the U.S. population – a situation that’s probably attributable to youths’ general belief in their own immortality and the desire to spend the money on something more tangible like beer, pizza or a movie. But without student health insurance, a single incident like an accident or illness that lands you in the hospital for an extended stay could make your student loan look like chump change.
There are many student insurance providers, including several online, so shopping for student health insurance quotes is fairly easy. Rates and benefits will vary from provider to provider and depending on the state where you’ll be attending college. Benefits that are typically covered by a good student medical insurance policy will include among others doctor’s office visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs, preventive care (e.g., pap smears), lab work and x-rays, ambulance, radiation and chemotherapy. I If you’re attending school out of the country, you’ll want to be sure your student medical insurance covers you abroad and pays for your repatriation, if necessary.
Every student medical insurance plan will also have a list of exclusions and limitations, things that aren’t covered at all or are capped. Since different states regulate what can and can’t be excluded or limited, be sure you’re comparing plan benefits for the state where you’ll be attending college. Typical exclusions on student medical insurance policies may include pre-existing conditions (usually for a set period of time from the date you first enroll in the plan), elective cosmetic procedures, dental and vision, maternity and sleep disorders to name just a few. Common student health insurance limitations may include annual physical exams and out-patient prescription drugs.
