If you have found getting health insurance to be a challenge, you are among the mainstream of college students. You may have reached an age where you are no longer eligible for coverage under a parent’s insurance and if you are like most college students, you do not have employment that includes health insurance as a benefit. Your college may even require that you carry health coverage to stay enrolled.
Deciding whether to be insured is all about risk. You may decide, as many college students do, to risk going without health insurance because you believe that being young and healthy puts you in a low risk category. What you may not realize is that going without regular health care could result in higher medical bills because a condition that could have been easily treated early moves to a more serious condition resulting in exorbitant medical expenses. Being young can also mean that you enjoy an active lifestyle, which puts you at higher risk for injury that would require medical care and rehabilitative expenses.
There are a number of options for college students who are not eligible for coverage under a parent’s health insurance. Those options include:
- Employer coverage
- College or University student health plan
- Other group coverage
- Medicaid
- Individual private coverage
- Local low-cost health services
Colleges and universities want their students to succeed and know students need to be healthy to do that. So, most schools offer an affordable plan to ensure their students’ good health and many even requires health care coverage.
If you have the advantage of being offered group health insurance through your employer, that’s usually a great option. But, there are still some things you should know and understand to make the most of an employer-sponsored plan.
You may determine that buying an individual policy is best for your needs. Here’s what you should know before taking this step.
Medicaid is a government-sponsored option that only certain individuals are qualified to receive. It is very low-cost or free but also limits you to using certain health care professionals. Click here to find out if you qualify for Medicaid.