How hard is it to get affordable health insurance for students?

Finding affordable student health insurance plans is often easier than finding affordable insurance for adults. There are a couple of options for students that help keep costs down. A student health insurance plan is also usually more focused on health issues that are specific to college students.

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Students are extremely busy and the last thing most of them think about is getting health insurance. However, with everything that students go through, health insurance is extremely important for them to have. Money is another thing that students worry about. That is why certain insurance companies make it easy and affordable for students to get coverage.

Affordable Student Health Insurance

What is the most affordable student health insurance?  In general, the most affordable health insurance for students is usually insurance coverage through their parents.

If you have been covered by your parents’ health insurance in the past, it is in your best interest to stay on their policy for as long as possible.

More than likely your parents have a group policy and, even though adding family members is more expensive, it is usually cheaper than getting an individual health policy.

Dependents can now stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until they are 26 years old if they are in school- as long as they do not get married. If your parents want you to be financially responsible for your own health insurance, you may want to offer to pay them for the benefits you are getting through their plan. Usually the benefits through a group plan are better than those through independent ones.

Other Options for Student Coverage

What are other affordable options?  If you are a student who works part time, check with your employer to see if you are eligible for group health insurance. Some companies offer insurance whether or not you work full time, so it is worth checking it out. If they do offer it, look your options over carefully and make sure you understand the insurance terms. The Insurance Information Institute website can help you with the vocabulary.

Some colleges work with particular health insurance companies or providers who often are offering more affordable health insurance for students. Inquire with your school to see if there are insurance packages available to you.

If there are no packages available directly through your school, you can still find insurance policies targeted specifically to students. You will just have to do some research on your own.

Student Plans

What do student plans offer?  Many of the student health insurance plans are only temporary ones. These insurance policies are available for those periods of time in between high school graduation and college, while you are in college, and between the end of college and the beginning of your new job.

The temporary student plans are for both families and individuals. Most of them have terms anywhere from one month to six months. You also have the option of choosing what you will have for a deductible. The higher the health insurance deductible, the more affordable your plan will be.

Temporary health insurance plans are not available in every state. To find out what is available in your state or to get recommendations for insurance companies, go to the website for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Finding Student Plans

Where can you find student plans?  If you are looking for a health insurance plan for a student on your own, there are a couple of ways to find it. You can do a search online and find a number of companies that offer affordable student plans. Some will allow you to get immediate quotes.

You can also speak with a health insurance broker or an agent to find out what options are available for students. This will probably take more time but you will also have a better chance of finding a plan that is good for what you need. A broker can also help you understand your policy options because they can be very confusing.

If you find an affordable plan that seems too good to be true, it might be. One way to see if the insurance company is a quality one is to see what their financials look like. You can go to a site such as A.M. Best and type in the health insurance company’s name to see if it is a financially stable company.

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