How to Get Affordable Health Coverage on a Student Budget
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- it's exciting, it's challenging and it gives you so much to think about.
There are probably a few special things that you had to take with you - essentials that go wherever you go.
But chances are, your parents health insurance could not be one of them.
But you'll be comforted to know you won't have to spend your book allowance on replacing that essential coverage.
With a little shopping around you can find an affordable health insurance plan.
You might be asking yourself why you should even bother looking for individual student health insurance.
Here are the top 3 reasons.
1) This can save you a lot of money.
2) It allows you to get a policy that fits your needs and preferences.
3) You don't have to pay for coverage you will never use.
If you happen to be a very healthy student who does not use healthcare providers on a regular basis, you may find that you can save a significant amount of money by opting for individual student health insurance coverage.
Just like group insurance, the rates for school-sponsored plans are based on the average medical needs of all of the students on the plan.
Therefore the healthier students help to pay for the ones who are not as healthy.
Individual student health insurance is a more affordable medical insurance option because it is based only on your health and history.
You can also make adjustments to the individual policy to further reduce the premiums you pay.
Individual student health insurance allows you to choose a policy that fits your needs.
The college's plan may be an HMO, or Health Maintenance Organization, that restricts the healthcare providers you can see to only ones that belong to the plan.
If you have your own physician and it is important to you to be able to see him or her, you may want to opt for a plan to which he or she belongs, or a PPO that allows you the choice of who you want to see.
You may also find that school sponsored health insurance plans offer coverage that is too comprehensive for your needs.
If you rarely, if ever, get dental care beyond basic preventative care; have no need of vision coverage and almost never take prescription drugs, you do not need to carry these types of coverage.
Self-insurance, where you take the risk of not carrying this type of coverage, is a very economical way to go.
There are also discount cards and other types of discount plans that are available to help with such costs, should you encounter them.
It is not difficult to find a good and affordable medical insurance plan.
After checking your schools health insurance plans and rates, compare individual plans and rates that are available to you.
Make your choice only after carefully comparing a variety of quotes from different insurers who offer student health insurance.