Guide To Health Insurance.org

College and graduate students often have so many financial worries over tuition
that, often, they don't even think about spending money on health insurance.
Instead, they assume that they are covered under their parents' insurance
policies or that the campus health clinic can meet all of their needs. In some
cases, full-time students under a certain age may still be covered under their
parents' insurance. However, if you are do not qualify for this, it is important
to obtain student health insurance.

Reasons for Student Health Insurance

While it is true that most colleges and universities offer a clinic where students can seek medical help, those clinics often not sufficient for all incidents that can arise. First of all, except at the largest of schools, they are not open 24 hours a day. If medical care is necessary in the middle of the night, the clinic will most likely be closed, and you will need to go to an emergency room. However, with no health insurance, that can be a costly trip -- probably more costly than purchasing health insurance.

School clinics are not equipped to handle all situations. Sometimes, the staff is inexperienced and may misdiagnose. It may also be limited in the types of medical problems it can handle. A school clinic may be able to prescribe antibiotics for strep throat, but they would probably not be able to set a broken bone. Again, that could mean a trip somewhere else than the school clinic which could be very costly.

Finally, even the best college or university clinics cannot handle extreme emergencies or serious diseases. A student who is severely injured in a biking accident or one who is diagnosed with cancer will need medical help beyond what the clinic can offer. Health insurance is always needed in these situations because the cost of treating them is beyond what the average person or family can handle.

Purchasing Student Health Insurance

Most colleges and universities offer some sort of additional health insurance at a group rate for their students. Before purchasing this insurance, it is important to evaluate the plan carefully and make sure the coverage is acceptable to you.

Some of the things to consider are:

• How much does student insurance cost?
  
  
• How much is the deductible?
  
  
• What is the maximum coverage?
  
  
• Are there restrictions on physicians that can be seen?
  
  
• Is a referral needed to see a specialist?
  
  
• Are certain things not covered?
  
  
• Does student insurance protect me when I'm traveling?
  
  
• Is coverage given to graduate students or just undergraduates?

If the supplemental insurance offered by the school is not acceptable, then there are several insurance providers that specialize in student insurance. Shop around to make sure you are getting the coverage that you want. If you are nearing graduation, you may need to look into alternatives to student insurance, which may end at graduation. Also, don't assume that your student insurance will offer coverage when you enroll in a graduate program. Some student insurance policies differ in that area, so investigate it.