| By the time graduation caps are tossed into the | | | | asthma or any other pre-existing condition. |
| air, high school students will probably have been | | | | Parents in preferred network plans and HMO's |
| accepted to a college, picked a dorm and signed | | | | often buy a college's health insurance plan even |
| up for their courses. But is their health insurance | | | | when their student is covered under their |
| securely in place? | | | | employer's plan because anything other than |
| Most parents' employee-sponsored group health | | | | emergency care may be considered out of |
| insurance plans will cover their children up until | | | | network or because of the problem of obtaining |
| they're between 20 to 24 years of age, whether | | | | referrals across states. |
| they live at home or away at school. The | | | | Cost, and the problems with network restrictions |
| employer, however, may charge a substantial | | | | and referrals, shouldn't prevent the student from |
| extra premium to cover the college age student. | | | | having health insurance, whether it's their parent's |
| If you don't have any health insurance as a | | | | plan or the school's plan. A serious illness or injury |
| student, college health plans could be a good | | | | could have long-lasting negative financial |
| solution. College-sponsored individual health | | | | consequences for the student, the parent, or |
| insurance plans at some schools are subsidized by | | | | both. |
| tuition, so they might even be a good deal. It's | | | | Before you make a choice, put your college health |
| important to note that even when college health | | | | plan to the test: |
| plans are subsidized, they are not necessarily | | | | - Is the plan an HMO, or can you use any |
| subsidized for the student's spouse or dependents. | | | | provider? |
| Be forewarned, however, that college plans are | | | | - Does the plan cover emergency room visits |
| not free and the benefits vary. Committees from | | | | without prior approval? |
| each college meet with health insurance | | | | - What needs to be done to ensure coverage if |
| companies and design plans specific to their | | | | there's an emergency? |
| schools. State laws also play a critical role in the | | | | - Is there coverage while you are on vacation? |
| health insurance policies offered to students, as | | | | - Can you get coverage during summer break, |
| well as other market factors. As a result, there | | | | even if you're not taking classes? |
| exists a wide range of premiums and benefits | | | | - Does the plan make accessible the best |
| that vary from college to college. | | | | treatment facilities within the college's community? |
| College plans sometimes limit preventative and | | | | - Which campus health clinic services are free or |
| routine care, but students can often visit college | | | | offered at low cost? |
| health centers for free services. Even when visits | | | | - Are there pre-existing conditions that are |
| to the health center are free, the health center | | | | excluded? |
| may charge the student for lab work, physical | | | | In Texas, dependant status is available for |
| therapy, X-rays, prescriptions, and other | | | | full-time students until you are 25 years old (or |
| procedures. | | | | older in limited cases). Texas state law puts the |
| In most cases, college plans will pay 100 percent | | | | maximum age for dependants at 19 if you are |
| for college health center charges associated with | | | | not enrolled in an educational institution. If you're |
| covered services with a nominal deductible. For | | | | between the ages of 20 to 24 and the college |
| services outside the health center, however, | | | | health plan at the school you're attending in Dallas, |
| including those provided by out-of-state providers, | | | | Houston or anywhere else in Texas doesn't cover |
| the college plan may reduce significantly and | | | | one or more of the above issues, you should |
| impose a larger deductible. Furthermore the | | | | consider other individual health insurance options. |
| college plan may have a limited maximum benefit, | | | | And when you graduate and are no longer |
| which will leave the student without coverage if | | | | covered under your parent's health insurance plan |
| something truly terrible happens. | | | | what will you do then? |
| Pre-existing conditions can create problems as | | | | There's a lot you and your parents should |
| well. College plans may exclude pre-existing | | | | consider regarding proper health care insurance |
| conditions from treatment. Before signing up for a | | | | while you're attending school and after you |
| college health plan, make sure you know whether | | | | graduate. |
| the plan will or will not cover treatment for your | | | | |