Once a student reaches ages 18 to 25, he or she may no longer be able to subscribe to his or her parents' health insurance plan -- except in special cases.
Most colleges and universities offer Student Health Plans in conjunction with insurance companies like Aetna, to ensure a student's medical needs are covered.
Additionally, student health centers on campus also offer office visits for free or for low costs, including laboratory testing and medications.
Finding the Best Student Health Insurance
The best thing to do is to have the student stay on the parents' health insurance plan until he or she ages off the plan. Most states have health insurance that allows students who are unmarried full-time students to stay on the parents' health plan until the age of 24 or 25.
If the student already aged out of his or her parents' health plans, he or she can look into student health plans at school, which often provides low-cost premiums. Most major four-year colleges offer this option.
Additionally, some student health plans offer discounts for membership with health clubs and for teeth-cleaning.
Remember that full-time status applies to students taking nine or more credits per semester or quarter, while those taking less than nine credits are part-timers.
Make sure you sign up for year-round insurance coverage, not just when you are in school.
Also, make sure your student health plan will cover your medical needs if you are away from school, like during vacations or summer breaks --especially if you attend school out of state.
Remember that maternity benefits are harder to obtain in the student health plan, so be sure to select insurance that will cover your pregnancy needs if you are planning a family.
School's Student Health Plan: Your Best Bet
If your school is connected to excellent health facilities, then you should get the Student Health Plan so you will be covered when you get care at your school's affiliated hospitals. For example, if you attend UCLA, you can sign up for the school's student health plan and will be covered for medical care at UCLA Hospitals.
Many health insurance companies encourage students to consider their school's student health plan because of lower costs.
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