Typical students entering college do not seem thrilled about dishing out their money for health insurance. Something that they think will not be necessary for them considering their young age. After all, if you take care of yourself, are never sick, and do some exercise you won’t really need health insurance would you?
No doubt about it you do. As a matter of fact, it might even be obligatory depending on what school you go to. A lot of schools have taken this to a whole new level and are actually requiring that any student who is enrolled have an active health insurance plan. Studies and medical research have shown that campus life is the ideal place for viruses and other diseases to grow and cause illness to the many tenants on campus. The very thing that makes it fun to live on campus could lead to plenty of doctor bills and hospital costs. Not to mention prescription costs which seem to go up on a daily basis. To put all of this in perspective, lets say that a student catches the common cold and needs some medications for it. By the time you go to your doctor and fill your prescription, you could be down over $350.00 without health insurance!
Sometimes students don’t even realize they no longer have health insurance because they used to be under their parent’s health plan. The truth is, these plans usually only cover local doctors so if you are attending college out of state, you just might find yourself out of luck. If you are depending on such insurance, make sure that you are still covered.
If you are not or find yourself without insurance, our recommendation is to get some as soon as possible. Many universities offer a quick solution to this problem by providing low-cost student health insurance plans designed specifically to cover illnesses to students that are studying away from their home. These plans are sometimes offered by the university itself but most of the time are issued by a local health insurance provider through the university. In any case, these plans are generally very affordable since you typically get a group rate. Usually, you will end up paying somewhere around $1000 annually for health insurance which is a great deal considering you get the peace of mind of being covered from most injuries that could occur on campus and know that you don’t have to break the bank every time you have to visit the doctor.
The only thing to note with this type of health insurance plan is their minimum hour requirement needed to maintain eligibility. These plans have a certain number of credits you need to be taking to qualify for the insurance. Make sure you check with your provider to know the specifics and to make sure you qualify every semester.
In conclusion, your health should be a top priority and health insurance is not something you should try to skimp out on. The money you think you are saving by not having health insurance could evaporate and then some if something does happen to you while in college.
