Understand Your College's Health Plan
If the college you have chosen to attend offers a student health insurance plan, you will definitely want to consider this as an option. In fact, many colleges will automatically enroll all new full-time students in this health plan and add the cost to your registration fees. There should be a clear disclosure as to the amount that has been added to your fees for this optional benefit. At some universities, you may have the option of opting out of this student health plan, only if you provide proof of comparable coverage. Information and details regarding the student health insurance plan at your college should be made available to you prior to registration. Many college websites will have this information available for download. You will want to review the entire policy, including full explanation of benefits and exclusions, when comparing this health plan option against other options.
The information you are given regarding the student health insurance plan offered by your college should include: 1) eligibility requirements, 2) effective dates and termination dates, 3) extension of benefits, 4) pre-authorization policies, 5) full description of covered benefits, 6) deductible and co-insurance explanations and disclosures, 7) pre-existing condition disclaimers and 8) exclusions and limitations. If the information you receive does not include all of these details, you may be viewing only a summary of benefits and will need to enquire about obtaining the full policy description.
When reviewing the schedule of benefits on the college student health insurance plan, make sure you fully understand all of the benefits and limitations that may also be placed on certain benefits. For instance, some student health plans may cover treatment for psychotherapy, but there may be limits on the number of visits annually, or how much the insurance company will pay toward this benefit. Knowing which covered benefits require pre-authorization is also important. If you do not receive prior authorization for certain covered benefits, you may be responsible for all medical expenses.
If you have a pre-existing condition, make sure that the college student health insurance plan has no specific exclusions or limitation that apply to this specific condition. If you are on a current medication, check with the health plan administrator to make sure that your prescription is covered under the plan. As noted in Step 2 (Consider Keeping Your Current Health Insurance Policy), some student health plans may exclude pre-existing conditions for a specific period of time.
It is best to know in advance what to expect from your student health plan and understand all of the benefits and exclusions associated with the plan offered by your college. This includes knowing the maximum coverage limits, deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance percentages. Most student health plans will contract with a nationwide network of physicians and hospitals. If you plan on traveling to other states during, such as home trips to see the family, you should also make certain that your college student health plan will provide you access to health care at those times.
We suggest completing review all of the information provided to you about the student health insurance plan offered by your college. Highlight any section of the information that is unclear or of potential concern to you. As you review other options that are available to you through private health insurance companies, you will be able to quickly review these important issues against other health insurance plans.
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