Many College Students' Plans Are Ruined Because Of A Lack Of Health Insurance

For a lot of college students the last thing they think about is health insurance and this is revealed by some recent statistics that show that approximately 1 in 3 college students do not have any form of health insurance coverage. Getting a college education is an expensive business and merely finding the money you need and getting your college loans is hard enough, but you should also think about including suitable health insurance along with everything else that you will need.You should of course begin by investigating your parents' health plan if this is applicable because it is quite possible that this will cover you during your time at university. You do however have to read the small print carefully because some plans will cover you while you are attending college and others will not. Two items to look for in particular are conditions concerning location and age.Many health insurance plans will provide cover for children up to the age of either 18 or 21 as long as you are at home and some plans will also extend this age limit providing you remain in full-time education. However, many plans are limited to providing cover within a specified geographic area and so, although you might meet the plan's age requirements, you might find that you will not be covered when you are studying away from home.Should you parent's plan will not give you the cover you need then you will need to arrange your own student health insurance and will have to find some appropriate providers. Luckily, this is not too hard and there are many insurers who provide plans specifically designed for students. So, where do you begin your search?The first place that you should look is your own university because colleges will often arrange for their students to receive cover at a discounted rate. This does not automatically mean that this is the best plan for your own needs and you will have to look at the details to see it meets your needs. Even so your own college is an excellent place to begin your search and will usually offer you the best deal. Another thing to think about when looking at your own university is exactly what type of medical facilities are provided on campus. Many of the larger colleges will provide first class medical facilities that are staffed 24 hours a day, while many of the smaller colleges will have much more limited facilities.Apart from the university itself you can also look to the insurance companies and a number of publicly funded organizations for cover. Additionally, do not overlook the fact that there are several different forms of plan that are targeted at different student groups. For instance, short-term health cover might suit many graduate students and can usually be extended following graduation to cover the period until you find a job and are covered by an employer's plan. Additionally, there are supplemental plans that will cover you for such things as pre-existing medical conditions that are generally excluded from standard student cover.Today health insurance is a complex subject and you will have to shop around in order to to get a plan that meets your requirements and also fits your budget. Nevertheless, this is something that you should certainly not forget about because attending college is an expensive enough business in the first place and you do not want to risk your money or your future because you are unable to meet the cost of illness or injury.