Everyone knows that College is expensive. In planning to meet these expenses health insurance for College students may be low on the list, but it could be first on the list of possible financial disasters that can derail all your well thought out plans.

There are several ways that College students can meet their health insurance needs. Many family plans allow the student to remain on the family plan past the age of 18 as long as they are enrolled in a minimum number of credit hours at a College or University. Many schools also have basic health insurance programs that are offered to students. Some schools make insurance mandatory.

There are also privately offered health insurance plans just for College Students. Often, these represent the best choice. The problem with keeping the student on the same family plan that they have been on since childhood is usually the cost. Family insurance is expensive, has high deductibles and extensive exclusions. The private health plans generally have much lower premiums. This is because College students as a whole are healthy and less prone to injury and illness than smaller children.

The plans offered by the Colleges themselves are too often what are called “bare bones” policies. They do not provide the comprehensive coverage of the private College student plans. They also do not allow the freedom of choice. They will most likely require treatment be given by doctors or clinics associated with the School. The majority of private College student insurance plans will allow treatment by anyone selected by the student or their family.

Usually, the number of credit hours required to qualify for Student Insurance plans is lower than family plans. The policies allow for breaks in the educational process of short duration, and are transferable from school to school. Most plans have reasonable deductibles and are especially geared toward catastrophic situations with very high upper coverage limits.

The Student Insurance plans are subject to the same pressure from increasingly high medical costs as all other forms of health insurance. This means that they do have exclusions, and knowledge of these exclusions is necessary in comparing and evaluating policies. Most will not pay for expenses relating to pregnancy, for example, despite the very real risk of that condition in today’s educational environment. Your Insurance Agent can guide you to the best Student Health plans and suggest any necessary supplemental insurance to make sure any gaps are filled.

Going off to college is one of the most exciting and important moments of your life. It is a time for learning, growing, and training for your life’s work. Going off to college can be scary too. It’s often your first time away from the comfort and protection of home.

Smart students should plan carefully in order to bring with them all the possessions they need everyday, but careful planning cannot ignore a very important, less tangible thing, their health. Health insurance for students is one of the most important things to bring with you to the dorm.

With the costs of medical care spiraling out of control, a good health insurance plan is more important than ever. If you are fortunate enough to have continuing coverage on your parent’s health insurance plan then consider yourself lucky. In all likelihood, your current coverage will exceed your other options in both cost and quality of coverage.

However, many new students are not as fortunate, and they are reaching the age where they are no longer covered under their parent’s health insurance plan. If you are among those students whose parent’s plan no longer covers them, then you should waste no time before investigating the available health insurance for students.

Your research will quickly reveal that you have two basic options from which to choose: 1) enroll in a college sponsored plan or 2) purchase coverage from a commercial student health insurance provider. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Enrolling in your college sponsored health plan is very easy and convenient to do. The paperwork and applications can be completed before you unpack your first box of things in your new dorm room. The price is often right too, and the billing can often be included with your tuition and fees. Further, students with a college sponsored plan will enjoy easy access to on campus health facilities, and they will have minimal – if any – out of pocket expenses for routine visits. Also, dental and eye coverage is frequently included in a college plan.

However, while college sponsored health insurance for students is more than sufficient when dealing with minor illness or injury, it is likely to fall short in the event of a more serious condition. Typically, college sponsored health insurance for students provides primary coverage for treatment at the medical facilities of the college or university, therefore students may have very limited options when pursuing treatment at an outside facility, and such treatment is likely to require a referral.

Also worth noting is that most college plans provide no coverage to students who are traveling abroad. Perhaps the most important negative aspect of a college sponsored plan is that they typically have a relatively low threshold of maximum coverage, so a catastrophic injury could leave the student with significant medical expenses that must be covered out of pocket.

Many of the disadvantages of a college sponsored plan are addressed when health insurance for students is purchased from a commercial provider. Commercial providers will typically provide coverage domestically or internationally. Additionally, a commercial provider allows flexibility when choosing a medical provider as well as provides international coverage.

Another advantage is that the student can continue their coverage after graduation, so there will not be a lapse of coverage during the time between graduation and starting their careers. It should come as no surprise, however, that the great advantages of a commercial plan come at a price. Not only are premiums more expensive than the college plan, out of pocket expenses and deductibles are more costly as well. And the dental and eye coverage that is rolled into a college plan is likely to be absent in commercial health insurance for students.

No matter which direction you go, the important thing is that you make sure you are covered. Recent graduates often find themselves with debts from student loans and the like; health insurance for students can prevent medical bills from adding to that debt.