Can anyone help me find a good health insurance company for a college student ?

Health plans differ in three basic ways:

•monthly price/annual deductible
•access to health care (the degree to which you can visit whom you like and undergo medical treatment a specialist thinks you need)
•financial strength of the insurance company

Also, the price of a plan is not simply the premium you pay each month. You also have to consider the annual deductible, as well as any coinsurance amounts or copayments. Additionally, the savings you can achieve through an HMO, PPO, or other managed care plan can be erased if you have to go outside the network for expensive medical care. I’ve included links to two articles that do a good job of walking you through making the best possible choice in health insurance you can afford that still provides the coverage you need.

I’ve linked to a couple of online articles that do a good job of explaining health insurance and what to look for in a new health plan.

Check out health plans available through your college and see what students like you are doing about health insurance. If that doesn’t work, several major insurance companies have developed plans aimed at the so-called “young invincible” market – people in the 20’s. That’s a good thing since about a third of all recent college graduates don’t have health insurance. Two of the most prominent plans are from Blue Cross Blue Shield and UniCare. The BCBS plan is called the “Tonik Health Plan” and was originally developed in California, but is expected to expand rapidly. It features low premiums ($70-$135) and high deductibles ($1,500-$5,000). Another plan for men and women in your age group is from UniCare. Again, it started in Texas but is supposed to branch out to other parts of the country. It’s called “Sound” and has features similar to the BCBS plan.

Depending on your age, you might be able to get coverage under your parent’s plan. Many states have extended the age that children can be included under their parent’s insurance policy.

The first step in finding affordable health insurance is finding out exactly what you want from a health plan.

You might also want to look into short-term medical insurance. It doesn’t offer the same range of benefits as longer-term insurance, but many people get these kinds of plans when they’re in-between jobs. Typically, they last from a month to six months, although you can find short-term policies that last for a year. Short-term plans usually help pay for:

•Hospital room and board
•Ambulatory services
•Intensive Care
•Lab Exams
•X-rays
•Prescription medications

The best way to get health insurance information is from qualified health insurance agents. Check out MostChoice.com. It’s a Web site that offers free policy descriptions and prices from health plans across the country. You can also get in touch with local area agents who should be able to answer your questions. There’s no cost and you’re not obligated to buy anything from the insurance agents, and MostChoice won’t use your personal information for any reason apart from matching you with health plans and health insurance agents in your area.

You can visit MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm

Hope this helps,
Barnes@MostChoice