Student Health Insurance

Student Health Insurance Protects You from the Unexpected

The best way to stay healthy and to be prepared for unwanted health risks is to get the best college student health insurance possible. That way if you do get sick, you can get proper medical attention quickly and without a hassle. A good student health insurance plan will keep you be healthy enough to go to all of your classes and will even let you enjoy your weekend plans.

Why should I Get Student Health Insurance?

So why should you pay for something that might not even happen? The main reason why is because you can't predict the future. No one can avoid accidents and injury all of the time, so health insurance is there to protect you. Health insurance protects you physically and financially because it gives you the medical assistance that you need at a fraction of the cost you would spend if you didn't have it. And if you're in another country, international student health insurance can help you in a foreign hospital. Paying the cost of health insurance every month is a small price for your financial future. You just need to know how to manage your money and make it a part of your life.

How to Choose Student Health Insurance

The process of purchasing the right college student health insurance can be easy if you know what to look for. You need to know these three basics:

• Maximum Medical Benefits - The total amount the insurance company pays for covered medical expenses for your policy's lifetime
• Deductible - How much you are responsible to pay to the physician or hospital before the policy pays any benefits.
• Co-Insurance - The % ratio of splitting the bill between you and the insurance company.

Next, the student health insurance plan you choose should have these minimum features covered in it:

• Office visits
• Hospital stay
• Prescription drugs
• Preventative & wellness checkups
• Intensive care
• In & outpatient surgery
• Mental disorders and substance abuse
• Lab & X-ray
• Pregnancy
• Pre-existing medical conditions

For all of these, look for the plan that best benefits your needs and your student budget. Don't be too cheap with your plan, but don't pay so much that you can't afford all your other credit card and student loan payments.

5 Steps to Finding Affordable Student Health Insurance

Finally, follow these steps to find the most affordable student health insurance, as well as the most beneficial:

1. Read customer reviews. This is extremely important because if a company has an overall excellent rating with customers, then you know you will be getting a good deal. You'll also be able to tell if they are a legit service or if they just offer insurance scams.
2. Get student insurance quotes from at least four different companies before you settle. The most affordable student health insurance is not always the best. Make sure the policy covers everything you need.
3. Never give your personal information until you are ready to make a purchase.
4. Ask for discounts or other special offers. Most insurance companies offer special discounts to students, and some will give you a discount for opening up car insurance or renter's insurance along with the health insurance. You never know unless you ask!
5. Make sure the company can afford to pay your student health insurance claims. Some companies go bankrupt because they don't have any funds from the state, so make sure they are able to pay off expensive bills. Also, makes sure they actually will pay off your claims. Just because they have the money it doesn't mean they want to use it for a good cause.

Your School's College Student Health Insurance

To make it even more convenient for students, many colleges work with specific insurance companies to offer their students a health insurance plan. Actually, many colleges require that you purchase health insurance from them. You are usually not charged for an office visit, but x-rays, surgery and prescriptions will be billed. The main disadvantage to a university health insurance plan is that they do not cover pre-existing conditions. So if you had asthma or diabetes before you came to college, you have to pay for the treatment on your own

If you do decide to choose your campus health insurance plan, make sure to ask these questions:

• Can I use any provider, or do I need a referral?
• Will I be covered if I'm on vacation?
• Are there close hospitals and facilities near my college?
• If I'm not enrolled in classes, will I still have insurance?
• Does the campus health clinic offer free service or discounts for my plan?

Health insurance prepares you for the unexpected. It is the safest way to keep you healthy and to help you pay for expensive medical bills. Even though you may not use it, always factor health insurance costs into your student budget and don't gamble your college days away.