Student Health Insurance: Advantages and Disadvantages

Student health insurance is an individual health insurance policy designed and available to full time college students only. It is important especially for college students over the age of 18, as they are not usually covered by parental insurance policies once they leave home. Health insurance for college students is a valuable investment in the future of your children, as students have a high rate of injury and get sick quite often due to stress and pressure in school.

To be eligible for student health insurance, you must be between the ages of 17 to 29. An eligible undergraduate student is a person carrying at least nine credit hours, while an eligible graduate student must meet the graduate student guidelines of the college or university. Students must attend a state-accredited college or university in the U.S to get this type of health insurance.

Many universities and colleges offer their students a group health insurance policy through school as well. As each university’s student insurance policy is different, it is important that you check with the university that you are thinking of applying to. Student insurance can also be obtained through a health insurance company as well.

There are many benefits to a student policy. The most important benefit is the cost. Most student policies have low premiums and reasonable deductibles for students who have limited resources. Another benefit is that once you have purchased a student health insurance policy, it does not change even if the student changes school.

There Are Two Options Of Student Health Insurance To Choose From

• an independent individual policy, or
• a standard college student health insurance package (offered by most schools)

The standard college student health insurance policy is less expensive, but the terms of coverage tend to be more fixed, while independent individual health insurance policies offer more coverage, however they cost more as well. Student health insurance programs are not very common, but in some states, student health insurance has now become mandatory. In the state of Massachusetts for example the law requires that every full-time and part-time student enrolled in a Massachusetts college or university participate in a qualifying student health insurance program (QSHIP) or in a health benefit plan with similar coverage. Some benefits of this program include;

• Inpatient hospitalization (excluding surgery)
• Outpatient Services (excluding surgery) &
• Surgical Coverage

Whatever the reason, student health insurance can be an affordable and viable alternative for health insurance while studying in college or grad school.