| As a young, healthy college student, it might be | | | | parent’s health insurance until now, the real |
| tempting to forgo the expense of health | | | | cost of health care may come as a major shock. |
| insurance. After all, you're young, you're careful | | | | You may be used to paying a $20 or $25 |
| and you're not sick. You don't really need health | | | | co-payment for office visits, or $50 for an |
| insurance, do you? | | | | emergency room visit. Without insurance, a single |
| Absolutely, say most colleges. In fact, there's a | | | | visit to the emergency room averages about |
| growing trend among colleges and universities to | | | | $500 in bills - and that's before any casts, sutures, |
| require health insurance for all enrolled students. | | | | X-rays or other treatments are added in. |
| According the health officials, the very things that | | | | Something as simple as a sprained ankle can run |
| make dorm living and college so much fun for | | | | up bills totaling several hundred dollars. |
| college students are the perfect place for viruses | | | | The solution is an affordable temporary or |
| and other illnesses to spread like wildfire through | | | | student health insurance plan that's designed |
| an entire dorm. Doctors' bills, equipment costs, | | | | specifically to cover illnesses for students studying |
| prescription costs - even just the costs | | | | away from home. Many colleges and universities |
| associated with a simple outbreak of the flu can | | | | offer their own health insurance plans, or one |
| run into several hundred dollars. It's not unusual, | | | | through a local health insurance provider. They |
| they say, for an undergraduate student to find | | | | take into account the financial situation of most |
| themselves stuck with medical bills totaling several | | | | students with extremely affordable rates through |
| thousand dollars from one illness or injury. In | | | | a group plan for which any student attending the |
| many cases, these bills are absorbed by the | | | | university is eligible. One of the most affordable |
| university itself through its medical clinic. | | | | options you can find, most health insurance plans |
| Many students and their parents may mistakenly | | | | offered through a university cost less than $1000 |
| assume that the student is still covered on their | | | | annually, and will cover any health or accident |
| parents' health insurance plan. While many health | | | | related expenses as long as you maintain a |
| insurance plans do cover full-time college students | | | | specific number of hours as a registered student. |
| who are on their parent’s plans, many | | | | Health insurance isn't something you can afford to |
| more limit that coverage to local doctors only. If | | | | forgo to save a little money. Affordable health |
| you're attending school out of state, you may find | | | | insurance plans through your university can end up |
| yourself with no coverage if you get sick or have | | | | saving you thousands in medical bills if you do end |
| an accident. | | | | up in an accident or getting sick. |
| If you've been covered under your | | | | |