Full-Time Student Health Insurance Coverage

If you have a child attending college this fall, you may assume that your employer-provided group health insurance plan or his college-sponsored health insurance plan will provide all the health coverage he needs. Instead of making this assumption, find out for sure or you could be in for a nasty surprise. The answers to these nine questions about full-time student health insurance coverage will help you decide the best way to protect your child.

1. Is my child covered under my employer-sponsored health insurance plan? There is a good chance that a full-time student is covered. However, many companies have been reducing dependent coverage as a way to control health care costs, so it is a good idea to double check.

2. How long will my group plan cover a full-time student? Many plans cover full-time students until the age of 23 or perhaps 25 but you won't know for sure until you read your plan's fine print.

3. How does my group health insurance plan define full-time student? Be sure that you won't face an unintended gap in coverage if your child takes a light course load one semester and, as a result, falls below your plan's full-time student requirements.

4. In the event that my child needs health care while at school, what are the correct procedures to ensure that the costs are covered by my group plan? He may need to go to an in-network physician or to get preapproval for certain procedures to receive the full benefits under the terms of your policy.

5. What is my financial responsibility if there are no in-network physicians where my child attends college and, therefore, he must use out-of-network physicians?

6. Will my child be able to receive coverage for a chronic medical condition while at school under the terms of my group plan? The answer to this question is especially important if there are few or no in-network physicians and/or facilities near your child's college.

7. How long will my group health insurance plan cover my child if he has to take a temporary leave of absence from school as a result of an injury or illness?

8. What health coverage is available through my child's school and how does it compare to coverage under my group plan? Many college-sponsored health plans for students have limitations on the number of doctor visits, the amount of prescription drug coverage, the length of hospital stays and the maximum amount of spending on each illness or injury, so be sure that you understand your child's college-sponsored plan's restrictions before signing up.

9. Would an individual health insurance policy for my child make sense? If coverage limitations on your group health insurance plan and on a college-sponsored health plan are too severe or if neither is available to you, it may make sense to consider purchasing an individual health insurance policy for your child.

Sources:

Walecia Konrad, www.nytimes.com, Patient Money - How to Find and Keep Health Insurance for College Students