Now that Fall is right around the corner, colleges are coming back into session, with students flocking to their institutes of higher learning. Health care is one of the issues that new, and returning, students have to deal with. When it comes to student health insurance plans the average college student has several different options – coverage through their parents, coverage through their school, or an individual health plan.

CNBC has a recent article that talks about the pros and cons of the student health insurance plan options currently available. Each plan option has its advantages and disadvantages, something that incoming students and their parents must consider.

The best option for many college students when it comes to student medical coverage is to get coverage through their parents. If parents have an employer-sponsored health care plan, then the law states that college aged students must be allowed to remain on the policy through a certain age. If you can get student medical coverage through an employer-sponsored plan, this is generally your best bet when it comes to affordability and comprehensive coverage. The one thing to be aware of is how coverage out-of-state is handled, if the college is outside of your home state.

Without access to coverage under a parent’s medical plan, the two options left are school-based plans and individual health plans. Individual plans generally cost more, but have less restrictions, may provide more comprehensive coverage, and have higher coverage limits.

A school-based student health insurance plan has the following things going for it:

• Affordability – A school-based plan will usually be somewhere in the neighborhood of 40% less expensive than an individual plan.
• Access – A school-based plan will allow you to seek medical care on campus, where some campus medical facilities aren’t equipped to take outside insurance.
• Convenient – You can easily enroll in a school-based plan since the choice is presented to you when you enroll in the college. As a matter of fact, many school-based plans automatically enroll you into their coverage, and you actually have to opt-out if you have other coverage.

Downsides of a school-based student medical plan include:

• You may only be able to seek medical care on campus, and may not have coverage if you seek care from an outside doctor.
• Low limits – Many school-based plans have a fairly low benefits limit that is easily reached by just one major medical event.

Before choosing what student health plan choice is best for you, understand your choices. If you need an individual health plan, then go online to find out what your options are. You can easily find a cheap student health insurance plan online through health plan comparison websites that give you instant coverage quotes and let you compare your options side-by-side.

While health coverage isn’t sexy, it is something to consider before heading back to school. Find out what your options are, way the pros and cons of each choice, and settle on the student medical coverage option that fits your needs. Then get to studying!

Related posts:

1. Student Health Insurance Plans
2. Why You Need Student Health Insurance
3. New Student Health Insurance Resource Guide
4. Student Health Insurance Plan
5. College Student Medical Insurance Options