Health Benefits for Students

Health insurance is a significant political and social issue that impacts everyone from young children to the elderly. Despite their generally low level of health risk, young adults can take advantage of health benefits to receive medication and treatment at a reasonable cost or pay for regular doctor visits in the interest of maintaining good health. Some colleges and universities require that all students have some form of health insurance, which moves health benefits from a luxury to a necessity.

Purpose

• Schools that require students to have health insurance may do so to promote a social agenda of universal health benefits, or simply to ensure that students who experience an accident or illness have access to fast, quality care. For example, students who seek treatment for a relatively minor illness remove the risk of spreading disease to other members of the campus community, whereas students without health benefits might be more reluctant to pay the cost of treatment. Health benefits are especially important for students because of the new health issues they face, which range from normal post-adolescent physical changes to lifestyle factors that can raise the likelihood of stress disorders, sexually transmitted disease or drug- and alcohol-related issues.

Types

• Students usually have more than one option when it comes to selecting health insurance benefits. Group coverage, which pools members of a specific community into a risk pool, offers premiums that are less than what individual health plans would cost from a private insurer. Students can choose high deductible individual plans, which include low premiums but require policyholders to contribute a much greater amount to the cost of their own care before insurance begins to contribute. Finally, some students may be eligible for subsidized plans due to low income or an ongoing medical problem.

Sources

• Students whose parents have group coverage through an employer may be able to remain on those plans if they retain dependent status on parents' taxes. Colleges and universities also offer group coverage to students and faculty. High deductible health insurance comes from private insurers, who offer a range of benefit options at different price points. The government subsidizes plans such as Medicare and Medicaid, which are available to eligible students with certain forms of kidney disease or a very low income, respectively.

Drawbacks

• Each type of student health insurance has its own limits or disadvantages. Subsidized plans are only available to certain students based on need. High deductible health insurance offers minimal coverage and may omit benefits such as dental, vision and prescription medication coverage. It also places students at risk of thousands of dollars in financial responsibility before reaching the deductible limit and getting any contribution from the insurance provider. Group insurance may offer more benefits but will cost students, or their parents, more in the form or premiums.

Considerations

• The best option for an individual student's health care may depend on changing legislation or the student's medical history. For example, 2010's Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act extended the age to which parents can provide health insurance for dependent students to age 26, meaning that more students have the option of remaining on a family health plan while in school. In addition, reasonably healthy students are the best candidates for a high deductible health plan, while those who take prescription medication or need regular treatment will require a plan with greater benefits.