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Individualized Health Care Plans for Students

Students who are not covered under their parents health insurance may be able to obtain coverage with their own individualized health care plans. An individual health insurance policy covers emergency room visits, hospital stays, prescription drug coverage, and routine doctor's visits. Students who are in good health and do not have any dependents can obtain individual health care coverage for reasonable prices.

  1. Health Maintenance Organization

    • A Health Maintenance Organization, also known as an HMO, is a network of managed care providers. HMOs are a cost effective solution for students to maintain health coverage because discounts are arranged through the providers. Health Maintenance Organizations typically own their own hospitals and health care facilities to keep costs low. Coverage is comprehensive meaning there is no limit to the type of coverage the student may receive. For example, coverage is provided for preventative care such as doctor visits or coverage for inpatient or outpatient surgery. Students who do not have a regular physician or hospital can choose from the providers within the HMO network.

      Health Maintenance Organization plans are provided by several health insurance companies. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield insures more than 16 million members with their HMO. To enroll in an HMO, students must contact the health insurance company they are interested in and complete an application.

    Preferred Provider

    • A Preferred Provider Plan (PPO) are plans that utilize a network of health care professionals that are "preferred" by a particular health insurance company. Students can benefit from this type of plan because as long as they visit a preferred physician, their out of pocket costs for care is relatively small. Going outside the preferred provider network usually results in a higher charge but most PPOs will reimburse participants for some costs if they went outside the network. Health insurance companies that provide PPO plans include Cigna and United Health Care.

    Deductible Plans

    • A deductible health insurance plan requires participants to meet certain deductible limits before the insurance company pays medical expenses. In other words, students must pay an out of pocket minimum for covered medical expenses. Once the minimum has been reached, the insurance company will pay the rest. For example, Kaiser Permanente has a deductible health insurance plan, which is designed to cover individuals who do not go to the doctor very often but would like coverage in case of medical emergencies or serious health issues. If a student were involved in an incident that resulted in a three night hospital stay, the student would pay up to the deductible limit first and Kaiser Permanente would pick up the rest of the tab. Deductibles for this plan range from $250 to $1,500. This type of plan is beneficial for students who require limited preventative care but want coverage for large health expenses.

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