College Health Insurance Plans Are Important for Students and Parents Frank N. Darras, America’s Top Insurance Lawyer, Offers Tips
As college students head back to school-or are headed there for the first time-parents should be thinking about health insurance. While the new laws concerning health insurance and Obamacare were passed, the meaning of it is still unclear. This can be concerning for a parent who is about to send their child off to school for the first time.
One part of the Affordable Care Act that has been in effect for almost a year now is that kids can be covered under their parents plan until age 26. Parents sending their children off to college probably have many questions about what the stipulations of this are. Do the kids have to stay in school to be covered until age 26 or is this law even going to stick? Answers to these questions should become clearer in about 90-100 days, says Frank N. Darras, America’s Top Insurance Lawyer.
What about those parents who are currently unemployed or lack good health insurance? A component of the law already in effect requires any student who does not have health insurance to purchase a plan through the institution they are attending.
“8.2 million Americans are out of work right now and if they don’t have health insurance, their children don’t either. This is where the new health law is already helping millions of Americans. About 4 and a half million kids right now are covered under some type of college health insurance plan, and it is a real bargain,” says Darras.
Darras urges parents to look closely at the pre-existing condition clause when purchasing a university plan. Most plans will apply pre-existing condition limits and put annual or lifetime caps on the amount of benefits they will pay, as well. Remember, this is really no different than what typical health insurers do. And it is better kids are covered under some type of health plan than none at all.
“I can tell you from experience, as a parent, when you get that call at 11:30 at night on Friday the last thing you want your kid to do is suffer through the night and wait for someplace that opens up. If they can go down to the infirmary or college emergency room, it will make a huge difference,” says Darras.
Darras recommends that students enrolling in the plan should seek out help from a parent or an experienced insurance lawyer when filling out the application. Most kids are super healthy and don’t have much experience filling medical paperwork out. It’s important this paperwork is filled out accurately to ensure the student receives the best care possible.
“College health insurance is a great option and one which students should take advantage of, particularly if they are not covered or minimally covered by their parents’ insurance. College health insurance plans protect students and reassures all parents when we are not right there to help,” says Darras.