4collegehealth-blog

Student Health Insurance Programs

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:58:26 +0100

We just noticed a change on eHealth - which is useful for all college students who are looking for student health insurance. Be sure to notice that eHealth now offers a plan called Student Health Plan - which is a blanket policy of College Parents of America. This plan looks like it now offers both affordable / lower coverage plans as well as more comprehensive plans featuring preventative care services. In all cases, the plan also includes tuition refund insurance and relevant student health coverage for pregnancy, mental health and substance abuse which sadly impact students.

Though not a replacement for a Campus Sponsored plan, the Student Health Plan looks like a strong alternative for schools looking to offer a solution that addresses the health insurance needs of their students.

Habits for 2011

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:26:17 +0100

Not much new to share on College Health - but this new year reminds us that healthy habits are vital to student achievement.

Students believe they are INVINCIBLE - there is even a new organization named Young Invincible.org yet we must take care to help them understand the real risks facing them during this life-stage. Our best advice for 2011, is something we shared from National Public Radio that is worth sharing again.

September 5, 2010

This is a great post by National Public Radio. 5 Big Health Issues On Campus | http://t.co/gv2VJ9m

"This time last year college kids were stressing out about swine flu, hard as that is to believe in hindsight. With students streaming back to campuses, we wondered what health concerns are topping the agenda now.

We checked in with Dr. Al Glass, president of the American College Health Association, and the heads of health services at some colleges around the country to get a bead on what students face this time around.

Here are their top five issues:

1. Mental Health

"Mental health issues in a broad sense certainly remain a primary issue," Glass says. Stress is a biggie.

Dr. Susan Even, director of the University of Missouri's student health center, agrees. At Mizzou, which is expecting a record enrollment this year, adjustment to a big school just compounds the problem, she says.

The University of Maryland's student health center offers help to students dealing with stress and anxiety, including acupuncture and meditation. "We are very supportive of alternative medicine," says Dr. Sacared Bodison, director of the student health center.

2. Sleep

All-nighters and good health don't mix. Students should pay more attention to getting enough sleep.

"College and university students tend to keep schedules that are really different from people who are out having jobs in the world," Glass says. Unfortunately, that's nothing new. Only 11 percent of college students in a sample of 191 undergrads had good quality sleep, a 2001 study in the Journal of American College Health found.

3. Infectious Disease

Although some students died from swine flu last year,"it didn't turn out to be the pandemic of illness that people were worried about," says John H. Turco, director of the Dartmouth College health service.

Still, the focus on H1N1 led to cultural changes at Dartmouth, Turco says. More people became aware of disease prevention and use of hand sanitizers has become routine.

Glass says infectious disease is a perennial concern. There's no particular bug on the radar this year, but "exposure to other infectious illnesses — colds, upper respiratory infections, influenza" are inevitable.

Vaccines can help against some of the usual suspects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends these for teens and colleges students.

4. Exercise

Weight problems are everywhere, even college campuses. So what else does the CDC recommend? Exercise.

Adults should be active at least 2 1/2 hours a week. But some students may not be getting enough. Glass says too many college kids aren't heeding the advice and warns that college students aren't immune to the obesity epidemic.

5. Alcohol

Glass says a discussion about college health wouldn't be complete without talking about alcohol use.

"If [students] would make the decision to drink in college — which, certainly, we're all aware a large number of them do — to make those choices about what to drink, how much to drink those kinds of things need to be optimally made in a very responsible way," Glass says.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 4 in 5 college students drink. And when asked, 2 in 5 say they've been on a drinking in the past few weeks. Nearly 600,000 college students are injured while under the influence of alcohol each year.

Wall Street Journal - Give Failing Grade to Campus Student Health Insurance Plans

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 02:25:55 +0100

4CollegeHealth tries to highlight the best thinking and insights on the subjects of student health. Sometimes articles appear to be so comprehensive that we choose not just to link to the articles but also to share a good portion of the article. With our thanks to the WSJ - (note we make no money from ads) but do want to recognize the authors of such an exceptional article.

Please read the entire article on WSJ.com or to see some of the highlights included here:

By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG And MARY PILON

"On Thursday, the first big pieces of the new health-care overhaul took effect. Among other things, the rules mandate that insurance companies offer coverage to adult children until the age of 26 and devote at least 80% of their revenue to health-care costs.

But one major player was notably absent from these new rule changes: colleges. They have managed to sidestep, at least for now, the regulatory clampdown that has sent hospitals, insurers and corporations scrambling.

How'd they pull it off? Since student plans for the 2010-11 school year were negotiated before Sept. 23, they aren't subject to the regulations this year."The White House denies that Ms. DeParle ever said that," says White House spokesman Nick Papas. "The administration is still working on this issue and is eager to hear from all parties."

The health-care overhaul has major implications for young adults and their parents. For the first time, parents will have the choice of keeping their graduate-student children on their corporate insurance plans or opting for cheaper college plans.

They should think carefully.

There is broad consensus that, as a group, college health-insurance plans rank among the worst in the nation for consumers. Many college plans come with remarkably low benefit ceilings—in some cases as little as $2,500. Others limit areas of coverage, such as preventative services and chemotherapy.

The upshot: Students are often much less insured than they think they are. In extreme cases high-school seniors with health issues might be advised to consider a college's health plan before attending.

"These plans have not been thoroughly scrutinized," says Bryan A. Liang, executive director of the Institute of Health Law Studies at California Western School of Law in San Diego. "In some instances they offer very paltry care."

The college health-care system is a hodgepodge of school plans and private insurance. According to the Government Accountability Office, more than half of the nation's colleges offer school-sponsored plans. All told, about 80% of college students, nearly 7 million people, are covered by private or public health insurance.

Most schools aim to provide the best care for the lowest cost. Students tend to be healthier than the general population, so school plans don't need the safety nets found in adult plans.

Yet these low-cost plans are a big business for insurance companies. All of the major players are active in the college market, with Aetna Inc. and United Healthcare leading the pack. According to a November 2009 study from the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, profit margins for student health programs in the state were 10%, compared with 2% for other insurance plans.

When colleges fall short, say health-care experts, it is often because their administrators lack the savvy to negotiate with insurers and arrange the best terms for their students.

"Not every podunk university is going to have a health plan official who will look into these plans," says Elizabeth Ritzman, director of Dominican University's student health center in River Forest, Ill.

The health-care overhaul deals with individual and group insurance plans. In an Aug. 12 letter to the White House, the ACHA and other groups argued that school plans shouldn't be considered group or individual plans but rather "short-term limited-duration" insurance policies. Such a designation would likely exempt them from many of the new regulations, experts say.

The letter also warned that certain reforms "could make it impossible for colleges and universities to continue to offer student health plans."

The ACHA "is supporting regulatory clarification that would allow student plans to preserve the grouplike status that is vital to providing lower cost coverage to students," says Jake Baggott, ACHA's advocacy coalition chair. Dr. Turner, ACHA's president until June, says the spirit of his conversation with the White House was that "they would be happy to include in the regulations the necessary language to assure preservation of the plans."

Insurers seem to be confident they will get their way. According to three people familiar with the matter, Aetna has told colleges that they have nothing to worry about because their plans will be exempted.

Aetna says it never conveyed that message to its members. "We expect that all student plans that wish to be credible will comply with minimum coverage requirements as soon as possible," says Ethan Slavin, a spokesman for the insurer.

Good insurance plans are marked by a few elements, among them benefit ceilings of at least $250,000, generous prescription drug plans and emergency room coverage. According to the GAO, more than half of all school plans have ceilings of less than $30,000.

Some schools boast excellent health plans, says Dr. Liang. Take Boston University's program, offered through Aetna. Students pay $1,676 for coverage that includes a $500,000 benefit ceiling and pays 80% of any ambulance expenses.

Another indicator of a good plan is its "medical loss ratio," or the percentage of the premium that the insurance provider pays out in claims. The health-care overhaul limits loss ratios to 80%; a lower ratio means students aren't getting as much for the cost. Brigham Young University, which offers insurance through Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators, had a loss ratio of 93% last year, meaning that for every $100 in premiums, students received $93 of care.

Other plans, however, are less generous.

Paula Villescaz, a senior at the University of California at Berkeley, says she never looked closely at the Anthem Blue Cross insurance policy she got through her college. The plan has a $400,000 ceiling, but also has some important limitations, as Ms. Villescaz found out recently.

The political-science major had always been healthy—until March, when doctors discovered she had Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Berkeley's plan didn't cover her first MRI, her PET scan or many blood tests her doctors required, she says.

In between chemotherapy treatments, Ms. Villescaz says she had to battle the insurance company, which refused to cover her last round of chemotherapy, declaring it medically unnecessary. Her chemotherapy has since concluded, but she is now undergoing radiation treatment.

Ms. Villescaz says she owes about $80,000 all told. Before she got sick, she worked two jobs to support herself and help out her single mother. "I'm going to be paying off these bills for the rest of my life," she says.

Both Berkeley and Anthem declined to comment.

Students who don't study the details of a plan before signing up can end up with nasty surprises, as Nia Heard-Garris, a 24-year-old medical student at Howard University Medical School, learned firsthand.

Ms. Heard-Garris in 2007 signed up for Howard's standard health plan, administered by Summit America Corp. The plan, which now costs $476 a year and is mandatory for all students, came with a $5,000 limit per injury and sickness, and didn't cover radiation and chemotherapy—though the plan now offers more coverage. (Howard also offers an enhanced plan that costs $699 a year and has a limit of $200,000 per injury or sickness.)

Last year, Ms. Heard-Garris went to the emergency room complaining of neck pain. She got a CT scan—then found out that her insurance wouldn't cover the $1,600 bill. "I have absolutely no idea how I can pay this," she says. "I think it's kind of ironic that here I am learning how to help people, and I can't even get care covered." She says she is negotiating with Summit to cover her bill.

Howard doesn't comment on specific cases. A spokeswoman says students receive a booklet detailing medical-care protocols, and "the student health center staff will take the appropriate steps to provide [students] with appropriate care." A Summit spokeswoman says, "We're always willing to work with any student to provide clarity."

Some school plans limit their coverage of certain categories, such as mental health. Franklin College in Indiana offers a plan through Markel Insurance Corp. that covers $50 for every mental-health counseling visit—up to $250 per year.

"There's admittedly very little coverage for mental health," says Terri Nigh, coordinator of student health services at Franklin. While negotiating benefits and evaluating the plan each year, school administrators try to meet the needs of the majority of students, she says. "It's a difficult process."

That's been a problem for Katie Todd, a sophomore at Franklin. A pre-med major, Ms. Todd says she has battled depression since she was 12. She says most private insurers considered her depression a pre-existing condition, and that the best quote she has gotten would cost a steep $310 a month.

With no alternative, she signed up for the Franklin plan, but is frustrated by its limitations. "It's really vital for me to get this coverage, and the plan just mostly ignores it," she says.

"The plan's design is based on the specifications of the college, not the insurer," says Mark Nichols, a managing director at Markel.

Parents and students can get the most for their money by carefully examining school plans before signing up. Health-care planning should come long before enrollment, says James A. Boyle, president of the College Parents of America, a Virginia-based nonprofit.

Anyone considering a school plan should ask a number of questions, say experts:

• What is the maximum benefit for the policy?

• Are prescriptions and mental health services included?

• What happens to coverage if you leave school, go abroad or graduate?

• What is the loss ratio?

• Do any on-campus services, such as checkups or flu shots, overlap with existing coverage?

Parents who are considering keeping their child on their personal insurance should ask their benefits representative or insurer about how coverage will be carried over on campus and off—especially at schools far from home. (This also applies to graduate students and to adult children under age 26.) They should also be ready to sign a waiver with the school so they're not charged for automatic enrollment in a campus policy.

If, after getting all these answers, both the employer and school insurance options seem unappealing, parents should consider using a site like eHealthInsurance.com, which allows for comparison browsing among 10,000 plans from 180 carriers. The prices and coverage can vary widely depending on the state, but the site offers free access to licensed agents who don't work on a commission basis and can answer specific questions about plans, says Carrie McLean, a consumer specialist at the company.

The key is to do the legwork now to avoid surprises later. Otherwise, says Aaron Smith, a founder of Young Invincibles, a nonprofit student group that seeks better care for college students, you could wind up "in a dangerous place, with insurance plans that don't cover any real health-care costs."

FLU SEASON CAN IMPACT STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL; CONSIDER PROTECTING THE ...

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:58:56 +0100

With college campuses again buzzing with students, the fall will bring concerns about the flu and other potentially serious illnesses. As parents remind their students to get flu shots, they should also consider how an illness like the flu or mononucleosis can impact academic performance – as well as their finances.

A significant illness can impact a student’s ability to handle an educational workload. In some instances, this can lead to medical withdrawals, which, in turn, leads to the loss of a family’s investment in tuition, fees and other related expenses. Most colleges and universities do not provide any refund of tuition and fees if a student withdraws for medical reasons after the first five weeks of a term. Many schools only refund a portion of the tuition, not fees.

Although school is already back in session, it’s not too late to protect the cost of college attendance. GradGuard tuition refund insurance covers the cost of tuition and other non-refunded expenses in the case of a medical withdrawal, and is available at any time before or during the semester.

When considering tuition refund insurance, parents and students should take into account the following important points:

Time of purchase: Do I need to purchase the policy before the start of the academic term?

GradGuard is the only tuition refund insurance that may be purchased at any time, even after school has started.

For coverage purchased after the beginning of the semester, there is a 14-day waiting period before a claim can be filed for sickness. The waiting period does not apply to disability caused by an unforeseen accident or death.

Availability: Is the purchase of tuition refund insurance tied to attendance at a specific college or university?

A relatively small number of institutions offer students the option to purchase tuition refund insurance. With the launch of GradGuard, for the first time, tuition refund insurance is available nationwide to any student attending any accredited college or university.

Mental health coverage: Does the policy cover losses for withdrawal for mental health issues?

Some policies have requirements tied to hospitalization or only cover 60 percent of the tuition lost due to a withdrawal due to mental health issues. GradGuard covers 75 percent of tuition, fees, room and board, and related expenses due to a college withdrawal for emotional, nervous or mental disorders.

Additional benefits: Does the policy cover anything beyond tuition?

GradGuard’s tuition refund insurance covers the non-reimbursed cost of college attendance, including: tuition, room and board, fees, travel to and from the academic program. It also includes membership in the College Parents of America and the Student Protection Plan, a suite of benefits that includes emergency medical evacuation, identity theft protection and resolution services, computer repair and warranty extension.

Costs: How does the cost of the policy correlate to the overall benefits?

GradGuard’s tuition refund insurance includes coverage for the additional non-reimbursed cost of college attendance (room and board, fees, travel to and from the academic program), as well as the Student Protection Plan, making it a great value. Rates start at $19.91/month for $5000/term or $10,000/annual coverage.

NPR - 5 Big Health Issues on Campus

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:23:16 +0100

Here are their top five issues:

1. Mental Health

"Mental health issues in a broad sense certainly remain a primary issue," Glass says. Stress is a biggie.

2. Sleep

All-nighters and good health don't mix. Students should pay more attention to getting enough sleep.

3. Infectious Disease

Still, the focus on H1N1 led to cultural changes at Dartmouth, Turco says. More people became aware of disease prevention and use of hand sanitizers has become routine.

Vaccines can help against some of the usual suspects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends these for teens and colleges students.

4. Exercise

Weight problems are everywhere, even college campuses. So what else does the CDC recommend? Exercise.

5. Alcohol

Glass says a discussion about college health wouldn't be complete without talking about alcohol use.

Back to School: Health Insurance Options for College Students in a Post-Reform World

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:11:38 +0100

“eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: EHTH), the leading online source of health insurance for individuals and families, released a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help new and returning college students and their parents better understand their health insurance options after the passage of health reform legislation.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions An estimated 19 million students will be enrolling in classes this fall(1), and as many as 12%(2) of these may be uninsured. With several provisions of health reform legislation coming into effect on September 23, 2010, college students and their parents may not fully understand their health insurance options this year. The following FAQs are designed to answer specific concerns and help this year’s students find the best health insurance solution for their personal needs and budget:

Question: Do I need to have health insurance when I go to school?

Answer: Most colleges and universities require students to have some kind of health insurance coverage. Contact your school for more information, but keep in mind that health insurance is about more than getting access to health care when you need it. It also helps limit your financial liability for expenses that may arise from an unforeseen accident or injury — expenses that could potentially bankrupt you or your parents and seriously damage your prospects for the future. Whether or not your school requires it, make sure you’re covered.

Question: What are the health insurance options students can choose from this year?

Answer: Most college students in 2010 will choose from among the following five types of health insurance coverage:

--  Parents' health insurance plans. A provision of health reform law that
    becomes effective in 2010 allows adult children to keep their coverage
    under a parent's health insurance policy until age 26, whether or not
    they are currently enrolled in college. The parent's policy might be
    group coverage sponsored through an employer or an individual or
    family policy purchased by the parent. Some employer-based plans are
    accepting students now while others may wait until January 1, 2011
    before allowing students to re-enroll.
--  Individually-purchased health insurance plans. Many students purchase
    coverage on their own in the form of an individual, non-group policy.
    There is a broad variety of individual coverage options to choose from
    nationwide. However, until 2014, in most states it is still possible
    to be declined for individual coverage based on pre-existing medical
    conditions.
--  School-sponsored health plans. Many colleges and universities offer
    their own health insurance plans to students. Some of these plans
    place strict limits on the range of benefits covered and may limit
    access to only those doctors and services available through an
    on-campus student health center. As regulations for health reform laws
    continue to be written, the future of school-sponsored plans is
    uncertain.
--  Individually-purchased student health plans. These plans may resemble
    school-sponsored plans by placing specific limits on certain benefits,
    but they typically offer more freedom in obtaining medical care away
    from campus. Student health plans may be especially valuable for those
    going to school in a different state. While the post-reform future of
    these products is also uncertain, new and innovative student health
    plans with richer benefits are being introduced to the market.
--  Government insurance options. These may include state or federal
    insurance programs such as Medicaid or high risk pools. In order to
    qualify for some of these products you must have a diagnosis for a
    pre-existing medical condition on file with your doctor. You may also
    need to have been previously uninsured for a minimum of six months.

Question: How did the passage of health reform change things for students this year?

Answer: Some of the most profound changes to the health insurance market won’t come into effect until 2014, but here are four ways that health reform has changed options for students looking for health insurance this year:

1.  Health reform allows students (and non-students) to stay on their
    parents' plans until age 26. Before the passage of health reform, some
    students lost coverage under parents' plans earlier.
2.  Health reform strengthens protections for individually purchased
    coverage. After September 23, 2010, new individual health insurance
    policies will cover certain preventive care screenings (women's health
    screenings, for example) with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Health
    reform also made it more difficult for the insurance company to cancel
    your individual coverage retroactively if you become ill.
3.  New high risk pool coverage will be made available beginning in 2010 for
    persons who may not qualify for individual coverage due to a pre-
    existing medical condition.
4.  It's still not entirely clear, but school-sponsored health plans and
    other student health plans may be forced to expand their coverage as a
    result of health reform. Many of these plans currently limit coverage to
    a maximum dollar amount on a per-condition basis. Health reform may
    erase such dollar limits.

Question: Isn’t it best to stick with my parents’ health insurance plan?

Answer: Not necessarily. It may be convenient to stay on your parents’ plan, and the levels of coverage available through some employer-sponsored group plans can be excellent. However, if you are going to school in a different state than the one in which your parents live, you may find that your coverage levels are significantly lower when you’re away from home, and there may be no in-network doctors or hospitals available to you near your school.

Furthermore, while a parent’s employer may keep you on their group policy as a dependent, they may not contribute very much toward your monthly premiums. Your parents may have to pay significantly more to keep you on their plan than it may cost for you to purchase comparable individual coverage on your own. It’s a good idea to go over the dollars involved and the levels of coverage you’ll enjoy while at school to see if it may make more sense to move to an individual policy or student health plan, with or without assistance from your parents.

Question: My school offers coverage. Shouldn’t I just take what they’re offering?

Answer: Look over the benefit levels offered and what kind of coverage such a plan would provide if you had to seek medical attention while away from school or through a medical service provider other than the student health center. You should also be aware of any dollar limitations placed on your benefits. Many school-sponsored health plans limit your coverage on a per-condition basis. After considering your options, you may still decide that a school-sponsored plan is best for you. But don’t assume that it’s your only option.

Question: What should I do if I can’t re-enroll in my parents’ plan until January 2011?

Answer: The provision of health reform that allows adult children to stay on their parents’ plan comes into effect on September 23, 2010. However, due to open enrollment schedules, some employer-based plans may not allow you to re-enroll in a parent’s plan until January 2011. If you need a stop-gap to provide you with coverage until then, consider purchasing an individual health insurance plan, which can be paid month-to-month and cancelled at any time. Short-term health insurance plans offer another solution, but please note that short-term plans typically don’t cover preventive care, pre-existing medical conditions or prescription drugs.

Question: What if I have a pre-existing medical condition or am too old to stay on a parent’s plan?

Answer: If you have a pre-existing medical condition that makes it difficult to obtain health insurance on your own in the individual market and you’re too old to stay on a parent’s plan, you may have a couple choices. First, consider the school-sponsored plans available through your college or university. You may be eligible to enroll in these plans regardless of your medical history. Look at the fine print, however, and make sure that you understand any limitations that would be placed on your coverage. For example, some school-sponsored plans may limit coverage per-condition to $50,000 or less. That may sound like a lot, but a few days in the hospital for a serious condition could quickly use up those funds.

You should also consider an individually-purchased student health plan (the kind not offered through a specific school). For example, there’s a student health plan called GradGuard(TM) which allows for coverage up to $500,000 per-condition. No one is turned down for coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions, though GradGuard(TM) has a pre-existing condition exclusion period of twelve months. If you can show that you have had other coverage in place for the past year, however, then the exclusion period may be waived. Students of any age can qualify for coverage with GradGuard(TM).

How would you like to protect your belongings?

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:03:16 +0100

While most people try to be careful, you never know what can happen. Everyone has heard the stories and some have even had the misfortune of experience them. Things go wrong from time to time and it helps if you are prepared!

What most students don't realize is that college renters insurance can provide coverage for items in their household.

Such as, personal property including but not limited to:

-Laptops and personal computers
-Ipods and mp3 players
-Clothing
-Textbooks
-Musical instruments
-Sports equipment
-Digital cameras
-Furniture
-Appliances

As you can see, renters insurance is a good fit for the college lifestyle!

We all know how troubling it is to lose personal belongings to theft,damage, and even mysterious disappearence but now we can do something about it. With replacement cost coverage, you get a check for the full replacement cost of whatever covered peril you lose! It gets better though, the policy even covers an insured's personal possessions that don't happen to be in the apartment or house at the time of loss - coverage is worldwide!

What else does renters insurance provide?
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you had friends over and someone was injured? Well, guess what, you're liable for the injuries that occur at your rented apartment or home. With renters insurance, you can take a sigh of relief because this insurance provides liability coverage for you! It's not just liability coverage for bodily injury or property damages either, it also includes the cost to defend an insured in a liability suit!

Graduating Uninsured

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:02:28 +0100

Graduation is approaching fast, just weeks until many students step out of the classroom and into the job market. Taking on this responsibility might seem daunting but proper time management and determination makes the process much easier.

As graduates leave school, they're checklist may include such tasks as interviewing, setting up living arrangements, taking further steps in education or putting a business plan into motion. No matter what you're list looks like, you don't want to forget your health insurance!

Under the new health care bill, young adults can remain on their parent’s insurance policy until age 26. Unfortunately, this has not gone into effect so most graduates of spring 2010 will be losing their health insurance.

There are two insurance options for these young grads, short-term gap insurance or a long-term policy.

Theshort-term gap insurance may be the correct choice for those who are looking to fill the coverage gap between now and the implementation of the new bill. Short-term policies are great for protecting yourself in the event of an unforeseen accident that leaves you sitting in a hospital bed.
If you are looking for a larger policy, you may want to look into long-term insurance. Long-term plans vary depending on the needs of the consumer. From a consumer’s point of view, this is great because the large amount of options gives the consumer the power to choose what they want from their policy.

Coverage Highlights of New Student Health Plan!

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:30:41 +0100

As you may already know, picking insurance is all about getting a policy that matches up with your needs. GradGuard has aimed their sites on meeting the needs of young adults and here are the highlights.

Guarantee-issue to members of College Parents of America*
Comepitive Pricing
$500,000 maximum benefit per condition
Preganancy covered as any other sickness
Coverage for Susbstance Abuse & Mental/Newvoud Disorder*
Co-Insurance: 80% of Usual, Reasonable and Customary Charges
Flexible deductible options
Emergency Medical Evacuation: $50,000
Beech Street Preferred Provider Network
Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, A.M. Best Rated “A” Excellent”
Pre-Existing Condition coverage if a student had credible coverage in the previous 63 days before the effective date. Read policy terms and exclusions carefully for more details.

Other featured College Parents of America Benefits

Tuition Insurance: $5,000 annual coverage for medical withdrawal
Identity Theft Protection and Restoration Services**

GradGuard

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:19:08 +0100

There are a lot of factors that go into picking the right insurance policy. If you're in the market you want to make sure that you receive a coverage plan that fits your needs.

GradGuard focuses on college students, recent graduates and short trips. This specialization gives young adults access to plans that better fit their needs, financially and with regard to coverage.

Once you know what you're needs are, you are going to want to compare policies.

GradGuard offers plans from multiple A rated insurance companies. Their licensed professionals can help you fully understand each policy when comparing plans or carriers. Insurance can be confusing so most importantly, you always want to understand what you are buying.