UF-Distance Campuses - Student Health Insurance Question

I'm accepted to the UF-St. Pete campus and I was wondering what others are doing about student health insurance. UF recommends Scarins health insurance (scarins.com) but I'm hesitant to sign up for that one because it's probably more for people who are in Gainesville. When talking to other students during the campus tour on the interview day, someone mentioned that you could go with that company but would have to go to the USF student health center in Tampa if you're sick. I live in St. Petersburg and don't want to drive to Tampa if I'm sick. Does anyone have any advice on what to do for health insurance for someone in my situation? I have thought about trying to go with an outside company, like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, but haven't done anything yet. Anybody have any advice about this? How about current St. Pete Campus students? Who did you guys go with for health insurance.

Thanks!

Dr2011 said:

I don't have any health insurance and never had one so i don't know much about the plans. I was looking into Plan B (preferred for distance sites) and it sounded like a good plan to me. It only has 100 deductible and its $560/yr, and also you dont have to go to Student health care center in gainsville you can visit a doctor in orlando from their preferred list and they would cover 80%.
I don't have any medical conditions and I am not on any medications. I don't really need a health insurance so I don't really care how much of the Rx they would cover and wat would be the deductible.
Can anyone make some suggestions on wat should i do? Is anyone going to sign up for Uf insurance or anyone already has and know more about their plans? I looked into Humana, United Healthcare, BCBS of Fl but none of them is as low as uf insurance. any comments are appreciated🙂

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One problem with the school's insurance plan is that you have to pay up front at least one semester. I don't have this kind of cash before loans come in, and I don't expect them to until August. Proof of insurance must be sent by July 13 to UF with all of the other stuff required to satisfy conditional acceptance... so it's hard to know how to pay for that by the July 13 deadline. Also, I read on UF's COP FAQ's that UF students can go to the USF student health clinic for a fee of $75 for the first visit and for free for other visits during the same semester. They also offer annual checkups for women for a reduced rate. I don't believe that you have to have UF's insurance to get these services since UF says they send a list of current UF COP students to USF each semester. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but these are all reasons as to why I most likely will NOT go with UF's insurance. Now the only thing I'm perplexed about is which company I will go with. So many to choose from... so many different options. What to do?!?

Hey thanks for the last post. I checked out Humana today and found what I was looking for. I went with the Humana Autograph Total/HSA plan. The best thing about Humana, in my opinion, is that you can add a benefit to the base plan that will pay for emergency visits up to $500 or $1000 (depending on which one you choose) without having to pay anything, even without meeting the deductible. This is per injury, which is even better. So, that's something I haven't seen with other companies. There isn't even a copay for the emergency room. So, if I need stitches or something, the cost would be covered for the first $1000. And, if the injury costs a lot more than that and I have to pay to meet the deductible, the first $1000 is still covered by this supplemental benefit. Also, it has preventative care (like the annual ob/gyn checkup and pap) covered at 100% of the cost.. no copay or need to meet deductible. I chose a $3000 deductible with $1000 supplemental accident benefit (no dental or life) and got a monthly quote of $74.05. So, I think I have found my plan. Thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread. It's really helped me figure out what to do about health insurance. I hope it can help others, too. The Humana website is the easiest one to navigate out of all the others I have looked at. I plan to go to USF's health center if get sick and need a prescription, since I would have to pay out of pocket for doctor visits until I met the deductible. However, this plan is a PPO and the agent told me that doctors probably charge less since they have some kind of agreement with Humana. Anyway, check it out if you want. I am really excited that I finally found a plan that fits my budget and works for me. 🙂

ageldred said:

Perhaps I'll go with that one instead of the Monogram plan. Grr this is all so confusing. Thanks for your info.

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Just call them and ask about the one I got. The only difference in coverages between mine and yours is that mine doesn't have the $15 prescription co-pay for generics. I only get a prescription discount card. That's fine with me, though, since it avoids the 7500 deductible yours has. I did not get dental with it. Anyway, definitely opt for the supplemental accident benefit. Good luck!

ageldred said:

I haven't committed to anything yet! 🙂 I'm quitting my job July 20th (counting down on some days) so I am going to set it up for after that. I just thought about the Monogram plan because it had a low monthly price, however if I have to go through a $7500 deductible first that's NOT worth it. I don't think I'll get the dental either, seems like it doesn't cover much. I forsee myself driving the hour to go to the UF dental school for cleanings, etc. Thanks 🙂

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One other thing you should know. I called yesterday and got a quote, but if I commit to them, the soonest I can be covered is June 24th. I thought others should know this, too, just in case it takes a while for coverage to start. Don't wait until the last minute to call and expect coverage to begin the next day.🙂