health insurance

[bunface]

for all the unmarried people out there, are you all buying your school's health insurance? my school's insurance is pretty expensive (>3000)...i was wondering if there's a way out of it. if we don't have health insurance through our spouse, are we allowed to purchase outside health insurance? is this recommended? i'm from massachusetts - does anyone know of any good ins. plans? everything is $$$ these days.

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[nlax30]

Do you current live in Mass? Are you starting med school there (or somewhere else) in the Fall?

If you're you starting school in the fall I'd check with the school and see if they require to be on their plan or not. Some don't care, others require you to be on theirs or on a spouses, which wouldn't apply here. So check with them first. In any event they should also be able to tell about other plans they know about since they should be familiar with what previous students were covered under.

If you'll still be in Mass.... didn't that law pass a couple years ago requiring everyone to have health insurance? Was also supposed to make available reasonably priced plans for those that qualified. I don't know any of the specifics but I'm sure a gov't site there will lead you to more options.

 

[LucidSplash]

for all the unmarried people out there, are you all buying your school's health insurance? my school's insurance is pretty expensive (>3000)...i was wondering if there's a way out of it. if we don't have health insurance through our spouse, are we allowed to purchase outside health insurance? is this recommended? i'm from massachusetts - does anyone know of any good ins. plans? everything is $$$ these days.

My husband and I purchase a high deductible plan (total cost for 2 young, healthy non-smokers = ~$1700/year) through bluecross blue shield. We pay out of pocket for everything up to our deductible max of $2500/per individual. This means that we pay for everything unless some disaster strikes and then we're covered up to something like 10 million. Its far more cost effective for us than a traditional comprehensive plan because we don't go to the doctor that much. Also, check with your school about the student health services. I get all my routine stuff (Gyn, birth control) done at the family medicine office which is also student health for free or cheap because those services are included in my student fees so I don't need the school's insurance to use them.

 

[Depakote]

My husband and I purchase a high deductible plan (total cost for 2 young, healthy non-smokers = ~$1700/year) through bluecross blue shield. We pay out of pocket for everything up to our deductible max of $2500/per individual. This means that we pay for everything unless some disaster strikes and then we're covered up to something like 10 million. Its far more cost effective for us than a traditional comprehensive plan because we don't go to the doctor that much. Also, check with your school about the student health services. I get all my routine stuff (Gyn, birth control) done at the family medicine office which is also student health for free or cheap because those services are included in my student fees so I don't need the school's insurance to use them.

I'm pretty sure this varies from school to school. At my school, unless you're carried on a plan provided by your parents/spouse, you have to use the school's insurance to prevent you from just purchasing a minimal coverage plan and then getting stuck with some crazy-high medical bills.

 

[LucidSplash]

I'm pretty sure this varies from school to school. At my school, unless you're carried on a plan provided by your parents/spouse, you have to use the school's insurance to prevent you from just purchasing a minimal coverage plan and then getting stuck with some crazy-high medical bills.

Well yes, schools generally require you to have insurance that they will sign off on as "comparable" to their coverage. My plan is a different type of plan (traditional indemnity vs. comprehensive) but is a good plan with good coverage. Most schools make it relatively easy for you to get a waiver signed once you provide them with a copy of your other insurance card/basic coverage outline. Its state-to-state, but most of the time schools can't actually force you to use their plan, just to carry something that will cover you as necessary.