I take the school’s plan and it’s $1,800/semester, comes off the top of my lowly cost of living budget… seems like way too much but what do I know. I investigated other options briefly but tbh it sounded like a b*tch to find a better plan and also meet all my school’s criteria for how low the deductible needs to be, what needs to be covered in xyz circumstances, alert the school by abc deadline and give them all the paperwork, etc. and if you lapse between plans for .3 seconds you get charged the schools plan for that whole semester anyway. If insurance is something we must have then I feel the Gov should allot it *on top*of our COL budget not off the top, bc currently it only punishes people who need every dime of their loan money and arent on a family member‘s plan (AKA poor people with no family help). My peers on their parents’ plan literally went out of country during Covid for spring break last year on that money, which they‘ll just pay back as attendings like nothing. Another reminder of how a little privilege goes a long way in this career path.
Also without my knowing my school changed the plan’s underwriter/provider mid semester last year and when I had an unexpected ER visit and gave them my blue cross card the ER couldn’t figure out how to bill them and I got the full bill. Well that’s because Aetna is the carrier now and when I submitted the visit to Aetna within the month that of course didn’t fly with them and they wouldn’t pay. The issue turned Out not too serious and not much besides physician saying OK you’re good to go. Bill was like $2,000. I just let it go to collections and to this day throw away the solicitation letters lol
Bright side is that I’m healthy and don’t need any care. I do get my annual checkup tho because its covered, I also get eye exams and teeth cleanings. Whatever services I think I can get I do it just to try to get a fraction of my money’s worth. All This insurance crap is like hidden curriculum helping me become a more empathetic physician.
Good for you for being proactive, if you can do the work I couldn’t you might find a more affordable plan and save some precious cash.
Glad to hear it turned out to not be serious, but I wouldn't ignore collection letters--that hurts your credit and follows you for a while. Get that sorted out. Whoever covered you when you visited is responsible for the bill--they have to pay. If they give you a hard time, appeal or whatever.
I had an insurance issue as a med student--we had United Healthcare Student Resources, and most providers, including our own medical center's ED which I visited, would bill United Healthcare, thinking it's the same thing. Apparently UHC isn't smart enough to recognize I was a "UHC Student Resources" member, but knew I was covered by UHC Behavioral Health 10 years prior, and would send me (and the providers) denial letters referencing that account. Eventually I received collection letters despite being told by both the hospital billing dept and UHC Student Resources not to pay. Eventually I got it all sorted out and the collections notice cancelled (ie., it never happened and wasn't on my credit report).
OP: Most schools provide their students with good insurance. My insurance (despite the hassle above) was actually very good and I had minimal payments. My residency insurance was even better--my co-residents basically paid max of $500 for their entire pregnancy/birth/hospital stay. Most med schools/residency programs (at least good/decent ones) take care of their own.
I don't think a school would be offended if you ask them about their insurance coverage, but it could come across as odd since I doubt many people ask about it. But if you phrased it along the lines of "could you send me information regarding the student medical insurance so I can get a better idea of how much I may need to budget/save" it might just be perceived as you being a thorough planner.
As other say, I wouldn't plan medical school around your insurance. All medical schools let you borrow far more than you actually need unless you're living the high life (or have a family to support). And many let you request extra loan money if you had to spend a lot on healthcare expenses (you have to talk with the director of financial aid to request a budget increase). And despite the above poster's statement, health insurance is typically included in your total cost of attendance (I believe it's actually required by the gov't)
Medicaid is not a great solution for someone with chronic issues--so many providers don't accept it, though on the plus side most academic centers do. So you could likely see specialists at your medical institution, though sometimes it takes longer to get in with Medicaid.
Don't forget about ObamaCare if your school's plan is lousy. While I may pay an arm and a leg (since I'm a solo practitioner) for it, you would probably qualify for subsidies--it could be free for you. We have a PPO plan so it lets us go where we want, but costs a bit more. You can look up through your state's portal to see who is in network/what the costs are. I purchased my policy directly from Blue Shield, so you can check there. Keep in mind the plans are going to differ by state and even county.
