Saturday, May 7, 2011

What is the best way a low income student can get health insurance?

Again, low income and can't rely on parents and how could I get retro coverage for an emergency bill a month ago. Currently uninsured, only insurrance is car insurrance.
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Check out health plans available through your college and see what students like you are doing about health insurance. If that doesn't work, several major insurance companies have developed plans aimed at the so-called "young invincible" market – people in the 20's. That's a good thing since about a third of all recent college graduates don't have health insurance. Two of the most prominent plans are from Blue Cross Blue Shield and UniCare. The BCBS plan is called the "Tonik Health Plan" and was originally developed in California, but is expected to expand rapidly. It features low premiums ($70-$135) and high deductibles ($1,500-$5,000). Another plan for men and women in your age group is from UniCare. Again, it started in Texas but is supposed to branch out to other parts of the country. It's called "Sound" and has features similar to the BCBS plan. Health plans differ in three basic ways: •monthly price/annual deductible •access to health care (the degree to which you can visit whom you like and undergo medical treatment a specialist thinks you need) •financial strength of the insurance company Also, the price of a plan is not simply the premium you pay each month. You also have to consider the annual deductible, as well as any coinsurance amounts or copayments. Additionally, the savings you can achieve through an HMO, PPO, or other managed care plan can be erased if you have to go outside the network for expensive medical care. I've included links to two articles that do a good job of walking you through making the best possible choice in health insurance you can afford that still provides the coverage you need. You might also want to look into short-term medical insurance. It doesn't offer the same range of benefits as longer-term insurance, but many people get these kinds of plans when they're in-between jobs. Typically, they last from a month to six months, although you can find short-term policies that last for a year. Short-term plans usually help pay for: •Hospital room and board •Ambulatory services •Intensive Care •Lab Exams •X-rays •Prescription medications The Web has many different Web sites where you can compare and contrast local health plan prices and features. MostChoice.com is one such site, and you can also get in touch with local area agents without any obligation. Tell them what you want and what you want to pay and have them do the legwork for you. You can visit MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insuran… Hope this helps, Barnes@MostChoice
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