Check With Your College First

• Many colleges provide access to health insurance through the school, and these plans can be a good deal for parents and students alike. For instance, New York University offers access to a number of preventive and routine treatments to their student population. Information specific to the NYU plan is available in the Resources below. Many colleges and universities offer similar coverage.
  
  

Check With Your Employer

• In many cases, college-age students may be able to remain on the health insurance policy provided by your employer. This employer-sponsored coverage can be a good choice but only if your plan does not penalize you or charge you a higher copay for treatment outside your network. Before using this option, review your coverage carefully and review the list of providers. If there are few providers in the town where your son or daughter will be going to school, explore other options.
  
  

Commercial Student Insurance Plans

• Many health insurance carriers provide student health insurance plans designed with the needs of college students and their parents in mind. As with all health insurance plans, the price of student health insurance will vary widely, so shop around and compare policies carefully. Review the list of network providers and ensure that your college student will be able to find treatment when she needs it.
  
  

Supplemental, Accident and Emergency Insurance

• Some parents may also want to consider purchasing a supplemental policy that covers things like accidents and emergencies. Such a policy can be an especially good idea when combined with a low-cost, high deductible student medical plan. The cost of this insurance is typically quite low, and it can help by providing coverage that may be excluded from your employer sponsored or individually purchased student insurance plan.
  
  

Plan Length

• In most cases, student health insurance coverage will be purchased on either semester by semester or annually. When shopping around for health insurance, consider the length of coverage and shop around for the best possible deal.
  
  

Keep Your Coverage

• Ending the student insurance policy on graduation day may not be a good idea, since many employer-sponsored medical plans will not take effect until your son or daughter has been on the job for at least a month or two. When you add in the fact that it may take a couple of months or more for your new graduate to find a job, you can see why it is so important for your child to keep that coverage in place until he finds a replacement policy.
  
  

Low Premiums

• Compared to the cost of health insurance for middle-aged and older adults, the premiums on student health insurance are typically quite low. That is because this population tends to have few serious health issues, and insurance companies take that relative good health into account when they set their rates.