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July 28, 2016
The fall semester is well underway and college students are hitting the books to prepare for tests, papers and extra credit. But there is one thing students may not have thought to prepare for — what you will do if you get sick or injured?
Even if you are fit and healthy, it’s always a good idea to have health insurance! You have car insurance even though your car is running fine, don’t you? Why? Just in case something happens. The same logic can be applied to health insurance. It gives you access to affordable care in case you get hurt or sick. Going without health insurance can lead to a lot of extra costs — not only doctor bills, but also the penalty you may have to pay under the Affordable Care Act .
Getting insurance and learning how to use it while you are away at school doesn’t have to be hard or overwhelming!
Know Your Options
But if you are going to school in a different state, you’ll want to make sure there are doctors, hospitals and other health care providers near campus that are covered by your parents’ plan. Not having in-network providers nearby can make things tricky if you get sick or hurt. You may have to pay extra to see an out-of-network provider or miss out on school to travel home to get care.
We offer a number of plans on the Marketplace, but please note that you can only enroll in one during Open Enrollment or after certain life events. Open Enrollment for 2019 won’t begin until November 1, 2018. Plans enrolled in during this time won’t be effective until 2019.
We offer student health plans for a number of schools, called AcademicBlueSM. Our student health plans:
For a list of universities who offer these plans, visit our website.
Are You Currently a BCBSIL Member?
To access Provider Finder:
You won’t even have to file a claim after you receive care — the provider will take care of that. Just be sure to go to an in-network provider (which you can find through Provider Finder), and bring your BCBSIL ID card.
This program is only available to BCBSIL members who are away from home for at least 90 days. To find out if this program is available in your school’s area, call the Customer Service number on the back of your member ID card. And be sure to bring your member ID card wherever you go!
Still unsure about your insurance options? We can help! Send us your questions in a private message or in the comments below.
– See more at: https://connect.bcbsil.com/getting-health-insurance/b/weblog/archive/2015/11/11/health-insurance-options-for-college-students#sthash.7B5N5xrq.dpuf
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