Finding health insurance...

[Cortney2013]

Hi all! I was wondering if anyone else is running into a problem finding affordable health insurance for the nursing program?? I will only be working part time in August when classes start so I will not be eligible through my work for coverage and I am also a Type 1 diabetic so coverage is extremely hard to find. Can anyone give any tips or places to look that may provide affordable plans for someone like me??

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

If you go to the Yellow Pages (an actual book, I know, but still) you can find what are called general insurance agents or brokers in your area. They will find you a policy to insure your car, your apartment, your boat, your life, your plane ... or your health. They have all sorts of good connections and will help you hook up with what you need. You might also try your state nurses association or your state student nurses association.

[GIEndoRN, BSN, RN]

Be careful of filling out forms for online insurance quotes... I did one, quotes were far too expensive for me to afford and then it started... I have insurance salespeople calling and emailing every day and I can't get rid of them!

[Sashaaa7]

Some schools offer it with tuition if you need it. The two nursing schools in San Antonio do!

[kayleen4246]

Are you sure there is not a student insurance program through your school? You wouldn't be able to cover any family on the plan but it should cover you & you can pay for it with your student loan money- they just tack it on to your bill so to speak. I'm from the Midwest and I know a lot of our schools have this type of program but they don't advertise it very well. For us, it's like $1500 for the year and they have to accept you as long as you are a full-time student.

I agree with the above posters about getting an agent if the school thing doesn't work. I actually work for a health insurance plan and we require people to go through an agent. I had to switch from my employer-based plan to an independent family policy and they even made me go through one. An agent is your best bet in finding coverage and finding it at an affordable rate. They do this stuff all the time so they're pretty good at it. I am on a medication that is very expensive each month ($2000+- ridiculous isn't it?) and I didn't think they would cover me but they did. However they did mark up my premium payment each month an additional 30% because I was a "higher risk" client. To cover my family and myself (Husband & 2 small children) we pay about $525/month- just for me it's about $200/month.