Health Insurance & Nursing School

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I'm not sure if this is the best forum to ask, but I wanted to ask as many people as I can.

I need to purchase individual health insurance for myself by mid January, when I start clinicals.

School calls for basic major medical health insurance, but I want something more comprehensive.

I looked on a lot of different company and insurance search engine websites but I'm getting all confused.

I know I need to talk to an agent, and I will, but I'm hoping some of you who are older & more experienced can help me figure out some stuff. (I'm 21).

I'm trying to decide between paying around 150 a month for a very comprehensive plan, no deductible, low copays & RX coverage... or paying around 90 a month for a less comprehensive coverage with a annual 3000 deductible. The agent I met with a few months ago said the latter option is thinking in terms of auto insurance and the first option maybe overinsuring myself.

I just don't know! What have some of you decided on? Did you wish you would have went another way? Any good experience with companies? The big players in Louisiana are BCBS & Aetna.

I'm being really suspicious of companies with all the changes going on, the economy, and just insurance itself is so expensive for a relatively healthy individual. I get chronic migraines and triptans are expensive as all hell.

Thanks to anyone who is able to contribute to the post.

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Does your school not offer health insurance? I'd work to see if I could get into a group plan somewhere.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

I think your best option would be to go through your school, if they offer it. It will save you $ in the long run. Purchasing private insurance is very expensive.

My school offers health insurance (and you go to the medical center on campus) for $700 a year. Its billed along with your tuition. You do have the option to waive it, but you need to prove you have insurance elsewhere. I waive because I am covered under my husbands insurance offerd through his employer.

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Did you join your school's Student Nurses Association? Here the membership is 45$ a year and it automatically enrolls you in the National SNA from whom you can purchase discounted health insurance by UnitedHealthcare.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Just so you guys know.........I went through NSNA then to United Healthcare. For people over 30 (Im 32) in the stae of SC (don't know if it varies state to state but she asked me age and state) I was quoted a quaterly (every 3 mos.) amount of $100. That is $1200 a year. Just so if I get sick, which I rarely do, I can go pay a copay of $20 bucks. This didn't include checkups ONLY injury and sickness. I am sorry I take precaustions and I have gotten all my vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal flu last month). I guess it burns me up that all of a sudden the day before orientation I get printouts that say I need insurance. They have told me NOT to work during school. I am NOT married. So what am I to do? I am an out of state student til Summer Semester and I am JUMPING to get all my Dental, Vision and Exams/required titers out of the way. Now this? Just another reason to lump in the pile as to why there is a Nursing shortage! /Rant.

Orientation is Tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some suggestions that are affordable from the school. Good Luck all.

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Just so you guys know.........I went through NSNA then to United Healthcare. For people over 30 (Im 32) in the stae of SC (don't know if it varies state to state but she asked me age and state) I was quoted a quaterly (every 3 mos.) amount of $100. That is $1200 a year. Just so if I get sick, which I rarely do, I can go pay a copay of $20 bucks. This didn't include checkups ONLY injury and sickness. I am sorry I take precaustions and I have gotten all my vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal flu last month). I guess it burns me up that all of a sudden the day before orientation I get printouts that say I need insurance. They have told me NOT to work during school. I am NOT married. So what am I to do? I am an out of state student til Summer Semester and I am JUMPING to get all my Dental, Vision and Exams/required titers out of the way. Now this? Just another reason to lump in the pile as to why there is a Nursing shortage! /Rant.

Orientation is Tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some suggestions that are affordable from the school. Good Luck all.

So, I confess my brain is mush currently ( just finished a thirty-something page paper)...but shouldn't $100 quarterly end up to be $400 a year?

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Just so you guys know.........I went through NSNA then to United Healthcare. For people over 30 (Im 32) in the stae of SC (don't know if it varies state to state but she asked me age and state) I was quoted a quaterly (every 3 mos.) amount of $100. That is $1200 a year. Just so if I get sick, which I rarely do, I can go pay a copay of $20 bucks. This didn't include checkups ONLY injury and sickness. I am sorry I take precaustions and I have gotten all my vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal flu last month). I guess it burns me up that all of a sudden the day before orientation I get printouts that say I need insurance. They have told me NOT to work during school. I am NOT married. So what am I to do? I am an out of state student til Summer Semester and I am JUMPING to get all my Dental, Vision and Exams/required titers out of the way. Now this? Just another reason to lump in the pile as to why there is a Nursing shortage! /Rant.

Orientation is Tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some suggestions that are affordable from the school. Good Luck all.

I've never been quoted less than 200$ monthly by a private insurance company and I'm a healthy 25 year old. That seems like a pretty good deal to me. :uhoh21:

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Correct me if I'm wrong but don't most schools only require emergency medical? I was quoted $52 a month for mine, I thought it was to cover you during clinicals in case of an accident/emergency etc.

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My school requires full coverage....I think they're thinking that they don't want to be adding to the country's uninsured population :-)

Pretty much, you are automatically enrolled in their group plan unless you can show them you have equivalent coverage.

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My school actually has decent health care coverage that you can purchase through them. Thats what I did and it was 337 for the year. I have used it twice, once for a trip to the ER and once to get a prescription filled. No cost for ER visit and prescription was $12.00....its much cheaper then even enrolling in my husbands plan which would be an extra $70.00 per week to add me.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

My school's group plan sucks - I did research and found out that I could get a lower deductible for cheaper and with slightly less insane copays through BCBS in my state, which I did.

However, once you get a job, try to get their insurance if possible. You may end up paying a bit more, but they're required to cover you.

As for what kind of coverage you want, keep in mind that as a healthcare provider you should go in to see your doc when you're sick, etc. If your plan does a crappy job of covering this, there's little point to having it, take that into account when choosing a plan.

Of course, the health care reform may or may not change any or all of this. However, it won't do so for at least the next year, so do what makes sense for you in your situation.

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