Medical Insurance

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Hello,

I currently work part time and I am given medical insurance which is great because it is not super common to receive those kinds of benefits as a part-timer. Anyway, my ordeal is, I am looking at a lot of accelerated programs because this is not my first bachelors degree, I live at home, not married, and no kids, and time is of the essence. It looks like a lot of these accelerated programs do not advise their students to work because of the intensity (which makes sense). So I am wondering, how do people who no longer qualify to be on their parents' insurance (I turn 26 in July) nor are they married (happily engaged but yeah not married), have medical insurance in nursing school if they are not working?

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The only real options I found have been buying through the marketplace, buying insurance through the insurance companies themselves, or getting a plan through the university/college you are attending if that's offered. However, unless your state has expanded medicaid or you made enough that year to hit the minimum income for a subsidy, those options may not exactly be affordable.

I'll probably be going through the program without insurance unless I had to get something for clinicals.

But for you, I have heard of some people who worked part time throughout a ABSN. I plan to try to myself, but I'll probably go PRN just so I don't have total obligation.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Schools usually offer insurance because they usually require it for their students. It's usually not a great plan but if you don't really need anything, it may be sufficient for you.

Also if you lose your health insurance because you resign your position, you'll be eligible to continue it through COBRA.

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If you live at home and you have no income, you should be able to qualify for state medicaid.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Schools usually offer insurance because they usually require it for their students. It's usually not a great plan but if you don't really need anything, it may be sufficient for you.

Also if you lose your health insurance because you resign your position, you'll be eligible to continue it through COBRA.

Many schools no longer offer insurance plans since the market place started as the laws changed quite often eliminating this option.

COBRA is often 3-5x the subsidized premium you were paying to your employer.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
If you live at home and you have no income, you should be able to qualify for state medicaid.

Not always as a full time student who quit their job. Quitting and becoming a full time student is often exclusionary for Medicaid

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

So, I was in your situation, except it was 2012 and Affordable Healthcare Act had not passed yet so the insurance companies all outright denied me for my pre-existing condition (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). I was required by my nursing school to carry health insurance. I, too, was engaged and 26. Our wedding was planned for October so we just got married at the courthouse in May of that year and told no one, and then had our "real wedding" in October. We don't even acknowledge our May wedding date, that's how little of a big deal it was.

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Specializes in Pedi.
So, I was in your situation, except it was 2012 and Affordable Healthcare Act had not passed yet so the insurance companies all outright denied me for my pre-existing condition (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). I was required by my nursing school to carry health insurance. I, too, was engaged and 26. Our wedding was planned for October so we just got married at the courthouse in May of that year and told no one, and then had our "real wedding" in October. We don't even acknowledge our May wedding date, that's how little of a big deal it was.

This was going to be my other suggestion. :)

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

My program "strongly recommended" that students not work while enrolled. Most of us didn't but a few did so out of necessity or opportunity. The ones who did work did suffer some from lack of sleep and extra stress but their performances were still as excellent as any of us.

You know what you can handle and if you think you can, I'd be reluctant to let go of group medical insurance unless you have no real choice.

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Specializes in Tele/Interventional/Non-Invasive Cardiology.

I find myself in a very similar situation. However, I am currently unemployed and looking for health insurance. My NP school only offers health insurance for brick and mortar students, not online. Currently, the only jobs willing to hire me are per-diem. Because I have been out of work over 6 months and with no other qualifying events, I'm not eligible for a special enrollment on the Marketplace. I have no way to get health insurance!

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

One of the schools I'm applying to is an ABSN and you have to sign an agreement that you will not work - and if they catch you working you are booted. That program is 3 semesters and starts in the Fall only (I can currently start in the Spring so I would graduate at the same time). There are 3 other programs near me - they will all take me 4 semesters to complete. I already have a BS degree. For me - its 4 semesters period - doesn't matter which program (even the ADN program is 4 semesters). I can get into a non-accelerated sooner than the accelerated program and I don't have to sign a piece of paper stating I won't work. I have insurance through the marketplace (and pay dearly for it - I got crap coverage with high deductibles and still pay way too much - last year I was able to get a decent plan).

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Specializes in Critical care.

I was lucky that my school still offered students a medical plan, even though the Affordable Care Act and Marketplace were in full swing at that point. You can always call the school to ask.

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