Affordable Health Insurance Solutions

Affordable health insurance for everyone in California

Health Insurance Rate Increases In California 2013

We talk about the health insurance price increases that happened in 2013 and how to find affordable health insurance in California.

Affordable Health Insurance For College Students

Affordable medical insurance can be really challenging to find. For students it can be even more complicated.  You are moving to the city where your college is located.  You are leaving your parents health plan. And juggling the demands of your school coursework.  Finding affordable health insurance in California is probably the last thing on your mind.

Most private universities require students to have medical insurance.  Some mandate a minimum coverage the student must have.  These mandates may require the student leave the parent's health insurance plan.  See the Stanford University website for an example of this.

It is important to determine your college health insurance requirements early.

Some colleges provide their own student health insurance program.  See the Berkeley SHIP page for an example.  These plans are usually more expensive than getting a low cost health insurance plan on your own.

If your income is low enough you may be able to get assistance paying for medical insurance.  Covered California provides subsidies to help reduce the cost of your student health insurance plan.  Lower monthly cost means more affordable.

Don't forget that California requires everyone to have medical coverage.  This includes resident and non-resident college students.  

If you don't get health insurance, you may have to pay a penalty.  This penalty could cost more than getting student insurance.

To get affordable student health insurance, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Determine if your school requires medical coverage
  2. Get information about any university health plan, including cost and benefits.
  3. Find out if there are minimum benefit requirements for private health insurance.
  4. Get health insurance quotes from all companies using the zip-code of the university.
  5. Find plans from the quote that meet any school minimum coverage limits.
  6. Compare the price of the university health plan with the quoted medical insurance plans.
  7. Pick the best health insurance for your needs.

It can be difficult to finalize your health insurance if you are a student.  But getting affordable coverage is possible.  Save youself some time and hassle by using a reputable independent health insurance broker.  Pick one that lives in the state you plan to attend college in so you get a local expert.