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Student Health Insurance

When attending college, it is very important to have student health insurance. Many colleges and universities require proof of health insurance for students; even if yours does not, cheap student health insurance will probably end up paying for itself. While you may be young and healthy now, sudden illness and accidents can happen. In that case, you will be very happy if you have college student health insurance. Don’t end up graduating with medical debt in addition to student loans!

Use of the university student health center is included in your tuition, but the center only offers basic health care. On the other hand, affordable student health insurance also covers visits to primary care physicians, specialists, and diagnostic centers, and hospitalizations. Without that coverage, the cost of your medical care will come out of your (or your parents’ pocket).

Why not stay on your parents’ health insurance plan? If you’re going away to college, their policy may not apply to you. The health insurance company may consider you ineligible, or your parents’ plan may simply become inconvenient during the school year. For example, your college town may not be included in their policy coverage area; or there may be a shortage of in-network providers near your school. Affordable student health insurance for yourself could be a better value if any of those factors apply.

Students health insurance policies from private health insurance companies offer flexibility, more so than the cheapest student health insurance sold by the university. However, those student health insurance plans are more expensive. It is important for you and your parents to decide what level of coverage is right for you. College students health insurance can be a permanent policy, short-term, or a mini-medical. Mini-meds (or indemnity coverage) are the least expensive type of student health insurance plan, but offer the least coverage. Comprehensive student health insurance plans come with higher premiums but cover a broader array of services, including mental health, prescription drugs, and maternity care. Co-insurance rates and co-payments vary among the options of health insurance for students.

Get a student health insurance quote now from VitalOne. Our health insurance agents can help you pick the cheap student health insurance that best fits your needs.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)

A HMO is the least expensive type of North Carolina student health insurance, which is especially important in college! However, HMO health insurance is not as flexible as other types, which can make it less than ideal health insurance for students. You need to use the primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, etc. included in the HMO health insurance plan’s network in order to maximize the benefits of your college student health insurance. When choosing an HMO student health insurance plan, you need to make sure that you can find doctors in your network both near your dorm and your home, whether you live or study in North Carolina. That’s because using an out-of-network provider means that you’ll have to pay full price. Some HMO networks are larger than others, so comparing students’ health insurance is important. In addition, you will have to see your primary care physician for non-emergency referrals to a specialist–which can be difficult, depending on your schedule.

VitalOne can help you when buying cheap student health insurance by comparing the coverage and rates of various health maintenance organization plans.

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO Plan)

PPO student health insurance plans, like HMOs, have a network of professionals that provide services at a cheaper rate. However, a PPO plan gives you more choice. Selecting a primary care physician isn’t required, and you can visit a specialist without a referral–which reduces inconvenience for students. In general, co-payments are higher than with other student health insurance plans. PPO plans may also make you pay a deductible. Still, PPOs can be a great way to get affordable North Carolina student health insurance with greater freedom.

At VitalOne, we can provide you with a student health insurance quotes from major health insurance companies.

Point of Service Plans (POS)

A point of service plan is a cross between a HMO and a PPO. Similar to a HMO student health insurance plan, you must first select a primary care doctor from their network. Your primary care physician can then give you referrals to any specialist, whether or not they are inside the network. POS plans let you visit any medical provider you want, although going outside of the network will cost you more out-of-pocket. Receiving out-of-network health care also makes you responsible for keeping track of and submitting paperwork to get reimbursed by your college students’ health insurance at the lower rate. On the one hand, you can visit doctors whether you’re on campus in North Carolina, home for the holidays, or on spring break. However, the claims filing process may be too much to fit into your busy schedule. Point of service plans force you to give up some control of your health care, in exchange for cheap student health insurance.

In some ways, POS plans are the best of both worlds when it comes to health insurance for students. If you’re considering a POS plan, VitalOne can help you choose from several North Carolina POS providers.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

Health savings accounts have become increasingly popular in North Carolina. HSA plans transfer more of the control and responsibility for your student health insurance plan to you, while helping you save money. Pre-tax dollars are deposited into an HSA plan, which can then be used to buy qualified medical products and services. Approved expenses include doctor visits, hospitalization, and both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

In most cases, high-deductible student health insurance plans are combined with HSAs. With these plans, you get a lower student health insurance quote; this is because the deductible can cost up to several thousand dollars per year. This is because the tax-exempt health savings account is intended to cover most minor and moderate medical expenses. A HSA can be the cheapest North Carolina student health insurance available. For generally young and healthy university students, your savings on premiums will outweigh the increased out-of-pocket expenses. Ask VitalOne to help you select the best health savings account and high-deductible health insurance for North Carolina students.

Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you may think affordable student health insurance is out of reach in North Carolina. That is not necessarily the case with guaranteed issue college student health insurance. This type of insurance is required to cover anyone who applies, regardless of health status. Students with conditions such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or a current pregnancy may benefit from buying student health insurance with pre-existing conditions. As for-profit student health insurance providers don’t want to cover someone who is already sick, premiums may be slightly more expensive. Still, VitalOne is ready and able to find you a guaranteed issue North Carolina student health insurance quote that fits your budget.

Guaranteed issue student health insurance plans are available in North Carolina. These plans give you the benefit of using extensive PPO networks such as Multiplan. Compare guaranteed issue college student health insurance plans with us today.

Life Insurance

North Carolina now has tens of thousands of so-called “non-traditional” college students. Whether you are going back to college full-time after taking time out for work or parenting, married, or have children, Life insurance allows you to care for your family after you’re gone. It pays out a specified lump sum upon an individual’s death. The main types of life insurance are term life, whole life, variable life, and universal life. The most affordable type is term life insurance. It covers you for a set time period, usually anywhere from one to 30 years. Face value amounts for term life insurance policies begin at $5,000 and can reach millions of dollars.

How much life insurance do you need? Several factors should be considered. A life insurance policy should cover at least several years of your annual income. The higher your income, the higher the cash value of your policy should be. If you have many outstanding debts, such as student loans, you may want to take those into account, as well. It is also important that the monthly premiums for your life insurance policy are affordable. VitalOne is there to help you during this complex process. Our licensed insurance brokers can help you select the right life insurance plan for your needs.

Critical Illness Insurance

Critical illness insurance pays you a lump sum if you experience a major medical condition covered in the policy. Diseases, surgeries, and injuries included in typical critical illness insurance policies range from cancer (whether or not it has spread), heart attacks, organ transplants and strokes to severe burns, paraplegia, blindness, or deafness. Sometimes, affordable student health insurance doesn’t pay for all of the costs associated with a critical illness. For example, patients are sometimes transported to distant hospitals that specialize in certain types of treatment. The payout you receive from critical health insurance could pay for your family and friends to stay with you during your hospitalization. The money can also be used for mortgage payments, student loan payments, or anything else that would help reduce stress and allow you to focus on your recovery.

Several conditions can be bundled together in one individual critical illness insurance policy. A certain percentage of the coverage can be paid out upon initial diagnosis, while more can be paid in the case of a recurrence or developing another condition. The younger you are, the cheaper North Carolina critical illness insurance is. You also need to be careful to know what conditions are excluded, and how long the waiting period before receiving payment is. Similar to buying a life insurance policy, the amount of coverage you get depends your income and outstanding debts. VitalOne can help you decide which critical illness insurance policy is best for you.

Accident Insurance

There are two main types of accident insurance in North Carolina: accidental death and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D). AD&D coverage is more extensive: it pays out upon either death or specified serious injuries. In contrast, accidental death insurance only covers a person’s death that directly results from an accident (such as a car crash) as opposed to health-related deaths. Student accident insurance is cheaper than standard life insurance because there is a smaller chance that you will die or be severely injured from an accident; therefore, insurance companies can afford to pay several times what you would expect. Unfortunately, these policies do not apply to any medical illnesses, drug overdoses, surgical errors that cause your death.

Accidental death insurance are meant to cover the higher cost resulting from a sudden death as opposed to a somewhat expected one from an illness. The latter allows more time for planning arrangements, while last-minute expenses and emergency medical costs can be prohibitive. Accidental death and dismemberment insurance normally pays out 50% of the policy upon losing one major member of the body (limb, hand, foot, or eyesight in one eye), with the full payout given upon an individual losing two. The money is intended pay for medical care and accommodations needed after the accident. Accident insurance can be purchased by itself, or as a rider added to any college student health insurance or life insurance policy. VitalOne can explain the benefits and limitations of accident insurance policies and help you find an appropriate North Carolina accident insurance plan.