Continued from page 1 If your child plays intercollegiate sports, he may not be covered for injuries sustained during practice or a game. The National Collegiate Athletic Association administers insurance certification guidelines to colleges and universities for intercollegiate sports. While the NCAA requires all student athletes to have health insurance before joining a college athletic team, some schools will cover most of the student's medical expenses if they are injured during a game. In some cases, if the child is covered under his parent's insurance, there may be exclusions regarding injuries sustained while taking part in intramural sports. Check your health insurance policy to determine if your child is covered in the event of a sports-related injury.
Under some state laws, college health plans can refuse to pay for treatment of medical conditions that existed before the coverage took effect. So before you sign up for a college health plan, make sure you know how pre-existing conditions are defined.
According to Stephen Beckley, a principal at Hodgkins Beckley Consulting, a consulting firm in Fort Collins, Colo., "the states are a checkerboard when it comes to pre-existing conditions," he says. "College plans are regulated under the same basis as an employee health insurance plan. Some states waive pre-existing conditions after six months of enrollment and some do not. It is important to read the fine print and understand how pre-existing conditions apply to your insurance plan."
Beckley adds that because most colleges take funding from the federal government, and medical underwriting is not allowed under federal law, college health plans can't be priced according to a student's health.
| College health plans can't be priced according to a student's health. |
Parents sometimes buy a college's health insurance even when the student is covered under their plan if the parent policy requires doctor referrals for care. Obtaining referrals across states can be problematic. (Many HMOs require referrals for visits to out-of-network providers.) Parents who want their out-of-state college children to get prompt care without calling home for a physician's referral might want to consider college health plans.
Cost and the problem of referrals shouldn't prevent the student from having health insurance, whether it's through a parent's plan or the school's plan. A serious illness or injury could have long-lasting negative financial consequences for the student, the parent or both.
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