National Public Radio created a fantastic summary of the Big 5 Issues facing students on campus.   GradGuard recognizes that these health issues are also real potential risks that may interrupt an academic semester and also lead to a medical withdrawal.    These “Big 5″ reminders by NPR are another independent source recognizing the risks to the investment college students and their families make to support them.   Thanks to NPR for providing another argument for students to also consider purchasing tuition insurance.

Tuition insurance is not only to provide a refund in the case of an academic loss, but it provides flexibility for a family considering the best academic alternative and personal health considerations for their student.   Given the scope of risks, GradGuard’s tuition insurance enables families to make a decision for their student independent of the financial consideration.

Please read the entire article here http://t.co/gv2VJ9m or read on for some of the highlights.

“This time last year college kids were stressing out about swine flu, hard as that is to believe in hindsight. With students streaming back to campuses, we wondered what health concerns are topping the agenda now….. Dr. Al Glass, president of the American College Health Association, and the heads of health services at some colleges around the country to get a bead on what students face this time around.

Here are their top five issues:

1. Mental Health

“Mental health issues in a broad sense certainly remain a primary issue,” Glass says. Stress is a biggie.

2. Sleep

All-nighters and good health don’t mix. Students should pay more attention to getting enough sleep.”College and university students tend to keep schedules that are really different from people who are out having jobs in the world,” Glass says. Unfortunately, that’s nothing new. Only 11 percent of college students in a sample of 191 undergrads had good quality sleep, a 2001 study in the Journal of American College Health found.

3. Infectious Disease

Although some students died from swine flu last year,”it didn’t turn out to be the pandemic of illness that people were worried about,” says John H. Turco, director of the Dartmouth College health service.  Glass says infectious disease is a perennial concern. There’s no particular bug on the radar this year, but “exposure to other infectious illnesses — colds, upper respiratory infections, influenza” are inevitable.

4. Exercise

Weight problems are everywhere, even college campuses. So what else does the CDC recommend? Exercise. Adults should be active at least 2 1/2 hours a week. But some students may not be getting enough. Glass says too many college kids aren’t heeding the advice and warns that college students aren’t immune to the obesity epidemic.

5. Alcohol

Glass says a discussion about college health wouldn’t be complete without talking about alcohol use.”If [students] would make the decision to drink in college — which, certainly, we’re all aware a large number of them do — to make those choices about what to drink, how much to drink those kinds of things need to be optimally made in a very responsible way,” Glass says.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 4 in 5 college students drink. And when asked, 2 in 5 say they’ve been on a drinking in the past few weeks. Nearly 600,000 college students are injured while under the influence of alcohol each year.”

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People think of insurance as most important to someone at midlife, with a home and family to protect. In fact, insurance is something that college students should inventory with help from their parents.  Even seemingly small events – like a stolen laptop or mono – can impact a family’s financial well-being and a student’s academic success.

GradGuard recommends college parents and students take an inventory of the insurance that may help them reduce the harm that results from real risks surrounding college life.

Renters: Students living on- or off-campus can protect their personal items like computers, bikes, jewelry and other valuables with an inexpensive renters policy that covers theft, fire and weather-related destruction. Although parents’ homeowners policies may offer coverage for student renters, they typically carry a high deductible and may have coverage limitations for part-time students. GradGuard’s renters insurance not only includes personal property protection with replacement cost but also provides personal liability coverage. The average cost is less than $150/year, including up to $10,000 property coverage, $50,000 in personal liability and a $100 deductible. (www.GradGuard.com/renters)

Tuition: According to a 2009 study by Student Monitor, 27 percent of students had to, or knew someone who had to, withdraw from college mid-semester due to health issues or a death in the family. Until now, tuition insurance was typically available only at select private colleges and universities, and many school’s refund policies only cover withdrawals within the first five weeks of the semester.  GradGuard’s tuition insurance program (www.GradGuard.com/tuition) provides up to $50,000 of annual tuition insurance for the non-refunded financial loss associated with the cost of attending college. The GradGuard plan is available to students nationwide and covers verifiable losses connected to the cost of attendance.  This includes not only the loss of non-refunded tuition payments, but also academic fees, room and board, books, and travel to and from the academic program. Rates start at $19.91/month for $5000/term or $10,000/annual coverage.

Health: A 2009 eHealth research study found that only “three in five (60%) college students are currently covered either by their parents’ health insurance plan or a health insurance plan paid for by their parents.”   Until now, the remaining students, particularly the more than 6.5 million students attending two-year or community colleges, have had few relevant alternatives to address the financial risk associated with student accident and illness. The GradGuard™ Student Health Plan (www.GradGuard.com/health) provides broader accident and sickness benefits than many limited coverage school sponsored policies.  The GradGuard Student Health Plan, also available through eHealth, includes tuition refund insurance, and is the only plan of its kind available nationwide to any student attending any accredited college or university.  The annual cost ranges from $1464 to $1848 depending on the deductible.

Identity Theft Protection & Resolution: According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report released by Javelin Strategy and Research, more than 11 million people became victims of identity theft in 2009. Young adults aged 18-24 took the longest to detect identity theft —132 days on average — when compared to other age groups. Subsequently, the average cost ($1,156) was roughly five times more than amounts lost by other age groups. An Identity Theft Protection & Resolution plan, like the one included in GradGuard’s Student Protection Plan, helps protect against certain types of identity theft and aids in the resolution if one becomes a victim.  The cost of this coverage is included in GradGuard’s tuition insurance plan.

Emergency Medical Evacuation: Emergency medical evacuation is important for any student living away from home or studying abroad. If a student becomes seriously ill or has an accident while on spring break or studying abroad this type of insurance will help bring the student home or to the nearest medical facility near home.  This coverage is included in GradGuard’s Tuition Insurance, Student Protection Plan, and student health insurance plans.

This inventory can be helpful to all college families as well as any person evaluating how to mitigate the risks facing their lives.

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Some times articles are so comprehensive that they are worth linking to and sharing directly.   As a result, please see today’s story from USA Today on the options for health insurance for college students.

GradGuard is mentioned within the story as a good alternative for students.   We are pleased for the recognition, but also want to share that in addition to competitive pricing and strong coverage, the GradGuard student health plan also includes $5,000 of tuition refund insurance as well as emergency medical evacuation insurance.   Both of these features are not only relevant but worth hundreds of dollars if students purchase them separately.

Please read the complete article from USA Today here.  http://usat.me/39772372   Here are some of the highlights:

By Sandra Block, USA TODAY -

“Here’s a look at your options:

•Your parents’ employer-provided plan. More than two-thirds of college students are covered by their parents’ plans, and even more could be eligible for that type of coverage next year. Under the health care reform bill signed into law in May, college students and other young adults who aren’t covered by an employer-provided plan can remain on a parent’s plan until age 26.

For insurance plans that operate on a calendar-year basis, the requirement doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2011, but some large insurers have extended coverage ahead of the deadline.

Pros: You’ll receive more generous coverage than you can get anywhere else, says Bryan Liang, executive director for the Institute of Health Law Studies at the California Western School of Law in San Diego. And your parents’ group plan can’t exclude you for having pre-existing health problems.

“If you can get on your parent’s plan, take advantage of it, because employer-based coverage is the best coverage” you can get, Liang says.

Cons: If you attend college far from home, you may not have access to providers who participate in your parent’s plan, says James Turner, director of the student health service at the University of Virginia and immediate past president of the American
College Health Association, an advocacy group for college health professionals.

•Your college’s health insurance plan. More than half of colleges and universities sponsor their own health insurance plans for students, according to a 2008 report by the GAO.

Pros: If you don’t have access to a parent’s plan, your college’s plan could offer a low-cost source of coverage. Annual premiums for student health insurance plans range from $30 to $2,400, and the average premium is about $850, the GAO said.

Cons: School-sponsored plans do a good job of handling immunizations, colds and flu, because their priority is to keep diseases from spreading across campus, says Joel Ohman, a financial planner and founder of Insurance Providers, an insurance brokerage website. But in many cases, he says, they don’t do a good job of covering major medical problems.

For example, many college plans analyzed by the GAO had coverage limits for specific conditions. More than half of the plans had a maximum benefit amount of $30,000 per condition, and 35% had a cutoff of $50,000. Either limit could leave you on the hook for thousands of dollars if you developed a serious illness.

In addition, some plans contained additional caps on the amount they would pay for a specific service or set of services, the GAO said. For example, one plan limited lifetime coverage for all outpatient services — including doctor’s visits, X-rays, lab fees and chemotherapy — to $1,200 per condition, the GAO said. A student diagnosed with cancer could hit that limit on the first day of treatment, Liang says.

In April, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo charged that many school-sponsored plans provide generous profits to insurance companies while putting students at risk. An investigation by Cuomo’s office found that, in addition to low

coverage limits, some plans excluded students with pre-existing health problems, or charged them a higher premium. Others failed to cover prescription drugs or placed limits on drug coverage, Cuomo said. And some plans had per-illness caps as low as $700, Cuomo said. Cuomo’s office looked at 65 policies offered by colleges and universities in New York, along with some out-of-state schools
attended by New York residents.

•Individual insurance plans. These plans are available through websites such as eHealthInsurance.

Pros: Premiums for young, healthy adults are usually affordable — as low as $600 a year in some cases, Liang says. You may have a wider choice of providers than is available through your school’s health plan. And if you won’t be eligible for your parent’s plan until next year, an individual plan could provide short-term coverage at a relatively low cost.

Some insurers are offering individual plans targeted at students who don’t have insurance through their parents but aren’t happy with their school’s plan. College Parents of America, a Virginia-based non-profit, recently launched GradGuard, an individual

insurance plan that offers broader coverage than most college plans. The plan covers up to $500,000 per condition. Annual premiums range from $1,464 to $1,848, depending on the deductible.

Cons: Deductibles and co-payments may be higher than those for a college-sponsored health plan. If you have chronic health problems, such as asthma, you may not be able buy an individual insurance plan, at least not at a price you can afford. The
health care reform bill prohibits insurers from denying coverage to people with medical conditions, but that provision doesn’t take effect until 2014.

You can find more information about individual insurance plans and other options for the uninsured at HealthCare.gov.”

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You can find GradGuard through many channels.  One of our trusted partners is eHealth which today released this comprehensive media alert that contains some excellent insights into health insurance options for college students and their families.  An abbreviated version appears below.

“eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: EHTH), the leading online source of health insurance for individuals and families, today released a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help new and returning college students and their parents better understand their health insurance options after the passage of health reform legislation.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions An estimated 19 million students will be enrolling in classes this fall(1), and as many as 12%(2) of these may be uninsured. With several provisions of health reform legislation coming into effect on September 23, 2010, college students and their parents may not fully understand their health insurance options this year. The following FAQs are designed to answer specific concerns and help this year’s students find the best health insurance solution for their personal needs and budget:

Question: Do I need to have health insurance when I go to school?

Answer: Most colleges and universities require students to have some kind of health insurance coverage. Contact your school for more information, but keep in mind that health insurance is about more than getting access to health care when you need it. It also helps limit your financial liability for expenses that may arise from an unforeseen accident or injury — expenses that could potentially bankrupt you or your parents and seriously damage your prospects for the future. Whether or not your school requires it, make sure you’re covered.

Question: What are the health insurance options students can choose from this year?

Answer: Most college students in 2010 will choose from among the following five types of health insurance coverage:

--  Parents' health insurance plans. A provision of health reform law that
    becomes effective in 2010 allows adult children to keep their coverage
    under a parent's health insurance policy until age 26, whether or not
    they are currently enrolled in college. The parent's policy might be
    group coverage sponsored through an employer or an individual or
    family policy purchased by the parent. Some employer-based plans are
    accepting students now while others may wait until January 1, 2011
    before allowing students to re-enroll.
--  Individually-purchased health insurance plans. Many students purchase
    coverage on their own in the form of an individual, non-group policy.
    There is a broad variety of individual coverage options to choose from
    nationwide. However, until 2014, in most states it is still possible
    to be declined for individual coverage based on pre-existing medical
    conditions.
--  School-sponsored health plans. Many colleges and universities offer
    their own health insurance plans to students. Some of these plans
    place strict limits on the range of benefits covered and may limit
    access to only those doctors and services available through an
    on-campus student health center. As regulations for health reform laws
    continue to be written, the future of school-sponsored plans is
    uncertain.
--  Individually-purchased student health plans. These plans may resemble
    school-sponsored plans by placing specific limits on certain benefits,
    but they typically offer more freedom in obtaining medical care away
    from campus. Student health plans may be especially valuable for those
    going to school in a different state. While the post-reform future of
    these products is also uncertain, new and innovative student health
    plans with richer benefits are being introduced to the market.
--  Government insurance options. These may include state or federal
    insurance programs such as Medicaid or high risk pools. In order to
    qualify for some of these products you must have a diagnosis for a
    pre-existing medical condition on file with your doctor. You may also
    need to have been previously uninsured for a minimum of six months.

Question: How did the passage of health reform change things for students this year?

Answer: Some of the most profound changes to the health insurance market won’t come into effect until 2014, but here are four ways that health reform has changed options for students looking for health insurance this year:

1.  Health reform allows students (and non-students) to stay on their
    parents' plans until age 26. Before the passage of health reform, some
    students lost coverage under parents' plans earlier.
2.  Health reform strengthens protections for individually purchased
    coverage. After September 23, 2010, new individual health insurance
    policies will cover certain preventive care screenings (women's health
    screenings, for example) with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Health
    reform also made it more difficult for the insurance company to cancel
    your individual coverage retroactively if you become ill.
3.  New high risk pool coverage will be made available beginning in 2010 for
    persons who may not qualify for individual coverage due to a pre-
    existing medical condition.
4.  It's still not entirely clear, but school-sponsored health plans and
    other student health plans may be forced to expand their coverage as a
    result of health reform. Many of these plans currently limit coverage to
    a maximum dollar amount on a per-condition basis. Health reform may
    erase such dollar limits.

Question: Isn’t it best to stick with my parents’ health insurance plan?

Answer: Not necessarily. It may be convenient to stay on your parents’ plan, and the levels of coverage available through some employer-sponsored group plans can be excellent. However, if you are going to school in a different state than the one in which your parents live, you may find that your coverage levels are significantly lower when you’re away from home, and there may be no in-network doctors or hospitals available to you near your school.

Furthermore, while a parent’s employer may keep you on their group policy as a dependent, they may not contribute very much toward your monthly premiums. Your parents may have to pay significantly more to keep you on their plan than it may cost for you to purchase comparable individual coverage on your own. It’s a good idea to go over the dollars involved and the levels of coverage you’ll enjoy while at school to see if it may make more sense to move to an individual policy or student health plan, with or without assistance from your parents.

Question: My school offers coverage. Shouldn’t I just take what they’re offering?

Answer: Look over the benefit levels offered and what kind of coverage such a plan would provide if you had to seek medical attention while away from school or through a medical service provider other than the student health center. You should also be aware of any dollar limitations placed on your benefits. Many school-sponsored health plans limit your coverage on a per-condition basis. After considering your options, you may still decide that a school-sponsored plan is best for you. But don’t assume that it’s your only option.

Question: What should I do if I can’t re-enroll in my parents’ plan until January 2011?

Answer: The provision of health reform that allows adult children to stay on their parents’ plan comes into effect on September 23, 2010. However, due to open enrollment schedules, some employer-based plans may not allow you to re-enroll in a parent’s plan until January 2011. If you need a stop-gap to provide you with coverage until then, consider purchasing an individual health insurance plan, which can be paid month-to-month and cancelled at any time. Short-term health insurance plans offer another solution, but please note that short-term plans typically don’t cover preventive care, pre-existing medical conditions or prescription drugs.

Question: What if I have a pre-existing medical condition or am too old to stay on a parent’s plan?

Answer: If you have a pre-existing medical condition that makes it difficult to obtain health insurance on your own in the individual market and you’re too old to stay on a parent’s plan, you may have a couple choices. First, consider the school-sponsored plans available through your college or university. You may be eligible to enroll in these plans regardless of your medical history. Look at the fine print, however, and make sure that you understand any limitations that would be placed on your coverage. For example, some school-sponsored plans may limit coverage per-condition to $50,000 or less. That may sound like a lot, but a few days in the hospital for a serious condition could quickly use up those funds.

You should also consider an individually-purchased student health plan (the kind not offered through a specific school). For example, there’s a student health plan called GradGuard(TM) which allows for coverage up to $500,000 per-condition. No one is turned down for coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions, though GradGuard(TM) has a pre-existing condition exclusion period of twelve months. If you can show that you have had other coverage in place for the past year, however, then the exclusion period may be waived. Students of any age can qualify for coverage with GradGuard(TM).

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Many higher education institutions in the United States provide health insurance for their students.  Although a deeper look into these policies often reveals a limited amount of coverage.  Students looking for a broader coverage may want to take a look at the insurance market.

Attending college is a great lifestyle enhancer but the environment students are placed in often leads to health risks.  The phrase, “You can run but you can’t hide” fits well with the health environment.  With overcrowded classrooms and condensed populations, germs, illness and disease are free to spread quickly.   General health practices are great ways to limit exposure but students are sure to run into some form of health risk.

Furthermore, most students attending college are young adults and this particular age group has higher chance of accident related emergency room visits.  Depending on your schools policy, emergency room visits may not be covered.  Without insurance coverage, hospital bills can become a financial burden fast!  It’s safe to say that one night in a hospital bed is going to cost you thousands without coverage.

With private health insurance, students can expand their coverage to what the deem necessary.  Allowing them to visit their doctor of choice instead of limiting themselves to the schools health facilities.  With this ability, students are able to work around their busy schedules. 

Students interested in traveling should seriously consider some form of additional insurance if they have not already.  Studying aboard does provide young adults with the ability to see the world and all it’s wonders but safety needs to be a main concern.  Without the proper coverage, traveling students may find themselves unable to afford necessary health services.

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A survey titled “Real Life 101″ taken this past March by eHealthInsurance revealed too many young adults were uninsured. The survey interviewed 1,016 adults between the ages of 18 – 30 years including full-time students and graduates of the past three years. A couple key facts “Real Life 101” uncovered include:

• one-in-five (21%) of adults ages 18-30 who have graduated college in the past three years are uninsured
• one-in-three (37%) of these young adults reported having no insurance the day after accepting their diploma

The largest drive for college students (32%) and recent graduates (41%) to obtain health insurance is the affordability of coverage. Although pricing may deter many young adults from purchasing health insurance, they have many misconceptions about it as well. Recent graduates over estimated the cost of an individual health insurance policy by 38% while current students over estimated it by 69%. With the new health reform, students will be forced to purchase health insurance or face a significant fine. Luckily GradGuard offers an affordable student health insurance that meets student’s needs and keeps premiums low.

GradGuard Student Health Insurance is more than an affordable health coverage; it includes travel assistance services, $5,000 in annual tuition insurance, and identity theft protection. The student health plan offers these superior coverages as well as a free membership to College Parents of America. GradGuard is excited to announce a partnership working with College Parents of America (CPA) to offer affordable insurance of all kinds alongside the benefits and knowledge of CPA.

For a free student health insurance quote please visit: www.gradguard.com/health.

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According to www.healthreform.gov, approximately 30 percent of young adults are uninsured. This catastrophic number is expected to fall when The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is enforced. The new health care bill President Obama signed into law this past March, effective in the next six months, will benefit college-aged young adults in many ways.

The most significant change The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will make concerning college aged students is the ability to stay on a parents’ health insurance plan – if considered a dependent – until age 26. According to USA Today a young adult under 26 may stay on their parents’ plan regardless of whether they are married, employed, a student or graduate, or live separate from his or her parents. This is a large and greatly beneficial change as previously insurance companies only allowed young adults to be included on a parents’ health insurance policy up to a certain age, usually between 19 and 24 years.

Another gigantic change to the health insurance field is the ability to deny coverage on the grounds of a pre-existing condition has been removed and deemed illegal by the new legislation. This opens a large door for anyone who has been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition, from cancer to asthma, and denied health insurance for this reason. By the year 2014 insurance carriers will no longer be able to deny adults coverage for a pre-existing condition and even sooner for children. Additional changes to the health insurance realm will include free preventive care such as diet, exercise, and nutrition counseling as well as immunizations and special screenings. These free services will greatly benefit students, especially the immunizations that will help protect students as they move from classroom to classroom, interacting with hundreds of fellow students a day.

The government recognizes many families do not have health insurance because they can not afford it and will be subsidizing insurance plans to those who earn less than the Federal Poverty Line. The cut off is currently 133 to 400 percent of annual income an individual earns, or about $14,000 to $43,000.

For a free health insurance quote comparison contact a friendly GradGuard representative today!

Filed under: Connect With Us, DO UR HMWK by Cassie Social tagging: GradGuard > health care bill > health insurance > healthreform > pre-existing condition > President Obama > saving money on health insurance > student health insurance > The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act > USA Today
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At least that’s what the University of Minnesota’s director Ed Ehlinger is saying.  Each year, Ehlinger and his staff survey the stat’s college students to see how academic performance is affected by lifestyle factors.  After the survey, they concluded that students with health insurance get better grades.

Although Ehlinger can not pin point the cause and effect of the results, he believes the link is strong enough that colleges should required health coverage if they are looking to improve academic achievement.

The University of Minnesota currently requires health coverage but certain schools around the country currently do not.

If you are a student and would like review information on health insurance or compare policies and rates, GradGuard can help protect you!

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Widespread cuts at Fresno Statehave forced some students to postpone their graduation plans.  Due to the lack of classes, students are finding that it is not possible to get into the prerequisite classes they need. 

Van Grouw, a former biology major, was forced to change her major to stay on track for a four-year-graduation plan.

“It was really difficult planning my schedule when all the classes got cut. The kinesiology department only offers certain classes every other semester, so if I don’t get the classes I need for next fall, I will have to wait a whole year to try and get those classes again,” Van Grouw said.

The Collegianreported that Fresno State used its one-time $2.9 million federal stimulus money in February to restore some classes in the fall 2010 semester.   Even with the stimulus money, students like Hannah Deeter will still be forced to stay one semester to a year longer on average. 

Hannah Deeter enrolled as a dietetics major in fall 2007 but after attempting to register for classes, she realized she would no longer be able to reach her goal of graduating in spring 2011.  Deeter gave a statement to the Collegian, explaining her situation:

“For my next four semesters, I will not even have enough major classes to fill my 12-unit, full-time student requirement. I will have to take random elective classes I do not need to graduate to stay a full-time student, which I need [in order] to stay on my parents’ health insurance.”

These tough situations can be very troubling for students and their families.  With budget cuts occurring all over the nation, it may be possible that this dilemma will occur at other institutions as well!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Ryan Social tagging: delayed graduation > Fresno State budget cuts > health insurance > postponed graduation > The Collegian
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As Washington D.C. fights a war on health care reform Florida rages its own battlefield. The Florida legislation may soon consider adding a new requirement for state-funded university attendees to hold health insurance. Although the measure did not pass through legislation last spring it’s expected to surface again next session.

Some opposition to this measure remains. Leixe Yanes of Florida Atlantic University stated, “If it passes, less kids will go to school. I think it should be left up to the students. We’re the ones paying. It’s our lives… they don’t need to take care of us.” This will increase the cost of attending college by an estimated $1,300 a year.

Although this may be true, the measure will motivate more college students to purchase health insurance. Even if you’re healthy as a horse accidents can not be predicted and may be detrimental to not only your health, but your checkbook as well. Rolling your ankle running to class or coming down with a contagious sickness like the swine flu is unexpected, however more common than you would think. A recent survey of college students graduates indicated nearly 60% of respondents or one of their friends had been hospitalized during the prior two years. After thinking about the additional doctor’s appointments, medications, and possible therapy following hospitalization… health insurance seems to make more and more sense.

Filed under: DO UR HMWK by Cassie Social tagging: Florida Atlantic University > Florida college students > Florida students > Florida University students > gradgaurd > health care legislation > health insurance > health reform > Washington D.C.
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