As college classes are set to begin, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario today reminded parents to consider their family's changing insurance needs.
"Hundreds of thousands of young Pennsylvanians will be heading to college in the next few weeks," Commissioner Ario reported. "It can be a hectic and emotional time, but in the rush to begin the semester, parents should take time to review insurance coverage needs."
The Insurance Department offers these tips to help consumers review and update policies - from health, to property and auto insurance:
Health: Many health insurance policies cover dependents who are full-time students until the age of 23. Pennsylvania law recently changed to expand health coverage for children of insured parents. It allows adults up to age 30, under certain conditions, to remain covered by their parents' employer group health insurance. The coverage expansion occurs at the discretion of the employer. Individual policies differ, so check with the insurance provider or benefits administrator about age or full-time student status questions.
Many schools offer student health insurance plans which are sold by companies that have contracted with a college to offer coverage to its students. Generally, these plans have limited benefits and may exclude certain injuries and types of coverage. Consumers should read all the fine print and be sure that they are dealing with a licensed insurance entity.
Also, students should have a copy of all relevant insurance cards and know how to obtain referrals and approvals, if necessary, before seeking treatment. If care is covered by a provider network, check to see if the student will be outside the network service area while away at school. If the insurer contracts with a preferred provider organization (PPO), the insurer may pay benefits at out-of-network levels. Check plan provisions to find out what level of benefits is provided and what the out-of-pocket costs might be.