Heading back to college? Add health coverage to your must-have shopping list

Published on August 21, 2015

If you’re getting ready to head back to college, don’t forget about putting one of the most important things on your college must-have list: health coverage.

• Student health plans may be available if you’re in college. If you’re covered by your school’s student health plan, in most cases, you’re considered covered under the health care law and you won’t have to pay the fee that people without coverage must generally pay.
• You may be able to stay covered under your parent’s health plan until you turn 26.
• If you’re under 30, you can buy a Catastrophic health plan to protect yourself from worst-case scenarios.
• You can enroll in a 2016 Health Insurance Marketplace plan starting on November 1, 2015. Most people qualify for financial help to lower premium costs. All Marketplace plans must cover
  essential health benefits

  A set of 10 categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. These include doctors’ services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy and childbirth, mental health services, and more. Some plans cover more services.

  and may even offer other benefits, like contraceptive services. They’ll also help protect you from high costs if you have an accident or get sick.
• You may qualify for Medicaid, a combined state and federal program that provides coverage to people with limited income. When you apply for Marketplace coverage, you’ll find out if you qualify for coverage through Medicaid.