It is estimated that about 44 million Americans are uninsured today, and many of those are college students who either cannot afford coverage or who don’t feel that the high cost of coverage is worthwhile. One accident or illness, however, can result in hundreds or thousands of dollars in some cases, and so having coverage in place is often worthwhile. Some universities and colleges today actually require that students carry health insurance, and they will enroll you in their plan if you do not find coverage on your own. So what are some options available for finding cheap student health insurance plans?

Check Your College or University

In some cases, the student health insurance plans offered by colleges and universities are too expensive for most students to benefit from, but some plans are actually a good deal for students. You will want to check with your own college or university to explore plan options available. Some will offer a single comprehensive plan and others will offer flexibility in your coverage choices such as different coverage options, varying co-pays and deductibles, and more.

Employer Plans

Many part-time and full-time college students today do have a busy schedule that includes attending classes and working. Students should consider discussing insurance options with their employer, as their current work schedule may be just a few hours shy each week of qualifying for the employer plan. Employers offer group plans, which are more affordable than individual policies, and many employers will also pay for a portion of your premium, too. A few employers do offer benefits for part-time workers as well, and you may want to consider searching for a new job that offers more attractive benefits to obtain health coverage through your employer.

Individual Plans

You can also shop around for your own individual policy. This is fairly easy to do as you simply need to visit an insurance rate comparison site to compare rates or otherwise contact a few insurance companies directly for quotes. If you are young and healthy, you may find that such plans are rather affordable. Further, you can bump up the deductible and co-pay options to reduce the premium amount for additional monthly savings to you. When purchasing this type of plan, ensure that the coverage includes access to medical services both near your campus and near your hometown so you can get medical attention in the two locations where you spend most of your time.

Many people do believe initially that student health insurance plans are too costly to afford or that it is unnecessary. However, if you take some time today to explore the options available to you, you will find that there are some rather affordable options available for getting the coverage you need. If these options are still too costly for you or you do not qualify for them, you can always consider going back onto your parents’ policy. Some restrictions pertaining to age and your employment status will apply when going back on your parents’ policy. However you obtain your insurance coverage, you will find that it really can result in significant savings to you over the long run. You never know what life has in store for you around the corner, and so it is best to be fully insured.