<p>My daughter will be 17 yrs old for the first six months of her college life. My main concern is medical care and how she can get it if needed. We have insurance that will cover her and I'll send her away with a ID card for it. However how can she get care without me present at 17yrs old?</p>
<p>You d will be considered an adult by the college. The college your d attends will have medical forms for you and your d to complete.</p>
<p>A good question to ask any college on your d’s list is what health care is available. My own d’s college has a nurse on campus and a doctor on call 24/7.</p>
<p>My d was 17, too. During orientation, I signed a release for her medical treatment. They called me anyway, but if they couldn’t reach me, they’d have relied on the release.</p>
<p>Thank you! We haven’t gotten that far yet she’s picking schools she wants to go see and I started to worry about what would happen if she was 2000 miles away and needed medical care before she turned 18. Now I can let her choose having my main concern taken some what away. She has a history of medical issues and we will have to find her specialists to take over her care (if needed) once she goes away to school. I would just have to find ones in her school of choice and acceptances area that would take a release from me. I of course would go and get her all set up before just leaving her at school.</p>
<p>FLMom, you sound like a loving and caring mom :)</p>
<p>I would just make a point to ask about the level of available health care at your d’s potential schools, since she has medical issues.</p>
<p>More or less the same way she would at overnight camp or boarding school: you’ll have to authorize the health center to provide routine ambulatory care, and to make arrangements for her care in the event of an emergency.</p>
<p>Some colleges have student health centers where you pay a once a year reasonable fee (I pay $182) and it allows my child visits to the center for just about anything. I don’t even think there is a co-pay. My DS has gone this year for colds; eye infection and dermatology issues. He makes the appointment and usually gets in the same day. This center can also make referrals for more serious issues. I would check to see you the potential college has such a program.</p>
<p>If she has to go off campus for care, hospital, etc. they will probably call you for a verbal ok to treat her. I would just make sure your phone numbers are listed in her phone or somewhere easily found in her wallet if she has a password to get into her phone. Maybe investigate a potential clinic in the area that is associated with the local hospital if possible. Get your information on file there?? They may need to fax you an authorization eventually but they will probably call first.</p>
<p>We had that happen with our oldest one when he was younger. He had gone to a friend’s cabin for the weekend, never thought to give a medical release. Got a phone call one night–a night where the roads were very ICY–from the hospital. I think it took about 5 minutes for my heart to start beating again after the caller said “This is the hospital calling about your son”. He was fine, someone had fallen on his arm and broke his arm. I suggested that if the nurse had to call other parents in similar situations that they start the conversation with “your child is fine but this is the hospital…” :D.</p>
<p>My then 17-yo sister had the presence of mind to tell the ER doc, who couldn’t reach either our parents or the Dean at night, was that her parents wouldn’t sue him for sewing up her finger, but would be much more likely to sue him for failing to do so. That convinced him.</p>
<p>I did call one medical office next to my D’s college and they said minor students can make appointment for medical care by themselves without parental permission.</p>