<p>A few weeks ago D started her college life. We carefully scoured CC and talked to friends about what and what not to bring. Felt we had it down and move in went smoothly no major problems. Felt proud we did it right. Since D is an athlete we remembered the insurance card and dental insurance card. So things were fine. Tuesday I got a call from D saying Monday night she had gone to the infirmary. Bunch of test run, she's ok, but they gave her some prescriptions. She headed to the pharmacy thinking the insurance card covered prescriptions -- you know what we forgot -- prescription card. Was not a big deal as I emailed the information and $40 prescription dropped to $3. It is the only card we do not have one for each of us. So if any of you have such plans with that need a card, did you give your child the info or the card? Odds of needing it were slim to none, based on passed experience but then?</p>
<p>I have used my health insurance card several times in my 3 years at school. I'm glad I have it - I went to the ER and couldn't reach my mother, and it was a lot easier to just have the card than try and find all the info. Also, when filling prescriptions (both those prescribed at home and anything prescribed if I get sick) it makes things much easier and quicker, and when I'm sick, I don't feel like hunting down info that could be on a handy card in my wallet. I've found it extremely useful, pretty much.</p>
<p>We gave D a notarized photocopy of the front & back of the card. Same with the general health ins. card.</p>
<p>We got an additional medical/pharm card for S, and copied the dental and lab cards.</p>
<p>I happened to remember the prescription card as we were driving S to school on move in day. I had mine in my purse so I was able to give him one.</p>
<p>I gave S the health, dental and prescription cards, and even got him his own flex spending credit card. Once I started with the health insurance card, I simply kept going, I guess.</p>
<p>We've chosen to use Walgreens. They keep family prescription insurance information on their computer, and it is available to any Walgreens store.</p>
<p>^^Ditto for CVS^^</p>
<p>Freshman year we made sure to locate the closest store for S1. Then he decided to suspend his allergy meds, but at least he'll know what to do in an emergency.</p>
<p>Having computerized prescription information is SO convenient! I forgot my meds when we left for the beach last summer. I called the local CVS, they had the information in their data base and were able to supply me with a small (8 days) supply until I got home! Son had same experience with CVS while away at school....Very convenient!</p>
<p>S1 had to go to the Dr. in his college town last week. We scanned our insurance card and emailed it to him. He printed out a copy and took it to the Dr's office where they accepted it with no prob.</p>
<p>Glad it was not just us, felt sort of stupid. Seems like an important thing to remember.</p>
<p>We're lucky. All of our health insurance (medical, prescription and dental) is on one card...and the kids have it.</p>
<p>As others have said, for insurance cards that we only received parental copies, I made copies in our home printer for our girls when they left for college. I copied them on card stock, and finally figured out how to stick it in the machine so the back copied exactly on the back of the copy of the front I had made (if that makes sense). Then I cover them with plastic (clear Contact paper). No one has ever questioned these copied cards when they have been presented.</p>
<p>Won't the insurance companies supply you with more cards as needed for grown children?</p>
<p>MidwestParent, I had done something similiar for S1 except I carefully glued the copy on some really thick paper. Didn't do the contact paper. Don't know if it would have held up to the washing machine anyway which is where my homemade card ended up in S's pants pocket,lol.</p>
<p>At the Walgreens near my son, we were able to give them our credit card once and they charge all of his prescriptions on it (the ones he cannot get at school). Since we like to have all of our health expenses on one card, it is very convenient. Plus, he doesn't have to do anything other than give his name and collect the Rx.</p>
<p>We have not had any problem with either plain photocopies nor giving the info to the pharmacy or Drs office over the phone. In all cases, they ended up verifying kids eligibility through the insurance companies once they had plan numbers, etc.</p>
<p>I called our insurance company and got a card for each family member.</p>
<p>Even if you are using Walgreen's or CVS, which has a national system, you still need to have all the cards. Several years ago Walgreens deleted all of my daughter's medication records & prescriptions, probably a 10 year history. The data was unrecoverable. It doesn't matter too much, except if you have standing prescriptions or renewals - well, they're all gone. </p>
<p>The bottom line is you can't really rely on their computerized system. It's probably 99.9 % reliable, but nothing is perfect.</p>
<p>My DH is a physician and has more trouble with the local Walgreen's regarding prescriptions than any other pharmacy in town. Thank goodness for electronic medical records. He can log in at home, tell the pharmacist that yes, that prescription was sent to them at such and such a time, and fax them another copy. I have gone to making photocopies of any prescriptions we have filled and filing them away just in case. I also save the "receipt" off the presciption when it is filled that has the prescription number on it. We don't personally use Walgreen's at home, but it would be the closest pharmacy for our college soph D. </p>
<p>Anyway, back to subject. I would make sure whether you ask your insurance company for extra copies of your cards or make one yourself, your college students take those with them.</p>