My son will be attending the University of Washington (in Seattle) and they do not communicate much of anything (including tuition bills!) to parents. I respect the process of having the students develop responsibility for things, even though it is sometimes frustrating when I don’t know about something I needed to know. AND… I just learned that my assumption that there was a Student Health Plan was wrong! I thought all colleges had that, either optional or mandatory, but apparently UW discontinued it in 2014.
We are American citizens, but have lived in Canada since before my son was born. We are covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) so major catastrophes that would send him home would be covered. But obviously that will not cover routine care in a “foreign country.” And for the ordinary illnesses and injuries one is bound to run into in four years at college, it would still be nice to have coverage!
I’m interested in specific suggestions about what to get to provide him some basic coverage. They are on the quarter system so start at the end of September.
I’m also in how widespread this phenomenon of not offering a Student Health Plan is. What school does your kiddo attend, do they have a mandatory or optional health plan, and how much does it cost per year?
He can look into purchasing an individual plan from someplace like Premara or Regence (they are the Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies in WA state). It may or may not work out. They only sell to Washington residents, and not sure if he could/would qualify. But it is a starting place.
Many schools don’t offer plans. Those that do, the costs vary widely. Typically I’ve seen around $2,000 per year, but I know of at least one prominent public university that is $4,000 per year.
Private colleges with lots of international students usually do have a student plan, since all international students have your issue. I suspect colleges with less of an international student body may have less need for this. Not economical to have a plan with few participants.
Did you mean that he would only be covered under OHIP if shipped home for treatment ?
What if there is an emergency trip to a local hospital, no time to travel home ?
Would they cover such an emergency ? If so maybe you don’t need local coverage.
Most policies have high deductibles and coinsurance, if not through a student plan.
You may be able to pay as you go for routine office visits, and if any serious expensive treatment is needed then yes, travel home and/or have the treatment during holiday breaks from school. My kids mostly come home and see docs where we live, not near campus.
See if the school has a health clinic. Bigger school usually do and regular care is reasonable cost. If he’s covered at home for the big stuff, you might be fine.