Important Health Insurance Information for Graduating Seniors
Dear Seniors:
Many of you on this listserve will be graduating soon, while for others graduation may be a bit farther off. In either case, I wanted to share with you some important information about health insurance options after graduation.
In previous years, graduation day was the day when millions of young adults lost their health insurance, making them one of the most vulnerable groups of Americans in the health insurance market. Americans in their twenties are almost twice as likely to go without health insurance as older adults. And young adults who go without health insurance may be one accident or illness away from a lifetime of medical bills and debt.
To promote your health and protect your financial future, I encourage you to do whatever you can to maintain some form of health insurance after graduation.
The good news is that provisions of the health reform law now make it possible in most cases for young adults to remain on their parents’ health care plan until their 26th birthday. This is true regardless of whether the young person is unemployed, looking for a job, married, in school, living at home, or even if they are employed, but their employer does not offer coverage.
The Young Invincibles, a national advocacy organization for young Americans between the ages of 18 and 34, has updated their website giving college students and their families valuable information about health care coverage. I encourage you to check out their toolkit for college graduates available at www.gettingcovered.org.
Finally, students–including graduating seniors–who are currently on the Lewis & Clark Student Health Insurance Plan can purchase summer coverage. This will continue your coverage to August 14, 2013. If you are interested in this option, please go to the Aetna Student Health Insurance website, follow the Enroll/Waive tab, input your personal and student identification information, and when asked, check the Undergraduate Summer Continuation option. You’ll be able to pay for summer insurance with your credit card at that time.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you consider your future plans. I send my best wishes for your success and for your health.
Sincerely,
John Hancock, Ed.D.
Associate Dean of Students, Director of Wellness
