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1 Last Task Before You Become An Empty Nester

April 26, 2016 By Shelby Tatomir

Your kids are ready to leave for college…almost. Here’s one thing you may have forgotten:

With 18 years of school behind them and summer ahead of them, we’re willing to bet your kids are more concerned with a healthy tan than health insurance. That’s where you come in.

Even when they’re 40, your kids are still your babies. And don’t you want your baby birds to be covered when they leave the nest? College kids are required to have some form of health insurance, and those with health and dental coverage are more likely to get regular check-ups. They’re also more likely to choose fruits and veggies over ramen and pizza (OK, we made the last one up).

Here are options to pitch your pre-college kids:

• Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, kids are able to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26.

° If kids live or attend school in another state, access to doctors and dentists may be limited.

° Some universities require students to enroll in their student health program. In that case, keeping children on your plan may not even be an option.

 • Familiarize yourself with their university insurance plans and/or health resources.

° Approximately 3 million young people are covered by student health plans. See if your child’s school offers one.

° If the school doesn’t offer full insurance, it can still provide coverage resources, including: nearby dentists and doctors, clinic offerings, and cost-efficient tips.

° Some schools may offer discount insurance services a la carte.

• Consider a catastrophic health plan.

° These plans protect your kids from worst-case scenarios.

° They provide less coverage overall than typical plans, but cost less on a month-to-month basis.

No matter which insurance route you steer your spawn toward, explore all their options and help them make the smartest decision.

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Filed Under: Dental Benefits, Dental Health, Dental Health for Kids Tagged With: college, college dental insurance, college health insurance, college insurance, empty nest, empty nester, going to college, Growing Up, high school, high school graduate, Obamacare, parent, pre-college, stepping into adulthood, time to leave the nest, university, university insurance plan

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