health insurance experts - an inexpensive health insurance for a college student in New York City?

Question

the followings criteria must be met (due to my school's policy):

1. Medical and mental treatment in the NYC area that covers at least $100,000 (total) per sickness or accident;
2. Coverage for pre-existing conditions;
3. Medical evacuation and repatriation of at least $15000;
4. Repatriation of remains of at least $7500; and
5. A deductible not to exceed $500 per year.

(I don't know what half of these words mean, haha)

Anyone? I would really appreciate it if someone could give me a good suggestion.
hopefully, I'd like to get an insurance under $1000 per academic year.

thanks for comments!

Answer 1

I'm guessing you're an international student, right? Contact an individual insurance agent to get quotes. I'd recommend one, but I don't know any in NY. Can the school recommend an agent or company? Ask their office for international students.

Here's some definitions:
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: Anything you have wrong with you or have seen a medical professional about in the period before coverage started. Usually the period is for 2 years, but could be longer.

REPATRIATION OF REMAINS: Will pay to have your dead body returned to your home country if you should die while in the US.

DEDUCTIBLE: The amount of the health care costs you must pay. For example, with a deductible of $500, you have to pay that amount before the insurance will pick up all costs, except for co-pays.

CO-PAYS: The amount you have to pay for service. For example, under my insurance, at each office visit, I have to pay a co-pay of $20 just to go to the doctor, regardless of what the doctor charges the insurance.

Answer 2

In determining the characteristics and cost of health insurance, the important fact is your state (or country) of permanent residence rather than your school location. You will be asked for your permanent address when you apply online or in person.
I understand how hard it can be to know what to do when you are not sure you know what the words mean. If you go to http://www.wavehelp.com/frequently-asked-questions.htm you will be able to read about what most of the terms mean. That page is mostly about short-term medical insurance but once you have educated yourself, you can go to the home page on that website for a broader range of options.
Best wishes.

Answer 3

If you still reside with your parents or if your main residence is outside the state of New York (and you simply are going to school there but do not vote or plan to live there permanently) then you are in luck --(assuming you don't live in ANOTHER "bad" state for health insurance like NJ, VT, ME, MA, RI )! You can contact an independent agent or broker from that other "good" state where your permanent residence is and ask that broker to help you find a good individual PPO health insurance plan with a national insurance company.

That agent should be able to help you with plans from companies such as Celtic or Assurant who use the Private Healthcare Systems PPO (www.PHCS.com)
would be good bets. These are strong national companies and their PPO plans allow you to not only use the huge national PHCS network which has nearly 4000 hospitals and 400,000 doctors nationwide, but they also cover you OUTSIDE of the network as well. I know Assurant covers air ambulance and has lifetime maximums as high as $8 million available.

Your pre-exisiting conditions, if disclosed and not very severe are usually coverable by these plans although the healthiest, applicants without pre-existing conditions will get the best rates. I

If you do have severe ongoing pre-existing conditions your state's high risk pool may be an option for you. However, no plan will cover pre-existing conditions without satisfying a waiting period during which pre-existing conditions are not covered UNLESS you have maintained prior health insurance coverage (either through your parents, an individual plan or through an employer or sometimes, a short-term medical plan) for 12-18 consecutive months ,depending on your state, and it also has to have been less than 63 to 90 days since that plan ended and your new plan begins in order to qualify to get your pre-existing conditions covered by the new plan or be eligible for pre-ex coverage in your state's high risk pool.

Another option would be to just get the health insurance that your college has available to it's full time students. Usually the cost of coverage for the student health plans is VERY affordable, although it does NOT usually provide good catastropthic coverage.

Lastly if you reside in New York, (one of the tough states, unfortunately), I would search high and low for an independent agent who specializes in health insurance. Avoid the so called "affordable plans for the self-employed and individuals"
There are some scams and quasi-scams out there you need to avoid.The insurance companies that underwrite the plans manage to stay in business because they pay claims as specified in the policy. The problem is the policies are so complicated and they pay out so little as compared to what you pay for them .

Red flags to watch out for of plans that should be avoided would be any maximum daily amount paid for each day in the hospital. A GOOD plan that is REAL COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH insurance company will not have any maximum amount they pay out per day in the hospital.

Another red flag would be to avoid any plan where you have to buy a bunch of riders to get full coverage. Some of these plans may sound good. The agents that sell them say they are "sensible" because you only "pay for what you need". They usually are designed as follows: There is a basic hospitization plan that has "scheduled benefits" which list the dollar amounts the plan pays for various services. That alone should be a big red flag. Then , in order to get coverage for diagnostic tests you would have to get ANOTHER rider. Both of these riders probably have deductibles. Then they usually have a Chemotherapy or some sort of therapy rider and then and accident rider. Avoid anything you see like this. A good plan will include all of these things plus full coverage for Rx in the basic plan.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

The college should be offering a group plan you could buy into. I doubt it would be less than $100 a month, though.

Answer 5

Have sex with a well known NYC doctor, and all your health concerns would be taken care of!!!