Learn – Page 5 of 13 – Academic HealthPlans

Learn

The AHP blog features the latest updates and best practices in student health.

 
Health insurance vector illustration concept isolated. Huge health insurance form on clipboard. People patients and doctors with first aid kit, stethoscope, xray in medical clinic, hospital.

I’m Young and Healthy – Why Do I Need Student Health Insurance?

Student Health

It may be frustrating to learn that your college or university is requiring you to have student health insurance. You are young and healthy and are already saddled with piling student debt.

Here is some food for thought: young + healthy ≠ invincible.

Let’s look at it like this:

If you drive a car, you are required to have auto insurance.  If you have a house, you need home insurance. We don’t expect accidents to happen, but when they do, we are prepared so we do not have to worry about forking over thousands of dollars to cover the property damage out of pocket.

Similarly, we should also prepare for unexpected illnesses and accidents that require medical care because the last thing you want to worry about when in the hospital is exuberant medical bills and pesky collectors – and we are sure you’ve heard the stories about the people who received bills for hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even a million) after a hospital stay.

And although college-aged individuals tend to be healthier overall, there are certain areas of concern among this group – specifically being mental and sexual health. Depression and anxiety-related concerns have risen dramatically among the younger generation over the years, and the pandemic has only made things worse – which is why we ensure that you have access to the BEST care and comprehensive services for behavioral health, not just physical.

We have also recently seen outbreaks of COVID-19 cases among college students who have recently gone back to campus – although the risk of life-threatening complications is less, why would you want to risk it during a pandemic? At the end of the day, we just want you to be healthy, we want to see you graduate, and we want to see you succeed. That’s why we want you to have health insurance.

 

A Message from Terry Lyons on COVID-19

International Students, Student Health

The coronavirus (COVID‐19) outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation. As you work hard to keep your students safe and protected from the outbreak, we want you to know that we are working hard to be there for you.

Already, we’ve seen the impact of the pandemic on colleges and universities including school closures with online instruction requirements, cancellation of study abroad programs, and an influx of questions from students and parents regarding coverage for testing and treatment of COVID‐19.

The AHP team is prepared and fully staffed to partner with you and our health insurance partners to provide quick and accurate responses to these inquiries. We will continue to be available through normal communication channels to CARE for you and your students. The health and safety of our employees, students, and clients is our priority.

To ensure our employees are in the best position to navigate issues arising from COVID-19, AHP has created a Care Task Force Team, comprised of company leaders across all departments. This team touches base daily to discuss the latest developments as well as any changes that need to be made to current work practices so we can continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients.

Some of the ongoing actions we are taking include:

  • Conversations with carriers regarding how COVID-19 will affect student health insurance plans
  • Ongoing analysis of waiver & enrollment data to provide updates on how these are affected
  • Updates and insights through our newsletter series
  • Discussions with clients surrounding their response and how we can support  
  • Virtual support at student orientation either through a live webinar or pre-recorded video

A few of the steps we have already taken include:

  • Coordinated with carriers to add COVID-19 updates on each college and university website
  • Conducted internal training on how to answer questions around the testing and treatment of COVID-19
  • Ensured access to telemedicine programs so students can receive 24/7 remote medical care
  • Developed a contingency plan for AHP employees to work remotely to continue service and protect the health of our employees
  • Provided access to an AHP Care Hotline through our Student Assistance Program to support students through this stressful time

We want you to know our plans cover your students whether they are on campus or remotely studying from home. Remember, our team is just a call away.  Please let us know if we can support in any way.

Terry Lyons - Academic HealthPlans CEO

Terry Lyons
President / CEO

Search AHP Articles

Like what you see?

Be the first to get student health savvy with our newsletter.

Subscribe Now

Get student health savvy with our Academic Insights newsletter.

Sign Up