Finding Medical Help

Finding a Doctor

1. Ask your regular doctor (dentist, optometrist, gynecologist) for a recommendation to a New York City doctor.
2. Call your insurance company to obtain names of doctors in New York City that accept your plan. If you live out of state, you should also clarify what your out of state benefits are (e.g. copay, deductibles).
3. Look on your insurance plan's website.
4. Look at the referrals below.

Getting Health Insurance
Your best bet is to stay on your parent's health insurance plan for as long as possible. However, sometimes students age-out of the plan. Make sure you clarify how long a plan will cover you. Plans vary, some max out at age 21, some at age 26. There are a few things to consider if you are living away from home:

• If your parents' plan is an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), does the plan's service area cover the region where you will be living? If not, you may only be covered for emergency care.
• If the plan is a PPO (Preferred Provider Option), how strong is the network of providers in your area?
• Does the plan cover emergency room visits without prior approval? What steps must you take in the event of hospitalization? Make sure you have the phone number of you parents' health insurance plan to call for emergency treatment authorization.
• Make sure you know which hospitals and urgent care facilities you can use.
• Are outpatient or preventative services covered? If you have chosen a primary care physician or medical group at home, make sure you check with your plan to see if you should choose a new provider where your school is located.

If the plan is an HMO that does not offer coverage in your new living location, you may be able to change health insurance plans due to "living outside of service area." In this instance, the parent under whose plan you are covered should contact their employee benefits office right away to make the necessary changes.

It is highly recommended that you buy into an insurance plan. At minimum, you should have "catastrophic" coverage, meaning that if you have a sore throat, this plan will not pay for you to see the doctor. However, if you get into a serious accident, your family will not have to sell their home paying your medical bills because the plan will cover the hospital expenses.

It is not easy to find an affordable plan. You should be very careful to read the details of what the plan will and will not cover, and what your co pays, and deductibles will be. Here are some suggestions:

1) For New York City Residents (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island), you may be eligible for FAMILY HEALTH PLUS. This is a program for uninsured adults. Depending on your situation, it may be free! You will need to submit documents such as proof of address, income statements, and proof of citizenship or a green card. Call 1-888-809-8009 for details.

2) Student Plans, Inc.
1-800-338-1938
They offer an affordable plan but have a lot of conditions. Read the fine print carefully.

3) American College Student Association
1-888-526-2272 or www.acsa.com
There are several plans to choose from including one for international students.

4) Pearce and Pearce, Inc.
1-800-222-6491, ext 148
info@studentinsurance.com

5) COBRA Health Insurance
If you recently left a job that provided you with insurance or if you reached the upper age limit of your parent's health insurance plan, your parents' employer may offer you alternative coverage called COBRA. This allows you to continue your benefits for a period of 18 months after you lose coverage. You would pay the premium plus a small administration fee. Be aware, this can be pricey.

6) You can contact health insurance companies directly and buy an "individual" plan from them. These can be pricey, so you will have to look around. Names of health insurance companies include:

• Oxford
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Cigna
• GHI
• U.S. Health care

Help Information:

Emergency Numbers Local Clinics Local Doctors Local Hospitals Dentists Local Therapists