New Hampshire Encourages Proper Coverage for College Students This Fall

The New Hampshire Insurance Department is advocating that families sending students to college get the right insurance coverage for their children.

“We recommend that when college students and their families prepare for the beginning of the school year, they discuss the insurance options available to them,” said New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny in a department release. “Students who have insurance coverage are protected financially from unexpected events that may occur during the school year, like car accidents or health conditions.”

The department outlines the following tips for college students and families to secure the right insurance coverage in its release:

Auto Insurance

If students take vehicles to school, it is important to check with a local agent about the vehicle’s insurance policy and ask about the rates for the city in which the student will be living. This can help in deciding whether to keep the car on the family’s insurance policy. Many auto insurance policies also offer a student discount if students maintain good grades.

Renters’ Insurance

If the student is renting an apartment, a landlord’s insurance policy may not cover personal belongings, so it is important to keep an inventory checklist in a secure location. Additionally, it is important to ask an agent if renters’ insurance will cover identity theft, or if it can be added to the policy. The primary policyholder of a homeowners’ policy should also ask whether the policy includes identity theft insurance while the student is away from the family home.

Identity theft insurance itself cannot protect parents or students from becoming victims, and it doesn’t cover direct financial losses. However, it does provide coverage for the cost of reclaiming a person’s financial identity, making phone calls, making copies, mailing documents, taking time off of work without pay and hiring an attorney.

Health Insurance

Nearly all young adults up to age 26 can now stay on their parents’ health insurance plans because of federal health laws. At school, students should have copies of their insurance cards and know how and where to seek medical treatment. If the student is insured through a network of medical providers, it is important to check if he or she will be in or out of the network service area while at school. This will make a difference in how much will need to be paid out for out-of-pocket charges.

Routine dental care and eye care generally are not included as part of a health insurance plan. Also, most health insurance plans do not cover expenses related to periodic eye examinations, glasses or contact lenses, but most will cover medical care as a result of an eye disease or injury.

Source: The New Hampshire Insurance Department

Topics Auto Education Universities New Hampshire