Different arrangements may need to be made if the family is enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) -- which typically covers emergency treatment, but not other care, outside of the service area.
"If their parents are in a tightly controlled HMO, the students may not be able to get the care they need unless they come home to get it," says Sandy Praeger, the Kansas insurance commissioner and president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Tom Richards, senior vice president of products at Cigna HealthCare, recommends that families enrolled in such an HMO find out whether their students can get "guesting privileges," which would enable them to use a different doctor near their college.
Depending on the HMO's policy and on the school location, some families may want to switch from an HMO to a PPO during the next benefits-enrollment period.
Another option, especially if the student is likely to need medical care not available at the college infirmary, is to get a student health-insurance policy.
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