Who has the best health insurance in California for college students?
I’m not a big fan of HMO’s, such as Kaiser, where you have a gate keeper system in place. A gatekeeper system is where you have your personal care physician “PCP” and you have to go through that doctor to get anywhere else (such as OB/GYN, cardiologist, etc.). I do like PPO or POS plans (Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net), AETNA) as I can choose my own physician and I don’t usually have to go through them to get a consult with another specialist. When choosing an insurance company at any point in your life, you need to know what you can afford and what your needs are. Find out exactly what each plan covers and doesn’t cover, how high of a deductible (the amount out of pocket you will have to pay before your insurance kicks in), what your co-pay will be (flat fee or a percentage of the office visit) and if vision, dental and psychiatric care is covered. An insurance broker may be able to assist you with finding the best coverage for you as well as explain the benefits of each policy.
