Congratulations College Graduates!
Balanced Care congratulates you on your hard work, dedication, and your persistance. After years of hitting the books, studying, and taking endless tests, you may be wondering what is next.
Will you work this summer as you comtemplate where you want to work in the degree of your choice?
Will you continue with school to work on your Master’s degree?
Have you started your resume? Have you applied for a job using your resume?
Will you move back home with your family or will you move out on your own? Will you move to another state?
All of these questions can only be answered by you. No matter what you decide, there will be important issues that need to be addressed.
If you change your address, you will have to notify your credit cards, banks, and student loan providers.
The other consideration is your health insurance. Whether you are starting a new job or moving, you will have options.
If you are still under the age of 26, you can either stay or be added to your parents health insurance plan if they offer dependents coverage. You can stay on that plan until the day of your 26th birthday.
If you did get a new job and your coverage will not begin for a few months, you can get a short term plan. Short term plans are available in the State of NH for up to eleven months. If you only need the short term plan for one month, you are able to do so.
If you are still on your parents plan, it would be wise to compare what you will be offered through your employer to your current plan. It’s all about saving money and making sure you are able to go to your doctor of choice.
Even if you get married or move to another home in the same state, you are able to stay on your parents plan until the age of 26.
If you are offered a job without health insurance or want to start your own business, you can look at plans through Healthcare.gov. Currently, we are outside of the Open Enrollment Period for health insurance, however, if you lose your health insurance coverage through your college or are being dropped from your parents coverage, you would qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and would be able to purchase a health plan. You may, depending on your income, qualify for a subsidy. This could help reduce the amount of the premium as well as the deductible.
There is one catch to this. If someone such as a parent is currently claiming you as a dependent, you can buy health insurance through the Healthcare.gov, but you will not qualify for a subsidy based on your income.
If you are currently working just part time and not making a large income while you decide what your next career move will be, you may qualify for Medicaid.
The point is that you will have options and Balanced Care can help to decipher what will work best for you.
Always remember that this is your healthcare. No one knows what is better for you other than yourself.
As you ponder what your future holds after college, take care of the shoulda’s, the coulda’s, and the woulda’s.
It will help to bring you peace of mind especially after you have worked so hard to deserve it.
Terri Trepanier is the owner of Balanced Care Health and Supplemental Insurance and a licensed insurance consultant and broker with Associated Brokers. Licensed in both Maine and NH, her specialty is working with small businesses, individuals, and families with their health and life insurance needs. She is certified to offer health plans both on and off the exchange and is contracted with every health insurance company that offers plans in both New Hampshire and Maine. Her other passion is assisting Medicare beneficiaries with their Medicare Supplemental, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. Terri has seen firsthand the importance of insurance products and how they help families. Her goal with Balanced Care is to “Insure Security and Peace of Mind One Family at a Time”.