Health Insurance for College Students: What Are Your Best Options?

As a college student, even if you’re on your parent’s health insurance plan, it’s a good idea to prepare for when that coverage ends (usually when you turn 26).

Even if you’re young and healthy, carrying health insurance coverage is still smart. Health insurance may seem expensive, but it can save you from sinking into medical debt if you pay out of pocket for a serious accident or illness.

Whether you want to enroll in coverage or get extra protection, our analysis will help you learn about the best health insurance for college students.

Based on MoneyGeek’s analysis, Blue Cross Blue Shield is the best health insurance for college students. We ranked providers and plans based on their low cost (in terms of premiums and MOOPs), plan type availability and state presence (we looked for availability in at least 26 states for this category).

For the best overall, only one provider met our state presence qualifications — Blue Cross Blue Shield. The company’s plans are widely accepted by physicians nationwide and are available in all 50 states. Given this, the tier did not matter in this category, but we’ve narrowed our focus to Silver plans for consistency.

Working students who are not eligible for employer-based insurance may still be able to receive cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) on a Silver plan. Based on our analysis, Ambetter is the best health insurance for working students, costing an average of $358 monthly.

In this category, MoneyGeek only considered plans with CSRs, as it provides additional financial assistance for low-to-moderate-income individuals. To be eligible for CSRs, the student must have an income between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level, or $13,590 to $33,975 annually.

However, in states with Medicaid Expansion, the eligibility for CSRs requires income between 138% ($18,754 for a one-person household) and 250% ($27,180) of the poverty level.

The Catastrophic tier is often the cheapest option on the Marketplace. This may be the best choice for college students to save money while still having protection, with the best provider being Cigna, followed by Oscar and Medica.

However, Catastrophic plans come with downsides. For one, they’re not available everywhere and have an age limit of 30. Additionally, the trade-off of affordability is a higher MOOP. If you get into an accident, you’ll have to shell out more money before your insurance kicks in.

Ambetter is the best provider for college students looking for Bronze plans. Bronze is the cheapest metal tier available in all states — however, the trade-off is higher out-of-pocket costs. If you need care, you must pay a significant sum out of pocket before your insurance kicks in.

Some states may also have Expanded Bronze plans, which fall in between Bronze and Silver and have more coverage than Bronze plans and slightly lower MOOPs, but slightly higher premiums.

In college, health insurance costs are at their lowest. As you age, the average cost of health insurance for you is likely to rise. This is because the older you get, the more susceptible you are to health issues, which means you may need more coverage or treatment.

Once you are 65, you may qualify for Medicare. Before that, however, you can turn to other options for more affordable insurance. If you’ve compared health insurance quotes to find affordable coverage but still can’t find something that fits your budget, you may be able to get on your parent’s health insurance or apply for student health insurance.

To help you understand health insurance for college students we’ve answered frequently asked questions on this topic.