@Midwest67 We were able to waive my D14’s college health coverage requirement as long as we could provide verification of our family coverage and that it met certain minimum coverage requirements (I think). We will be able to do that with S16 beginning this fall, which will save us almost 1500 dollars. His school is in a state that mandates all college students have coverage…so as long as we provide verification then we are fine. I always double check with the colleges first however, to learn the logistics of how they will treat our health insurance at their facility. Every school may be different, so do your homework…but try to save money if you have adequate family coverage already.
@Midwest67 Your HMO has no partner coverage in other states? How would they cover any of you if you needed healthcare when traveling? I would call again-H got a similar wrong answer when he spoke to the person in HR but going on our HMO website directly, it appears that not only would D be covered by a whole list of clinics, docs, etc. but more than one full-service hospital, including the one within sight of her college. My sister, fwiw, worked for a mail-order pharmacy tied to a large group of unions and they mailed out-of-state all the time. So do check. And then check again.
We have the option to opt-out of the school’s coverage, which we will do, since we have excellent coverage through H’s work and the partners in her college city are so plentiful. We will save about $2,000. She is on only one medication and only as needed (asthma) and we won’t have the issue of figuring out how to get it to her-she’ll have a couple of inhalers with her.
@Midwest67 We have a similar plan. D13 goes to college out of state (MA we are in PA). I called BCBS and explained that she was going to college, etc. They were able to give her a “guest” membership thru MA BCBS. She picked a primary care physician and everything although she has not needed to use it.
OTOH, D16 is going to college in a state where “guest” memberships are not available. I looked into her college plan and it is about $2000. I am hoping that I will be able to waive insurance through the college. BCBS said she is covered everywhere for emergencies. I figure she can use the health center for minor illnesses.
Let me know if you need more info.
First off I forgot to mention it but the tree came off our house on Friday. Secondly insurance- I know that we will still be covered by our mom’s and we have to just summit some form and the copy of the card.
Our current HMO has a narrow network. When I asked about D13 last year, I was told she would have coverage out of the area for emergencies only. We did opt out of the major medical plan at her school, but we felt comfortable with that because we are only 3-3.5 hours away. Not so comfortable with D16 & being 7-7.5 hours away.
Good idea to ask the same question to multiple customer service reps. I will do that this week.
Congratulations to those who had graduations over the past several days.
Good news about the tree @readingclaygirl!
So glad our insurance is accepted at DS’s health services. (He could pick a primary care physician in Austin but, without a car, etc. we decided the convenience of on campus health care would be best- hoping he won’t need it!!)
On the topic of health care- DS is going to see his pediatrician next week- final visit. For some reason, this is hitting me hard- it is like letting go of the last part of his childhood 
My place of employment has offices in the state where DS will be at school. I have not yet called but am hoping there will be no issue with him being covered under my policy while at school. There are network providers close to school. Does anyone know if that is impossible simply because I live in one state and he will be at school in another?
It doesn’t matter what state the insurance is in it just depends on what their coverage is for the other state. We have a national policy so my son can use his insurance exactly the same way as at home. We previously had a HMO that was only valid in the state where it was issued even though it was a huge company that operates in every state. They would provide emergency services only in other states which is not usually acceptable to colleges these days.
Now that graduation week has come and gone for us, and D16’s sport activity has wrapped up, I’m home with her taking care of immunizations, commuting to orientation (overnight for her on campus), compiling Dorm Mountain…and slapping together a “summer home school” agenda.
Yes. This kid has some academic skill gaps that need filling before college starts. Mainly, the focus will be on close reading, writing formats, argument, statistics, sources/citations, and the research process. Trying to wrap these vegetables inside topics that really interest her. Luckily, she is willing to spend some time each day learning a bit more.
I’m discovering other little gaps that alarm me a bit. She expects spend no money during college. She doesn’t understand how credit cards work but is “against” them. She thinks she can scan all her textbooks and then return them. She doesn’t believe she’ll need a detailed assignment book and will just have a “feeling” about what needs to be done when. Where is she getting this stuff?! It makes my blood run cold. Just kidding. Sort of.
Pulling out Life Skills 101 for her again. A refresher is needed, it seems.
Wish me luck on making all this “fun” for her. It is summertime, after all.
My D got a big wipeoff calendar for her wall.
I am one who makes a bunch of reminders on my phone.
@dyiu13 : "Trying to wrap these vegetables inside topics that really interest her. "
Brilliant.
Be careful with those wipe-off wall calendars or white boards. If they’re the kind that stick right ON the wall, like a giant Post-it, erasing them my leave a frame of marker “dust” surrounding the board when they remove it at the end of the year. It doesn’t wash off. We discovered this when D had one in her room at home some years back.
@dyiu13 good luck getting your D to consume her vegetables. Hopefully you can get her up to speed and instill some additional “life 101” skills too.
@readingclaygirl yay on the tree news!
Update on D-she and her roommate have agreed to share the cost of a fridge and roomie will bring it since her family is driving to the college. Roomie is not into decorating and has given D full permission to decorate as she will, which thrills D to no end. According to a current student, the room D is assigned is a corner room. These are the largest by a wide margin, but still only house 2 girls at a time. An incoming freshman in their group chat was going to be on campus this week and promised to check on this.
D has asked for a personal smoothie maker. I see that they sell single-serving size machines for as little as $10. With the fridge and that tiny little freezer, a single size is about all she’ll be able to make at a time-anyone use one?
Right now she’s at a friend’s graduation, and will attend 2 more next week. She has friends all over the area! The grad party Saturday should be in good weather, menu planning is done, and I have bgun making the fondant glitter stars for the cupcakes. All is going well.
@sseamom When my oldest was a freshman and in a dorm she had us buy her a magic bullet for smoothies. We got a pretty good deal on one at Costco. I’m pretty sure she never used it. Now D16 is taking it to school with her next week. I’m pretty sure she won’t use it either. By the time they go and purchase fruit and yogurt, and hunt down some ice as the dorm fridge is too small, it just was cheaper, and less time consuming to buy the premade smoothie.
Graduation for my S on Friday.
Yesterday he shared with me that he started a countdown clock to when he has to be at school. It’s now down to 47 days…
Congrats on the graduation @dbjs70 ! @sseamom Another thing to consider is if that would be allowed in the dorm room. I know there can be very specific restrictions on appliances
@dbjs70 When my son graduated, I changed his countdown clock to dorm move in. He has 66 days.
@carolinamom2boys, I wish we had those extra 19 days…
According to the app on my phone- I have 71 days until move in and 1 month until July orientation
D has 48 days until we take her to her college city, 52 days until move-in. Yikes!
Good point about appliances being allowed, but I think a small smoothie maker could easily be transported to the kitchen. But I suspect that it won’t get used much, as pointed out above. I’m willing to shell out $10 just in case, though.