health insurance what to do graduates from college students

health insurance what to do graduates from college students

Every year, more than one million Americans earn a college degree. Graduation is exciting, but flipping your tassel also means taking on new challenges. One of them is deciding what to do about health insurance.

Traditionally, young adults could only remain on their parents’ policy until they turned 23 or finished college. Fortunately, new laws have extended the coverage period all the way to age 26. This gives you ample time to find a job that offers benefits.

But what if you don’t have coverage through your parents to begin with? This is a predicament millions of recent grads are still facing. Yet going without insurance is risky, even when you’re young and healthy. And in most cases, it really isn’t necessary. In fact, there are lots of ways to find coverage while chasing that dream.

Find a part-time job with benefits

Some places offer health insurance to employees who work 20 or 30 hours a week. Waiting tables a few nights a week may be all you need to do to get coverage. If that’s not your bag, try working at a gym, coffee shop or hotel. If you scout around, some larger companies may also offer health insurance benefits to part-time employees.

Take out a short-term policy

A number of insurers offer temporary coverage to recent grads. These policies last about three to six months and have a variety of features:

* They can be tailored to your needs.
* They are fairly