One question that always comes up is where to find insurance as a college student, and while this can be a bit tricky, I think I can shed some light on this for you.

In a past life I worked as an insurance Agent. I discovered is that most of my clients and even the students I worked with are not sure what an Insurance Agent does.

What does an Insurance Agent do?

Well, the Insurance Agent is your Personal Professional resource and their job is to help you with insurance and health related questions and concerns. I would build a good connection with him or her; they’ll be your best professional resource for both insurance related questions and claims.

Whenever my clients had trouble with any part of the insurance process I had them call me, this was anything to questions about their policy, to making monthly payments, called premiums, to getting claims paid. Talk to them, they’re there to help you.

So all of those questions that have popped up in the back of your mind from time to time about health care, and all the urgent questions you need an answer for immediately you can find them by talking to an Insurance Agent.

Now if you don’t know of one right off the top of your head then take a look below for ways to get in touch with one.

Young Adult College Students

Primarily there are two options that you have while you are in college. If your parents or guardian can put you on their insurance plan this is the best choice, typically you get better coverage, but if this is not an option then talk to your college and ask who their student insurance provider is; colleges are required to provide a connection to an insurance company. Find out who the representative is for your parents company and give them a call. Let the company Representative know you are a student and ask if there is a reduction in premium since you are a college student, or any special benefits for college students.

As An Adult in College:

The person I’d start with at the college is your Admissions Advisor or Academic Advisor they should have this information or be able to direct you to someone who does.

Most colleges have some provision for students who need to get insurance typically this is either a packet of information you can pick up or there is someone at the college, either in Admissions, Academic Advising or even Financial Aid who can walk you through the basics.

Be sure to ask if the school has an Insurance Representative linked with the college this will give you the information you need for your specific situation.

They will be the most familiar with the specific plan the college has elected to participate in for students.

Make a list of your questions about you and your  family’s health concerns, and ask them they’re there for you.

Chat with a Car Insurance Agent

Another option is if you have a car speak to your Insurance Agent and find out if they can help you with health insurance. Ask if they have a license in Life and Health, if not ask for a referral and ask for additional benefits for college students.

Now I wouldn’t just talk to Insurance Agents, when it comes to college there are some places you can get medical treatment for FREE!

In fact there are so many resources out there that I even wrote a book on it, it’s not just for college students though, the book covers many different areas of life from, being unemployed to being a senior with health concerns, to pregnancy, cancer and much more.

This book is an excellent resource for any one you know who needs help finding money for medical care. There is money out there it’s just knowing where and how to get the money you need. I wanted to make sure it’s accessible to everyone so it’s not more than a couple of happy meals for the kids. It’s an amazing resource for $14.99.

If you found this information helpful, please Digg it, re-tweet it, and pass it on. Oh and dont’ forget to grab a copy of your thank you gift from me.

Sophie

Discover where to find FREE Money for Health Care, and Insurance, Your personal resource to discover the secrets of where to find money for medical care. Shhhh, some don’t want anyone to know about these.

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The number one person you’ll have contact with typically as you get ready to begin taking classes is your Admissions Advisor.

However, I’ve found that there’s a good deal of confusion regarding what an Admissions Advisor does.

Your Admissions Advisor is your best friend. This person is there to make sure that your process for getting into college is a smooth one. They’re the liasion between you and the Directors, and the Administration of the school.

They are there to make sure that you understand what the college is all about, what the admissions process is, and they help to verify that everything is ready for you from your initial inquiry through to the first day of class and beyond. I even heard from students years later as they were working through classes and even getting ready to graduate. This relationship can be a life saver and someone who’s there to streamline the admissions process for you.

So as you are going through various steps to gain Admission to the college you are considering they are there to help you and work with you.

If you are confused about a step or so in the process be sure to call them and ask them to help you. They’re typically more than willing to help you get the information and will go above and beyond to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row to be considered for admission to the college.

In many colleges your Admissions Advisor helps in the decision regarding whether you are accepted or not. So this person would be the best resource for you to understand what the school is looking for in a potential student.

Here are some tips to help your relationship with your Advisor to be the best benefit to you.

1. Ask Lots of Questions, this will ensure fewer mistakes through the process.
2. If they don’t give you a list of things to do request one. This will keep you organized.
3. Talk to them, this may seem like obvious advice, but you’d be surprised how many potential students don’t and then if they’re frustrated there is no way for the Advisor to know, thus they cannot help you. Each time you work through a section of the admissions process let them know.
4. Be prompt each time you meet them, they are typically working with dozens of students so when you’ve both set aside time to meet. Be sure to follow through, or let them know if you need to reschedule as early as possible.
5. Take notes on what you need to do, and any specific information about your process.

As you complete testing, and working with your Financial Aid Advisor, be sure to talk to your Admissions Advisor to let them know that you’ve completed each step so that they can be sure that everything is taken care of for you.

Otherwise it could take longer, and who wants thing to take longer when they’re eager to find out about their funding or admissibility?

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If you’re like many of us today you are looking to make yourself more marketable. To even maintain where you are often we need to go above and beyond.

One of the best ways to do this is go to college education is very often the key we need; perhaps your boss is strongly encouraging you to make sure you finish your degree, or to get one started if you want to be considered for a promotion.

Or perhaps you’ve been raising your precious little ones and now that they are getting ready to go to school you want to go to college and do something for you. No matter what your reason, let’s say you need to get a degree. Now what? This can either be a very scary time or one of excitement that you look forward to.

Well now that you’ve found this blog (be sure to to subscribe so you don’t miss a single post) so let’s focus on the excitement part.

 This blog will have information on so many topics to help you so that you can focus on the fun and exciting part of getting into college.

Well welcome, this is the best place to start.

Let’s look at a series of questions so that we can understand what options you are looking at.

Grab a pen, and let’s find the best option for you. Or just print this off and write your answers to these questions.

• What does the college need to have to meet your needs?
• Does your boss have a list of requirements that the school needs to have?
• Is scheduling a concern? Or will you be able to meet varied class schedules?
• Do you need the college to offer child care?
• Is cost a concern?
• Is Accreditation important?
• Do you want a small college?
• Are you looking for a college that has smaller classrooms? Is the professor student ratio important to you?

These are great questions to start; once you have the answers to these questions, look at the colleges that are an option to you. Then narrow them down to one or two by looking at which one of these are the best match to your requirements.

Call the two colleges next and find out who you’ll be working with, typically you’ll have an Admissions Advisor assigned to work with you; generally they’ll want to get you to come in for a look at the campus etc. That’s great but let’s wait, there are a few more things you’ll want to do before meeting with them.

Give yourself the upper hand. By putting a few additional things in place before you visit the campus you’ll have a much easier time working through the process. Plus when you’re being considered for Admissions you’ll generally be considered to be a stronger candidate if you have these in place.

1. First when you have them on the phone, if you don’t have answers to your questions like the ones above then ask them now.
2. Next find out the cost if you don’t know.

Pay close attention here: This next part may sound trivial, but it is critical, have him or her define what they mean. Say the university tells you that a class is   $450.00 per credit hour.

That’s good to know but ask how many credits are in a class.

• Say it’s three then you’re looking at $1350.00 per each class. This means that they are on a semester hour basis for the college. If they say 5 or so the cost is about $2250.00, big difference. This means that they are on a quarter hour system. This may seem a little confusing, but bear with me.
• The next question is: how many credits are needed to graduate with the degree? This will give you the ability to calculate the total cost while having the individual cost also. (If the school sends out a catalog this should all be listed.)

Some places will just tell you the total cost, although not typically, they want you to look at the smaller picture first, so that you are not scared away by the total cost. We just need to make sure we are looking at the best option for you. That is why it’s so vital to find out this information ahead of time.

Now, if a university is the best fit for you then this could be what you’re looking at cost wise. If not then there are more options that’ll fit you better. We’ll look at those in another post.

             3. Ask if they are set up to accept FAFSA, (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Ever wondered what that means? Now you know.

This is a good clue to the legitimacy of a school. If they cannot accept Financial Aid then just be aware that you are working with a college that may not be accredited. Which means some employers may or may not decide to accept you.

Side Note: There’s a reason that most employers want you to have attended a college that is accredited, this way they know that the school has curriculum that is sufficient for you to be considered for the job you want. Some employers have been burned by employees coming in with a degree from a college, but then they find out the hard way what they expected the college to have taught the employee was very different than what’s truly needed for a job. This is one of the reasons an employer would want a college to be accredited.

If they accept FAFSA request their school code, generally this is a five or six digit code. This code is vital for directing your funds to the school you are considering.

If they don’t know it you can typically find this online, it’s public information.

Next find out the Admissions Requirements.

These can be some or all of the following:

• GPA from prior college or high school
• Scores on your SAT or ACT, yes believe it or not years later this can still be taken into consideration, as can your performance in high school.
• Aptitude test, a variation of the ACT or SAT test
• Recommendations, i.e. employer, family, and or educational
• Prior Transcripts if it applies
• Essay stating why you are interested in being considered for admission

Now you know what things you need to have in order to be considered for admissions to the school.

When you do meet with the Admissions Advisor they may has you questions as well, so I’d make sure that you know why you want a degree from this school and let them know what you can offer as a student.

Choosing a college is a big decision so going in knowing the answers to your questions puts you in a much better position to succeed rather than just coming into a school and perhaps being surprised. This way you can come in ready for success.

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Is college right for you? Not many are willing to ask this question in my experience. Education is vital to getting from point A to Z. But who says it has to be college education? Did you know that there are numerous places where you can learn outside of the classroom where you can learn about anything you want?

Now there may be limitations depending on what you want to study, but you don’t have to go to college to learn and or move up in a company.

Deciding to go to college is a big decision; there are so many variables to take into consideration… we’ll look closer at these variables in another post.

Right now let’s take a look at what you want.

 What do you want to accomplish?

This is the most important question immediate followed by…

How do you learn best?

These two vital questions can only be answered by you so…

Grab a pen and let’s chat about a couple of things that will give you a clearer picture.

• Can you sit still for periods of time, a good indicator is what you do for a living right now? Are you out and about in your job or are you behind a desk?
• When you watch your favorite television show do you find yourself moving around the room or just sitting on the couch?

If you are prone to being still more than active then you’ll probably do well in a class room. Traditional college is probably a great fit for you.

If you hate to sit still and you feel claustrophobic at a desk then you need to look at an education college or otherwise that fits you the best. There are some great learning environments college and otherwise which you’ll love. Not every college is a behind the desk/computer experience.

Still not really sure, check out my post on understanding your learning style, this’ll help clarify things a bit more for you.

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No, the Term Free Medical Care is not a misprint, and yes you can get this care if you are not employed or covered by any major health provider.

The huge debate about healthcare and what we should do to improve our broken system are forefront in everyone’s minds right now. But in my experience not only as an insurance agent, but as a person who’s been in the hospital without insurance, I’ve learned that there are hidden secrets about how to get money for  medical coverage.

Yes, there really are some free options that most are not aware of. Some are well kept secrets that take an insider’s knowledge and or hours of research and knowing just where to look, so that’s why I’m wrapping up some simple solutions for you for free. Not everyone has the resources or time necessary to do research yourself and often many don’t know where to look.

I want you to have this.

Discover what’s available to you.  

Did you know that there are Medical Centers that are free for you? I had no idea until I became involved in insurance and healthcare.  

What types of treatment do they cover?  

Just like a hospital you pay for, these are, they are a fully staffed licensed and functional Medical Centers or clinics.  

Just how does this free clinic work?

This is often a government funded medical center, so if you do go you may have to wait depending on your health concern.  It’s a first come first serve basis, so if possible go early in the day.

Side note: Bring something to read or do while you wait it can take some time depending on how busy they are.  

Here are key tips to make your visit smoother:

 Bring any medical information you can

The next day or two,  call to make sure that you don’t need to do anything additional for the paperwork, request a copy go to your current doctor.

However, if you need continual follow up with these doctors be sure to follow the tips for getting the best service at these clinics. Having an friendly relationship with them will go a long way.  

If you are facing an emergency and need to take an ambulance, be sure to tell the Medics to take you to a free clinic if the one in your area has an Emergency Room.  

How do you get the best service at these clinics?  These clinics work with a number of people day in and day out so let’s make sure you get the best care possible.

Pause for just a second and look around you, can you tell what kind of activity is going on?

In other words look for indications to see if they are currently working with an emergency case. If you see staff rushing about it’s likely that they’ll need to give this case more attention if you are not also in the emergency room.  

Tip: Save your self a headache if you can wait for treatment then you might consider coming back when they’re less busy.  

Hard but Important: To help your situation you’ll have to do something hard, set aside what you are feeling right now and think for a moment about what the staff behind the counter might be facing. When you speak to them let them know that you can see just how very busy they are.

Talk to them like a person not just someone to help you get something done. This will make the process so much smoother for you.

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Do you remember when you were a kid and didn’t worry about anything? I know I do, well I can’t reverse time but I can sue take one thing off your plate. The big debate on how to get health care is such an important one, but I can tell you from experience that there are a few thing missing. There is nothing telling you where to get medical treatment for free, when you have no income.

Honestly the statistics of us who are unemployed are so startling, and unfortunately the numbers just keep climbing. It’s sad that it took the down fall of the economy to bring about a serious look into our health care system. The truly sad thing is that many who are employed don’t even have enough insurance. Now unless you have money to spare you have to know where to look to get medical coverage. You need a personal guide to show you where to look and what to do to get the care you must have.

Guess what you found your own personal guide, I’ve been on both sides of this, I’ve not only worked in Doctors’ offices, and as an Insurance Agent, but I’ve also found myself in an Emergency Room with no insurance.

So let’s take a look at what’s available for you.

General Care: Most of us women are very concerned about our health. We go to the doctor at least once a year for our checks ups, and more so if we think there may be something wrong with us or our kids. Well the way to get that for free is to use the internet.

Open a search for your local pharmacy, I’d get one that is a chain if possible like a CVS Pharmacy or a Walgreens, and call to find out if they have local free health screenings, you can have your blood pressure checked, temperature, weight and most of the steps you go through in an exam.

For the female delicate exam,

· Check with a local hospital to see if they offer any type of free screenings. A lot of time they will as a way to promote public awareness.

· Medical College call the medical department and speak to an Academic Advisor for the students. Ask if the students in Residence are offering clinics so that they can build up their hours necessary to complete their residency.

Kids: There are several programs for kids so that your child can be insured even if you’re not able to be insured. Look on the local county website and find out if there is a program in place where you can apply for your kid(s). If not ask for their input on where else you might look locally. Check with your state as well, sometimes your child can be insured through the state under Medicare even if you are not.

Little side note: Don’t leave anything on the table, Apply for Medicare, see if you qualify, worst case scenario you have this resource guide and other options to help you get coverage for free, see below for even more amazing options.

Vital Tips for n Emergency:

Why is it that when we learn that we are going to be out of work for even a short period of time we automatically drum up the worst scenario? I know I do this with many things, I’m just so glad that medical care is one I can check off the list.  

· Plan, call the local hospitals and ask what they do in a case of emergency for someone who has no insurance. If you are on unemployment ask if they have a sliding scale, in other words you only pay what you can, instead of the full bill. This means they’ll ask you questions about what your bills are, and how much you have coming in to determine how much the sliding scale will be for you. In my experience it typically fits into the budget okay.

· If they don’t offer this then locate the free clinic or hospital in your area and call to find out how they handle an emergency case. Often you’ll need to have documentation, find out what that is and have it handy in case you need it.

· Have someone who can take you to the hospital if you have an emergency, this way you don’t have to worry about the ambulance bill. If you have to take the ambulance be sure to tell them to take you to the hospital you’ve found will meet your need.

These few tips are just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many other resources that you can pool from to get the money you need. This includes non-profit organizations which are willing to help you cover medical, expenses even if you’ve already had a trip to the Emergency Room.

Check this out you can get money to cover

· Emergency care · Ongoing care · Eyes · Dental · Cancer and much more

This is a <strong>must have </strong>resource for anyone needing money for medical care. Or if you are just looking to get more insurance, i.e. perhaps you just had your coverage reduced so that your company could keep your position. If so don’t wait another minute come learn where you can get the  money and coverage you need.  www.sophitmaddox.com/insure

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