Health insurance after they graduate....????

Nobody tells you this stuff....take health insurance. Not for you, but for your kids and especially for your kids once they graduate from college. While your kids are in college they have health insurance coverage either under your or your spouse's policy OR they can be covered under a policy that the college/university offers. Well, depending on the policy, either it's over
A) when they graduate and get their diploma
B) when they turn 22
C) when they turn 25
Whatever the situation, you need to check it out. Now it's not just after they graduate when this becomes an issue, it's also when they leave or lose their job or take some time "off" before they start grad school... In that case, they may have access to COBRA. But maybe not. So what do they do? How do they stay covered? What happens if there's a lag in coverage? Is catastrophic insurance the way to go?.... These are all the questions we ask, and let me tell you, our kids aren't asking those questions, at least not at first.

Depending on your kid's circumstance, having health insurance should be a topic of conversation. Why? Because this is not a priority for your kid. They feel it's an expense that they don't want to prioritize. They're "invincible" don'tchya know. "I'm not going to get sick." "Mom, I'll be fine, I'm not going to get hurt." Whatever the quote, you've heard it, or you will!

Now if you're one of those fortunate people that has a kid employed and has a job with benefits, read no further.

When this came on my radar screen and I did some research, well, let's just say I know enough to be dangerous, which isn't much.

I'm not going to get into a conversation about health care in this country, I'll leave that up to others, but as parents of this generation, I can tell you, the options are limited and expensive. And the 'what ifs' are endless. Some of the conversations might include "catastrophic coverage." Well for some, that may be an option, but anecdotal-ly, kids are less likely to go and get something checked out or make a visit to the doctor if they're not feeling well, because that "visit is too expensive and I don't have the money." As a result, they wait until it really IS serious (catastrophic) and the seriousness may have been avoided. Remember those "well-baby" visits you took your child to when they were little? Our "big kids" aren't that likely to go voluntarily to their "well-baby" visit, their physical. And they sure as heck won't be psyched to pay the full amount that the doctor charges for a physical! So if they're going to get a physical and take care of themselves in a preventative way....they need health insurance!

As parents we know the importance of having health insurance and it really seems to make more and more sense not to have any dead time between coverage.

If your kid is embarking on the real world, now that they've graduated and they're not headed back to school this fall, or if your kid is without a job that pays benefits, have this conversation! It'll be worth it!