In an effort to cut costs, many employer-sponsored health programs are lowering the age limit for dependent coverage, while managed-care plans may not cover students who move out of state or to a different region within a state. For their part, some colleges mandate minimum coverages. At Stanford, for an additional fee, students are automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care, the university-sponsored plan. Only if they fill out an online waiver form and only if their own insurance policies meet certain requirements can Stanford students opt out.
Some college-sponsored plans are a good value, while others flunk in terms of cost and coverage. The American College Health Association (acha.org) provides information on standards for college plans.
