The semester is well underway and college students are hitting the books to prepare for tests, papers and extra credit. If you're one of them, there is one thing you may not have thought to prepare for — what to do if you get sick.

Even if you are fit and healthy, it’s always a good idea to have a health plan. It gives you access to care in case you are hurt or catch the flu, strep throat, mono or other nasty bugs that tend to make their way around campus.

Getting insurance and learning how to use it while you are away at school doesn’t have to be hard.

Know Your Options

• Stay on your parents’ plan: If you are younger than age 26, you may not have to worry about finding a health insurance plan. You may be able to stay on your parents’ plan. If you go to school in a different state, you’ll want to make sure there are doctors, hospitals and other health care providers near campus that are covered by your parents’ plan. Not having in-network providers nearby can make things tricky if you get sick or hurt. You may have to pay more to see an out-of-network provider or miss school to travel home to get care.
• Shop on the Health Insurance Marketplace: You also have the option of looking for a health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace  — the website created under the Affordable Care Act. Shopping on the Marketplace   might be a good idea if your budget is tight. If you get a plan on the Marketplace, you may qualify for tax credits that can lower your monthly premium payments and provide other savings. We offer a number of plans on the Marketplace, but please note that you can only enroll in one during Open Enrollment or after certain life events. 
• Consider a student health plan: Your school may offer its own health plan. These plans are often less costly than your parents’ family plan because they are designed and priced for students. They may even provide network care options on campus or nearby.
  
  We offer student health plans for a number of schools, called AcademicBlue^SM. Our student health plans:
  
  
  • Preventive care, such as immunizations and screenings
  • Prescription drug coverage
  • Low deductibles (the amount of money you have to pay before your health insurance plan starts to pay for services)
  • Low office visit copays and waived deductibles in certain cases
  • Up to 100% coverage at your student health center for eligible services
  • Access to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies

Are You Currently a BCBSIL Member?

Finding a network doctor near school: If your school is far from home you’ll want to make sure there are doctors, hospitals and other health care providers in your plan’s network near campus. You can find in-network providers with Provider Finder^®.
To access Provider Finder:

• Log in to Blue Access for Members^SM
• Look for Find Care

You won’t have to select your network or plan — it will automatically be displayed. All you have to do is enter the right ZIP code and start your search.

Use your benefits out of your service area: If your school is not in Illinois (also known as your plan’s service area), you may still be able to use your benefits.

BlueCard^® Program
Traveling across the country or around the world? The BlueCard Program* helps Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois members:

• Get health care when you travel or live outside your Blue Plan service area
• Enjoy the same benefits as your BCBSIL plan when you are away from home for an extended amount of time
• Find a doctor or hospital across the United States — more than 90% of all hospitals and doctors in the U.S. contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield
• Locate a doctor or hospital outside the U.S. in more than 200 countries around the world through BCBS Global^TM Core

BlueCard coverage varies for each BCBS plan. It depends on if you choose a provider who contracts with BCBS. Call Customer Service at the number listed on your member ID card.

Away From Home Care
If you have a BCBSIL HMO plan, ask to become a guest of another Blue HMO participating in your school’s area. You will still be able to use your benefits when you visit providers in this HMO’s network.

This program is only available to BCBSIL members who are away from home for at least 90 days. To find out if this program is available in your school’s area, call the Customer Service number on your member ID card. Be sure to bring your member ID card wherever you go.

Still unsure about your insurance options? We can help! Send us your questions in a private message.

* The BlueCard Program is not available for Medicaid, Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan members. HMO plan members can use the BlueCard Program only for emergency or urgent care when traveling or away from home for less than 90 days. Also, the Away From Home Care Program is not available for Medicaid plan members or for HMO plan members on the Blue Precision HMO^SM Network and BlueCare Direct^SM, in collaboration with Advocate Health Care, and Blue FocusCare^SM. This is only a brief description of some of the plan benefits. Not all benefits are offered by all Plans mentioned above. For more complete details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions, please refer to your certificate of coverage.

Originally published 11/11/2015; Revised 2020, 2022, 2024