Alright, let me be clear with it; nothing can cure your insomnia as good as insurance forms. There is no doubt that there is going to be a bunch of paperwork in front of you trying to understand whether you really need dental insurance or not. And the answer is, yes, definitely. Not having insurance right now is equal to playing Russian roulette with olive pits 🫒.
I am afraid that most graduate students tend to think about their vision insurance as of the course they will eventually drop. It is yet another mistake because even though you might have the best vision right now, spending hours in front of a computer and working with data sets will definitely ruin it 👓.
Speaking of plans, it is important to pay attention not to monthly premium but annual maximum benefit. Thus, if the limit of the benefit is $1000, but one root canal will cost you double that amount, it will definitely not suffice. Dental insurance is expensive enough by itself without taking into account grad stipend 💸.
One more important point to pay attention to is the orthodontic care insurance. Although many people might already have it done, it is important to make sure you will be able to afford your braces in case you still need them. Invisalign for adults is a popular trend, however, it is rather expensive if you have no insurance covering it. Plus, check the network type ⚪.
What concerns the vision insurance, it is important to take into consideration the difference between costs of glasses and contact lenses and how many allowances you have in your plan. You can definitely find a plan that allows you to get your contact lenses for free 👀.
The main point here is that your university health center will definitely surprise you. They offer you discounted rates that cannot be found anywhere else in the open market. Thus, do not automatically enroll in the same plan as your parents did. You are an adult now.