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Health Insurance and College [update: transferring to community college questions]

Muse Among MenMuse Among Men Suburban Bunny Princess?Its time for a new shtick Registered User regular
edited March 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey y'all
Currently a freshman at UCSB, but looking to attend a community college for my sophomore year (I am like . . . 80% decided on doing that). I don't like it enough here to warrant the loans and since I am still not feeling too keen on interests or majors I figure I might as well save some cash and by attending community college and see if I can get my shit together.. If it bears any importance I'd be attending either: Los Angeles Valley College, Pierce Community College, maybe Santa Monica City College. Prior to my current position I was on MediCal Healthy Families (state health-insurance for children) but that dropped when I turned 19, currently I am on UCSB's health insurance. I suppose it is good, a bit over $1000 for the full year. If I drop out, I lose the insurance. Poking around on MediCal site it seems like I can still get back on (until I turn 21 in 2013). I'd sort of taken my health insurance for granted until recently. And no I unfortunately can not piggybank on my parent's insurance because they don't have any anymore.

Ideally I can finish my remaining GE's within the following year, so that way I don't have a gap in coverage between now and my health insurance at the transfer school. And then after that . . . thanks, Obama. Really, I hope I can finish in a year, I keep hearing about how overstuffed the community colleges are :(

I will do the best I can with the info I get on the websites but otherwise everyone else I know within the family is either uninsured or insured through work, and of my friends, they are either piggybacking on their parent's insurance or are uninsured. And so I am turning to y'all, is there anything I should know or do in particular?

I am not totally sure if I am gonna go to CC for sophomore year, adamant about transferring though. I just think I should have as much info as I can in the likely event that I do, in case there is something not immediately evident from reading the websites and pamphlets (like, maybe it takes several months before my form gets filed, processed and approved leaving me with gaps of coverage). If I am gonna go through with all the hoopla of attending 3 places for a single degree I am going to be damn safe about it.

more facts:
1. I am on birth control right now for health reasons (hormone regulation and bones)
2. currently I meet regularly with a nutritionist because of weight problems (underweight, slowly getting fatter)

update: talked with my mom on the phone, turns out we still have the MediCal paperwork, I was dropped because I was attending a 4-year, but we still have all the stuff ready to go (originally we thought I could stay on MediCal to avoid paying for the university's insurance but UCSB wasn't game so I had to purchase it). When I get home for spring break I will file and it should kick in by the time I drop from USCB. Very reassuring to know I can stay on Medical for another year or so!

Since I have decided I will spend sophomore year at CC after all I have new questions.

I can't really find any info for people in my situation, that is, people leaving a 4-year to attend a 2-year community college. Most of the info I have found is for people starting off at a California CC wanting to transfer into a CSU or UC, or otherwise assuming I will be attending CC for a year only and returning to my current college (which I won't). I'm worried about losing the credits I've accrued or taking classes I won't need. Assist.org is a mild balm, it doesn't help that I'm not in the enviable position about being gung-ho about any particular major or transfer college. I'm going to CC so I can sort that stuff out in a less expensive environment but any help on that front would be welcome. I'm trying to take as varied a courseload as I can while also toeing the GE requirements and it is a damn tricky beast. Pretty sure two of my more interesting classes won't transfer (along with my Freshman Seminars) and it is making me wary of my course-selection for the upcoming quarter. Do I take something interesting that may give me more direction but that may nor transfer or take a class on something less interesting I will not pursue further via major that will probably transfer?

There is also an occupational training center adjacent to the community college that provided training and accreditation (the CC also offers accreditation and training as well). My parents took classes there and have received employment as a result; my mother took secretarial courses and my father took real-estate and various electrical courses. My father is now employed because of a class he took there. Along with pursuing a BA I figure it would be worthwhile to take career training courses while I am there, it would just be practical. I'd be fine with linking to the course catalog if that helps but is there anything you'd think is worth mentioning as 'yes, absolutely do/take this'? My mom thinks it might be good to take 'administrative assistance' for example.

Muse Among Men on

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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Do either of your parents have health insurance, and are you on good terms with them?

    The ideal situation is to piggyback on your parents' insurance. You're eligible for that until the age of 26. (Thanks, Obama!)

    Otherwise, your next option is probably MediCal until you turn 21. After that, you can see about on-campus health services, since it sounds like your medical needs are relatively low. If that's not going to work for you, then look at LA county's medical assistance programs for low-income adults.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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    JansonJanson Registered User regular
    And no I unfortunately can not piggybank on my parent's insurance because they don't have any anymore.

    No, Muse's parents do not have health insurance.

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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    Janson wrote: »
    And no I unfortunately can not piggybank on my parent's insurance because they don't have any anymore.

    No, Muse's parents do not have health insurance.

    Somehow I missed that. I swear I read the OP twice before posting. Apologies.

    Anyway, the rest of my post stands.

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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    Muse Among MenMuse Among Men Suburban Bunny Princess? Its time for a new shtick Registered User regular
    Okay, turns out my mom still has some of the paperwork for MediCal so I will be working on that over upcoming spring break.

    And in the course of a day I've decided 100% I'll attend CC for next quarter, because the health insurance issue is no longer as big an issue as previously thought and because it turns out I can take accreditation courses while I am there (those types of courses aren't offered here).

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