Health Insurance and The College Graduate

Current college graduates face a poor job market and should consider buying private health insurance while they job hunt.

(NewsUSA) - College graduation is an exciting time for young adults, but this year's employment outlook for college graduates could put a damper on that excitement.

Employers plan to hire 22 percent fewer college graduates in 2009, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, leaving many new graduates without steady employment opportunities, and without health insurance.

New graduates have the option to go on COBRA if they were covered on their parents' policy as students. But, COBRA is usually very expensive. Private health insurance is typically much more affordable, but the private insurance market can be hard to navigate for first-time buyers.

eHealthInsurance.com, offers the following advice for uninsured graduates:

- Know your state's rules. If you live in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maine or Vermont, you can't be denied medical coverage for pre-existing health conditions. If you live elsewhere, a pre-existing health condition could affect your ability to qualify for insurance. You can talk to an eHealthInsurance agent licensed in your state by calling 1-800-977-8860.

- Shop around. You can access the largest number of plans on the internet. By law, every broker must sell policies at the same price, so you can't find a better deal by switching brokers.

- Practice safe (policy) selection. It's important for single women to know that private health insurance plans don't automatically cover maternity benefits. If you're planning to get pregnant, or if there's a chance you could get pregnant, be sure to buy a plan that covers maternity care. If you can't find a plan with maternity coverage, you may need to explore purchasing something called a maternity rider; a supplement to an existing health insurance policy that covers maternity benefits.

- Maintain your independence. If you don't want to worry about changing health insurance plans every time you change jobs, consider buying an individual health insurance plan that you take with you from job to job. If prospective employers offer you health insurance benefits, you can decline their coverage and try to negotiate a higher salary instead.

- Protect your private information. Some online brokers aggregate leads and send them to other brokers. To avoid excessive telemarketing calls, make sure your broker doesn't share private information and allows you to search for quotes anonymously.