Health & Wellness

Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of states of physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

The Health and Wellness Office seeks to maximize student well-being by helping students reach their full potential. The office helps students minimize harmful behaviors while teaching students skills that promote healthy living. This is accomplished through offering; meditation, counseling, sleep programs, fitness classes and many other opportunities that promote growth across all dimensions of wellness.

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What Coe Students Need to Know About Health Insurance

• If you currently have insurance, make sure your current insurance policy covers you in eastern Iowa. If not, please contact your company directly to see if it’s possible to make special arrangements for out-of-area coverage. Sometimes students are able to access coverage through an "away from home" policy as a full-time student.
• Coe College does not offer an insurance plan to domestic students.
• The Affordable Care Act allows students to stay on their parents’ policy until the age of 26.
• Avoid high deductible policies. They may not provide coverage for routine health care.
• Make sure your policy covers medical and mental health expenses including appointments, tests/assessments and prescriptions.

Need to purchase insurance and don’t know what to do? (While Coe doesn’t endorse a specific agency or policy, here are some resources that may be helpful to you.)

Enroll in a Marketplace Plan

You can enroll in a marketplace plan for coverage (or stay covered) through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

If you're a dependent under 26

• Living in the same state as your parents: You can be included on your parent's application. Your parent can add you during Open Enrollment (or during a Special Enrollment Period, if they qualify). Losing a student health plan may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. This way they can add you to their plan outside Open Enrollment. (Voluntarily dropping a student plan doesn’t qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.)

Living in a different state from your parents and claimed as a dependent? You have two options:

• Apply for coverage with your parent or stay on their plan. Before you enroll or decide to stay on a parent’s plan, be sure to read the plan's coverage documents and review the provider network carefully so you know how the plan covers care delivered in the state you go to school.
• Apply yourself in the state you go to school. You may want to do this to enroll in a plan that better meets your needs in the state you go to school. When you fill out your application, note:
  • You'll still be included in your parent's tax household, even though you're applying separately. They'll fill out or update their application and state that you don't need health coverage. Your income will still be counted because Marketplace savings are based on expected income for all tax household members, not just the ones who need insurance.
  • You'll do the same: When you fill out your own separate application, state that your parents and the other members of their tax household don't need health coverage. But you'll include their income on your application.
  • The cost of both your plan and your parent's plan may be reduced with a premium tax credit and extra savings based on the whole household's income, not just yours.
  • When you move to or from the place you live and go to school, you may be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period allowing you to enroll outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period.

If no one claims you as a dependent

• And you live separately from your parents (whether in the same state or a different one): You should fill out your own separate application. Your savings will be based on only your income, not your parent's.
• And you live with your parents: You should apply on your own separate application. But if you're under 21, you may need to provide information about your parents and their income to complete the application.

Online policies (including but not limited to):

• EHealth Insurance: www.ehealthinsurance.com
• Golden Rule Insurance: www.healthnetwork.com
• UnitedHealthOne: www.uhone.com/

When you move to a new state for college, it is a qualifying event that allows you to get a new policy on the healthcare.gov marketplace. You may consider purchasing a policy that will cover you in Iowa, or you may consider applying for Medicaid that would cover you while you're a student here. For information on how to apply for Medicaid in Iowa, go to: dhsservices.iowa.gov/apspssp/ssp.portal.  

Of note, if you have/had Medicaid in your home state other than Iowa, in order to access Medicaid coverage locally, you will need to cancel your current coverage and apply for Iowa Medicaid. Medicaid does not automatically transfer and Medicaid from another state does not cover services in Iowa.

On-campus services do not include physicians, psychiatry,  other specialists or prescription services. While we do offer some physical health and counseling support on campus, these services may not meet all your needs. Services on campus are intended for short-term purposes.

If you have or anticipate needing support for a chronic condition, when possible, we encourage you to arrange care prior to your arrival at Coe.  If you are not sure where to go, we can help provide referrals to community resources and support.

Insurance coverage is an essential part of accessing healthcare while you're in college. Don’t put your college education or your health and wellbeing at risk due to unexpected medical bills. We want every student to have access to health care to achieve the best health outcomes based on your needs.