As you know, time marches on, even if you aren’t ready for it. Kids get older and soon their primary education will be behind them. Most kids are generally excited to head to college. As parents, we want the best for our children. But before your child packs up and starts their new phase in life, there are 3 things you MUST do before your child heads off to college.
You may be asking yourself what is possibly left to do after you have applied and accepted, shopped for dorm items, and arranged the financial aspects. We thought the same thing until the unthinkable happened: our son was injured at school during the Summer session.
It was completely shocking and unexpected. Thankfully he is on the mend, and will make a full recovery. He just has the unfortunate situation where he had to take the Fall semester off. But, it will help us in January when he heads off to college again.
So what can you do as a parent to make sure you are ready for anything? Keep reading and I will share with you what we have learned.
3 Things You MUST Do Before Your Child Heads Off To College:
- Verify your health insurance. Call your health insurance company to find out if the local hospital is in-network or out-of-network. It could mean the difference between being fully covered or having to pay for out-of-network services, it could end up being in the thousands or even hundred thousands.It is a great time as well to verify any co-pays, referrals, or documentation you may need to give to the insurance company. Thankfully I thought to do this step before he left(never imagining I would actually HAVE to know it), so we knew what services we would definitely be responsible for, like the ER copay at the hospital near his school.
- Secure medical power of attorney. This is especially important if your child is over 18. They are legally able to make their own decisions regarding medical treatment. But what happens if they are unable to speak for themselves? By having a medical power of attorney in place beforehand, you would be able to make any difficult decisions regarding possible end-of-life decisions.
It is a tough topic, but one you need to discuss with your child. They may not like the topic, but it is an important one. And one that should be made together. - Release of information. Have your child sign a release of information document with you as a person that is able to have full access to any medical records. Since our son was over 18, he had to keep giving verbal consent for physicians, technicians, and other medical personnel to talk to us. When you are already scared and in pain, this can become very annoying.
So while we don’t want to think about our children being injured, if it does happen, you will be prepared with these important medical issues. Being prepared will allow you to focus on helping your child recover, and you will have less to worry about with administrative tasks.
These are things I would have never thought about checking into. Thanks! My daughter started college this year, but thankfully we live near the college she will be attending so she is staying home.
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I never thought I would need it either, but I am so glad that I had looked into that information earlier. I knew from the start which hospital he would need to be transferred to so that we wouldn’t get hit with out-of-network costs.
I’m a long way off from needing this with my non-existent yet children BUT when I do need it, this will be so useful! I’ve never even considered these things.
Yes, it is of the utmost importance. We were mostly prepared, but it was a scary and intense event.
Great advice and such important information to handle. I’m so glad your son is okay and hope for a successful recovery.
He is actually doing a lot better than we expected. Oh to be young again and be able to bounce back so quickly.
These sound like very practical and responsible things to organise before your child heads off to college. It can be a busy and anxious time so a good reminder!
Yeah, it’s better to plan for the worst, and hope for the best.
Great post! I remember when i went to college and it was a whirlwind! My parents were just as frazzled because there’s so much going on.
I just read an article that reported that 55% of kids say they aren’t ready for college and life after school. The schools usually don’t do a great job preparing kids with life skills anymore, and so it’s up to us to make sure they’re ready for life and the unexpected.
Hopefully they won’t need to used their health insurance or power of attorney… I think the only time I went to the doctor’s in college was for a physical.
Thanks!
Stu
These are things we don’t always think about when it comes to that time. Definitely good to keep in mind.
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The earlier you do it, the better it will be.
Good advice. We know first hand about this. Our daughter suffered an intestinal attack and we didn’t know what it was. Later she was diagnosed with Crohn’s but that night we knew nothing. The docs wouldn’t let us tell them what we knew since Ash was over 18. It was a nightmare.
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So scary to see the kiddos in pain.
These are very good reminders. My daughter is off to college and I don’t think we’ve done any of these. It would definitely make life convenient and hassle free.
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It is really easy to fill out the forms. To take it a step further, you may want to think about having the signatures notarized.
I remember the first time I got injured when away at school. My mom had no idea what I was supposed to do. I would definitely recommend looking into that kind of thing, like you recommend.
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Especially the insurance information!
These are all really important topics that need to be discussed. I tend to shy away from the uncomfortable and I don’t think I would’ve thought of all of these.
They may not always want to hear it, but it is as important to discuss as talking about drinking and driving or staying away from drugs.
Good list of things to do! I have many many years before my kiddos go off to college if they decide to go.
Yes. You can add this to your to-do list for the future 🙂
Oh, these are such great reminders especially with what you’ve experienced over the last few weeks. I am do glad he is on the mend. Now it is time for him to enjoy this new season of life!
Thank you. We are grateful for how things are, because it could have been so much worse!
My kids are still in grade school but I’m already thinking about their future situations. Thank you for sharing these great things. I’ll keep these in my mind.
Your welcome 🙂
This is a great list! I have awhile before sending mine to college but of course as moms it’s something we all think about. Having everything in order should an emergency arise while they are at college is so important. I am sharing with some friends who have kids about to go to college.
Also adding a list of phone numbers for your child to keep in their wallet or purse to give to the healthcare providers is important as well.
My kids are still little, but those are such important things! I have to make a note somewhere to keep these in mind for when we get close to a senior year of high school. I know the power of attorney is super important to have!
You will be glad you did. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but at least you are prepared.
This is great advice. I think we forget that even though they are still our kids, legally they are adults. It is important to make sure you can have access to medical information and the ability to make decision should an emergency arise.
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Yes! It is hard sometimes to remember that while the are adults in age, they aren’t always in medical knowledge.
I had never thought about this topic before but I am glad I read your article because although I still have some years to plan is always important to start planning. I need to start taking care of these things in advance. Having medical insurance and papers in order is so important. They are adults when they leave but they still do not know the world.
Very well said Monica!
This is helpful information. My kid is still in elementary school but I’ll keep this in mind. Havving an insurance gives us a peace of mind.
Absolutely!!
Great tips – these are definitely things parents are not thinking about!
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Yeah, I agree. While it isn’t a pleasant thing to think about, you will be glad you did if the need ever arises!
Wow this is really important information and probably something my parents didn’t think about 13 years ago when I went to college. I hope your son is doing better and has a good semester back!
Things have certainly changed a lot in the 21 years have been out of college!
This is definitely a good list of things you need to do before your kids go off to college or move out. The medical power of attorney one is the one that really hits home for me. I had so many difficulties with that when my brother in law unexpectedly had a medical emergency. And there was a lot of fallout from that.
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Yeah, it is never easy when a family member gets hurt!
Oh wow, I never thought of those 3 extra bits. Getting a power of attorney and health insurance is definitely a big deal. Luckily my child is still far from that time but this is of course something to think about especially when considering the expenses.
Glad that I could help you at a future point in time!
Wow, these are some great tips. I sure he fills out a medical power of attorney, thank you!
Yes, it makes it so much easier in a stressful situation.
Parents usually worry about dorms and the basics but these tips are really helpful. My son is still in senior high. Good to know these ahead of time. I learned that some health insurance (I still need to verify ours) have “guest membership” policies or “Away from Home” programs. You need to inform the insurance company that your child will be studying in a different state so he can still be covered for many services. This is important coz some insurance don’t cover out-of-state medical care unless it is an emergency. The medical power of attorney and the Release of Information, those we need to discuss with our child first. Thanks!
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Fantastic advice! Most people assume their kids are automatically covered under their medical insurance, but it gets tricky for college kids, especially if they are going to school in another state.
Wow. Luckily nothing happened while my son was away at school, but I’ve shared this on my FB page because I have a lot of college age great nieces, great nephews, and cousins who either started college this year or are within a year to two of going.