"Adulting" Skills for College: Medical/Mental Health Care

"Adulting" commonly refers to skills and behaviors that young people develop in preparation for independent living. Parents can support their teens in mastering many of the adulting skills and behaviors needed for success in college and beyond.

In the "Adulting Skills for College" series, each post will focus on one essential skill area.

Medical/Mental Health Care

What teens should learn before college:

College students most definitely need to know how to manage their healthcare. While still living at home, teens should learn:

• Medical insurance basics

  • Using their insurance card/prescription card

  • In-network vs out-of-network

  • Copays

• Types of providers

  • Primary care vs walk-in clinic

  • Counseling/therapy vs psychiatry

  • Urgent care vs emergency room

• How to manage all parts of a medical appointment

  • Scheduling

  • Bringing appropriate information

  • Speaking with health care providers

  • Using their online portal, if provided

  • Picking up prescriptions

    
    

Healthcare in college:

Once students know where they will attend college, these steps related to healthcare are important:

• Students should be aware of service providers on their campus and in their college town. They should know options for emergency/urgent care, routine illness care, mental health support, and pharmacies.

• It may help for students to establish a relationship with providers they are likely to need.

• Professors set their own policies on absences, and students should check each course syllabus every semester to ensure they understand and follow expectations.

  
  
  
  

Parental rights:

Once teens turn 18, they are considered adults for medical purposes (though they may still be dependents for insurance purposes).

If your teen would like you to have access to their medical information if needed and speak on their behalf in a medical emergency, you may want to consider a health power of attorney, HIPAA release and FERPA waiver. Many local attorneys and online services can provide the appropriate guidance and documents for notarization.

Be prepared:

You can expect that your student will catch at least one nasty bug their freshman year, and maybe every year. It's also common for students to struggle with mental health at times during the school year. Consider the following:

• Send students to college with a small box of commonly needed medicines.

• Know options for soup, care package, or medicine deliveries before they're needed.

• If your student does not currently need mental health services, it's still wise to be aware of mental health supports in the college community.

• As a mom of college students, I highly recommend this one: Text your student regularly to wish them a good day, send a picture of their pet(s), or send a funny meme or dad joke.

  • Texting is great because it's quick and students can respond briefly when they can while still being connected.

  • It reminds them that you're thinking of them, with no to-do list or nagging involved.

  • It also opens the door for your student to communicate with you, share struggles with you, and reach out to you in tough times for support.

• Tap into parent groups (social media or in-person) at your student's college. Sometimes local parents generously offer to check on sick or struggling students to give worried parents some support

At Growing2College, we assist families with all aspects of high school and college planning. Request a free 20-min consultation to learn more about how we can be helpful.

Kate Pedigo, M.Ed., CEP, NCC is an Certified Educational Planner and founder of Growing2College. Join us on social media for college planning updates, tips, and resources: Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn