Thousands of South Carolina college graduates will have to purchase their own healthcare coverage in 2009, due to a 22 percent decrease in the hiring rate since last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is offering to help those graduates fill the gap in their healthcare coverage while they search for employment or wait to start a job.
"Insurance is probably not a top priority for new graduates since many have been covered by their parent's group plan. However, most group plans will provide coverage only until the dependent graduates," said BlueCross Assistant Vice President Irving Albrecht.
BlueCross' Personal Blue Plans start at $44.66 a month. They can be purchased for as long as needed and be configured in a variety of ways, such as offering comprehensive coverage, covering hospital admissions only or offering high-deductible plans that have lower premiums.
"Even if they are lucky and have a job lined up, they typically will go several months before they are eligible for benefits with their new employer,” said Albrecht. “We offer a variety of plans that will fit into just about every budget and fill that gap in coverage.”
NACE's 2009 Employer Survey indicates more than 46 percent are unsure about their hiring plans for fall 2009, and 17 percent expect to trim further their college hiring. The 2009 Student Survey indicates 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one. In comparison, 51 percent of those graduating in 2007 and 26 percent of those graduating in 2008 that had applied for a job had one in hand by the time of graduation.