Affordable International Student Medical Insurance Plan
October 18th, 2009 by Ray Sandeo, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
When students travel abroad to further their education, they battle not just culture shock, they are also not prepared for the high rate of medical care, especially in the United States. study abroad insurance plans offer options that are especially geared toward the low-cost, low-risk student group.
Having proof of insurance is a prerequisite for enrollment in most U.S. colleges and universities. For international students (F1 visas) and their dependents (F2 visas), low-cost international student health insurance plans with a range of deductibles are available. The plans are also valid for students who have enrolled in study abroad programs in countries other than the United States.
From a list of benefits and plans, you can choose the one that works best for you. You can choose deductibles from a range of $0 to $2500, and choose to be covered for a period as short as five days and as long as three years. Most plans allow you to renew the plan as long as you are a student.
Coverage for dependents can be purchased if done along with coverage for the student. Most plans cover visits to the physician, hospitalization, prescription drugs, and medical evacuation, in case of emergency. Many of the international student insurance plans also cover pregnancy and pre-existing conditions.
A Compare feature offered by agencies, the administrator of these international student health insurance plans, makes the choice easier. With this feature, applicants can view the benefits of different plans and make an informed choice.
If your institution has certain prerequisites for student health insurance plans, agencies can recommend plans that match your requirement. In fact, you could even save some money signing up for these plans instead of the college plan. If you think you will benefit from it, you can also add, for an extra premium, hazardous sports coverage.
The applicant can purchase international student health insurance using an online portal, fax, or snail mail. Acceptable payment methods include checks, wire transfers, credit cards, and money orders. Most medical care can directly be applied to the plan, and does not require payment by the student at the time of treatment, a huge advantage for students.
Your international student insurance plans are underwritten by companies such as Nationwide, Lloyd’s and AIG, which are rated high by the most trusted name in insurance ratings, A.M. Best Company.
Ray Sondeo often writes about international student insurance.
