Travel Destinations

These days Universities in the United States are requiring incoming students to show proof of health insurance in order to enroll. For many U.S. residents, this usually doesn’t pose a problem, as they’re often covered by their parents health insurance plans. But for international students visiting the U.S. for a semester or more, this can be an issue. For these students, study abroad insurance provides an ideal solution to this enrollment requirement.

Most schools offer insurance plans of their own to students, but oftentimes international student insurance plans are more comprehensive and convenient options. With a school-administered plan, you may find yourself paying high fees for visits to doctors or clinics outside of your college campus, and high premiums overall. International student health insurance plans give you the freedom to select the healthcare provider you prefer.

If you’re looking to cover your spouse and/or your children in addition to yourself, you’ll have no problem doing so with an international student insurance plan. University-run plans, however, may not afford you that opportunity. This is an important factor to keep in mind for visiting students who are bringing family with them.

Students generally have little income, and since they typically don’t need to seek medical care as often as older people, it doesn’t make sense to spend the money they do have on expensive insurance plans. But students can customize international student health insurance plans to meet their own unique financial and medical situation.

With that in mind, International students can adjust their study abroad insurance coverage variables to affect the overall cost. Raising the deductible can result in a lower monthly premium, while purchasing a policy with lower total coverage levels will also lead to monthly savings.

The Internet makes for a great resource in researching these prices, as well as different coverage levels and plan restrictions. With just a little time spent on a search engine, you can easily find the international student insurance plan that best suits your personal health needs and your financial capabilities. Just be sure to consult someone at your university beforehand to understand what the minimum insurance requirements are for admission, as they may vary from school-to-school.

You can also use the web to find out what sorts of experiences other study abroad students have had with different international student medical insurance plans. Look for other experienced international students in online groups to find out their opinion on what a reasonable level of coverage and appropriate cost is. They have firsthand knowledge you can use to your own benefit.

Be sure that your preparation for studying abroad includes learning what insurance requirements your school has. You can often obtain better coverage at a more affordable price by choosing an international student health insurance plan over a university-run option. Find out what the school requires you to have and then what different plans will meet those needs, so you can find the perfect fit for your situation.

Dan Miller often writes about international student insurance.