Affordable International Student Insurance
If you are an international student traveling to the United States for studies, one aspect of American life might shock you more than others. Not the lifestyle or the culture, but the cost of medical treatment! You will be required to carry international student insurance, which is available through several plans to suit your budget.
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.
Students can choose the plan best suited to their requirements, from several available plan options. Deductibles can range from $0 to $2500, and the plan duration, five days to three years. The plans can usually be extended until the plan holder remains a student, and otherwise eligible for coverage.
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 study abroad insurance plans also cover pregnancy and pre-existing conditions.
Selecting an insurance plan can be confusing for you, and to help you along, agencies which administers international student insurance plans, provides a Compare option. With this, you can view the relative merits and demerits of different plans at a glance.
Also, if a student sends the company a list of university requirements, insurance companies suggests cost-effective plans that offer the required coverage. These plans can also be less expensive than university health plans. In some of the plans, students can also purchase additional coverage for hazardous sports, on payment of an additional premium.
You can use the Internet, fax, or mail to purchase the student health insurance plan. You can pay using your credit card or check, money orders or wire transfer. If you are a student, you probably don’t have much spare money, and the cashless settlement option of student insurance plans is a big attraction.
International student insurance plans are underwritten by reputed companies such as Nationwide, Lloyds, and AIG. These companies are rated highly by A.M. Best Company, which is regarded as the most accurate source for insurance company ratings.