International Student Health Insurance

Student Insurance Waiver Form

2008-01-08T10:47:00.001-05:00

If you want to save yourself some money and do not want to purchase your schools international student health insurance plan, then you are at the right place. The Student Secure will meet and exceed most school insurance requirements and is generally much more affordable starting at just $33/ month for US Citizens studying abroad and $40/ month for International Students studying around the world.

You can also check our international student insurance school requirement database to see if our plan meets your schools requirements.

To comply with your school, most will make you complete a waiver form which will have to be completed and signed by your insurance company. We offer this service quickly and easily with a 24 hour turn-around - here is how it works:

Purchase your plan online
Download your waiver form from your school and complete as much information as you can
Fax the waiver form to us at +1 904 212-0412
Please make sure you include your certificate number and the number you want the form faxed back to

That is it! Within a 24 hour period we can have your insurance in place and your compliance form faxed to your school!

If you have any question about the process or need helping purchasing your plan please contact us.

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How does the deductible on your insurance plan affect you?

2007-11-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

Almost all health insurance plans have a deductible or co-payments. A deductible is the amount the insured (you) must pay before the insurance company will pay towards your expenses. And a co-payment is the amount that you also must pay out of your own pocket; although a co-payment is typically a per service fee or per doctor office visit. For some plans, you will find that they have both a deductible and a co-payment. Usually with these plans, the deductible is for your larger expenses (i.e. emergency room visits, hospitalizations, diagnostic testing) and co-payments are for smaller expenses (i.e. doctor office visits, prescription drugs, etc.). Most domestic health insurance plans are typically set up in this manner. However, for international students some or most health insurance plans out there have a deductible that applies to the entire plan. In this case, it would apply to doctor visits, prescriptions, tests, hospitalizations, surgery, etc. The insurance company would not start paying towards your expenses until you’ve met the deductible.

So, how does this affect you? Well, let's say you went to the doctor for a minor sickness (i.e. cold, flu, etc.). When you first purchased your health insurance plan you choose a higher deductible, $2,500, to offset the premium cost each month. If your plan only has a deductible and is not a co-pay type plan then you would pay the full amount of your visit out of your own pocket. You would need to pay the first $2,500 worth of eligible expenses in order for the insurance company to start paying towards it. On the other hand, let's say you got injured and you needed to go to the emergency room. After all of your tests, MRI’s and doctor consultations your bill totaled $10,000 (assuming all are eligible expenses). This means that you will pay the first $2,500 of your $10,000 bill. After that, it depends on the way your health insurance plan is setup and whether or not it has coinsurance. Coinsurance is usually a percentage that you are required to pay after the deductible. Let’s say for example purposes your plan had 80/20 coinsurance up to $5,000 (all eligible expenses) then 100% coinsurance up to the overall limit. After the $2,500 deductible you would be required to pay 20% of the next $5,000 worth of eligible expenses or approximately $1,000. So, your total responsibility would be about $3,500. The insurance company would pay the rest or $6,500. This may or may not be a lot of money for you but for most international students it would be. So, when choosing your deductible it may make sense to choose a lower deductible with slightly higher premium costs each month.

For the plans we offer, the deductible and coinsurance will vary. For international students, the Student Secure Select plan offers 100% coinsurance for eligible expenses after the deductible if you go within the PPO or to the student health center. The Student Secure Budget plan offers 80/20 for eligible expenses after the deductible up to $5,000 then 100% up to the overall policy maximum. The deductible for this plan is $100 per injury or illness or it’s reduced to $50 if you go to the Student Health Center. This plan reduces a lot of your out-of-pocket expenses and provides coverage for doctor office visits, prescription drugs, maternity, diagnostic testing, x-rays, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. It will also meet most school’s health insurance requirements. You can check our school database for further information.

What is a PPO and why is it important to you?

2007-10-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

A PPO, also known as a Preferred Provider Organization, is defined as an organization of doctors, hospital and medical care facilities that have contracted with the insurance company to all provide services at a contracted rate. Usually the rate they receive is at a reduced rate. A PPO type arrangement can be beneficial for both the insurance company and the insured. The rates are usually significantly reduced so the insured does not have to pay as much out-of-pocket as they would if they went outside of the PPO. The insurance company also receives the lower rate so in effect they do not have to pay high claims amounts. This in turn, allows your renewal and premium rates to remain as low as possible.

With most of our plans, they do offer a PPO. However, you are not required to follow it. If you do choose to go within the network or PPO, then you will receive significant benefits. For example, the Student Secure plan, offers the coinsurance (coinsurance is the percentage that you would responsible to pay after the deductible) to be waived (select level only) if you go within the PPO or to the Student Health Center. The PPO for this plan is quite vast. To search the PPO go here: www.InternationalStudentInsurance.com/network. This can greatly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. If you went to the emergency room let’s say for a broken arm and your total eligible expenses were $2,000 (the hospital you went to was in the PPO and all of your expenses were eligible expenses). The insurance company would pay 100% of your eligible expenses (select level only) after you paid the $100 deductible (the deductible is the amount that you are required to pay before the insurance company will pay towards your expenses).

Now let’s say for the same example you chose not to go to a hospital within the PPO. You would see much higher out-of-pocket expenses. Your deductible would remain the same however, the coinsurance would not be waived and you would be responsible for 20% of your eligible expenses (for this example it would cost approximately $500 total for you). On the select level of the Student Secure plan, the insurance company would pay 80% of your eligible expenses after the deductible up to $5,000 then they would pay 100% up to the overall policy maximum. So, as you can see, it’s much better for you to go within the PPO.

The Student Secure plan is available for full-time students studying outside of their home country. Outside of the U.S. there is not a PPO. You can go to any doctor or hospital and you will be provided 100% coverage for your eligible expenses after the deductible and up to the overall policy maximum (select level only). To find further information about all of our plans please visit our site: InternationalStudentInsurance.com

Health Insurance Requirements for French Visa

2007-09-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

As many of you may be aware, the French Embassy requires non-European citizens to have proof of health insurance. This plan needs to provide coverage specifically in France or needs to be considered a worldwide plan. The French Embassy also has very specific requirements that your health insurance plan must meet in order for you to be eligible for the French visa.

Your health insurance plan needs to at least provide $37,500 worth of coverage for you in France. You must provide a letter of coverage to the embassy that states that you are covered at least this amount in France. For most U.S. citizens, their domestic health insurance plan will not extend coverage to them while in other countries. Some domestic insurance companies will but most will not. For those that do, it may be quite expensive and the most they will typically cover is for emergency situations. This will not meet the visa requirements and in addition, it is very hard to get a letter of coverage from them. For those that are students in France, you must also show proof of health insurance. Some students are eligible for student coverage under the French national health plan (sécurité sociale). For those students that are over 28 or at a college not recognized by the French social security system they must take out a personal health insurance policy (assurance personnelle).

Here are two plans that meet France’s visa requirements: Student Secure and Atlas International. You can apply directly online for these plans. After you purchase the plan, you can receive all of your insurance documents immediately via e-mail. This e-mail will include your visa letter, receipt, insurance card and policy details. You can simply print these documents out and provide them to the French Embassy.

The Atlas International plan provides coverage for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. This plan allows you to choose your maximum coverage limit (from $50,000 to $1,000,000) and your deductible (from $0 to $2,500). This plan provides worldwide coverage excluding your home country. To be eligible for this plan, you do not have to be a student but you must be outside of your home country.

The Student Secure plan is for full time college students. Student Secure comes in two levels, budget and select. The plan provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical coverage up to $250,000 (budget) or $300,000 (select). The plan also includes maternity, mental health, prescription drugs, sports coverage, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. You have the option to pay for it all at once or on a monthly basis.

What is the difference between the budget level and select level of the Student Secure plan?

2007-08-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

This is one of the most popular questions we receive. The Student Secure plan, which is particularly designed for F1 visa holders or full-time international and study abroad students, has two levels: budget and select. The budget level provides up to $250,000 worth of coverage and the select level provides up to $300,000 worth of coverage. The select level also provides coverage for accidental death & dismemberment and the budget level does not. However, these are not the only differences. The main difference is in the coinsurance.

Coinsurance is a percentage that you have to pay after you meet the deductible. The deductible is usually a fixed amount. For both levels, the deductible is $100 per injury or illness. For the budget level, your coinsurance portion would be 20% of the first $10,000 of eligible expenses. Then, the insurance company will pay 100% of your eligible expenses up to the certificate period maximum. So, for example, you incurred $5,000 worth of eligible expenses. You would be responsible for the deductible ($100) plus the 20% coinsurance. So, your total would be approximately $1,100. If you chose the select level, then your coinsurance is waived if you go to the Student Health Center or if you go to a doctor within the PPO (network of doctors). So, in the example above you would only be responsible for the deductible ($100). The select level may be more expensive when you choose to purchase the Student Secure plan, however, it greatly reduces your out-of-pocket expenses.

To further explain what a deductible is, the deductible is the amount that you are required to pay before the insurance company will pay toward your eligible expenses. For the Student Secure plan, the deductible is $100 per injury or illness. This means that you would pay the first $100 plus any coinsurance applicable (if you chose the select level and went within the PPO or to the Student Health Center you would not be responsible for the coinsurance) per injury or illness. This deductible is not per visit. If you became ill or injured and you went to the doctor you would pay the deductible plus any coinsurance applicable. If you needed to go back for a follow-up visit you would not need to pay the deductible again. You would simply pay the applicable coinsurance portion.

If you should have any further questions, please e-mail us at info@InternationalStudentInsurance.com or call us at 1-888-247-1387.

To view all the benefits, quote or apply online click here: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student_secure_international/

Finland International Student Insurance

2007-08-15T05:59:00.001-05:00

On the 1st September 2007, the Finnish Government introduces new insurance legislation for all international students who are planning to attend school in Finland. The new insurance regulations for international students in Finland currently stands at:

Students who stay in Finland less than two years - These students must have a health insurance whose policy covers treatment and medication costs up to 100,000 euros.

Students who stay in Finland a minimum of two years - These students must have a health insurance whose policy covers treatment and medication costs up to 30,000 euros.

At InternationalStudentInsurance.com, we are prepared for these new changes and have a variety of plans that are available and ideal for international students from all around the world who are planning to study in Finland.
Our current plans that will meet these requirements are:

- Student Secure - monthly student health insurance plan
- Atlas International - Travel health insurance plan
- International Citizens - Annually renewable major medical insurance plan.

Although all three plans above will meet the options for International Students studying in Finland, we recommend the Student Secure and Atlas International as the main plans. The Student Secure is a dedicated plan for international students and will provide benefits such as hospitalization, mental health, maternity, prescription medication and much more. If are not looking for a plan as comprehensive as the Student Secure, then the Atlas International plan should be your second option providing travel health benefits (though if you need coverage up to $250,000 please make sure you select a policy maximum of €100,000 or more).

Please contact us if you have any questions about Finnish International Student Insurance

Technorati Tags: finland international student insurance, finnish international student insurance, international student insurance for finland

Visa Insurance Plans

2007-08-03T10:35:00.001-05:00

For anyone that has every applied for a visa, whether a J1, F1 or even a Schengen Visa for Europe, they will know that getting through all the paperwork and red tape can be tough task. You need to comply with many requirements, make sure you have all your paperwork is in order, etc... the list goes on.

One of the main requirements of visa's such as the Schengen or J1 Visa for the USA, is to require the applicant to show proof of a certain level of health/ travel insurance. At InternationalStudentInsurance.com we provide access to range of plans that will meet and exceed nearly all visa requirements - the most popular visa's that we provide coverage for are:

- J1 Visa Insurance
- F1 Visa Insurance
- Schengen Visa Insurance

If your visa is not listed above, please simply contact us to talk with our customer service team about your requirements and we can find a plan to fit your needs.

For those looking for insurance to meet school insurance requirements please see our previous posting.

Technorati Tags: f1 visa insurance, j1 visa insurance, schengen visa insurance

Updated Student Secure Plan - 6 Month Pre-X

2007-07-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Many universities or colleges in the U.S. require international students to purchase health insurance, in fact most schools require you to purchase their plan. For many schools though, there is a waiver process in which you can waive out of the group plan and this will allow you to purchase a similar plan which can often cost much less.

Some schools have very strict international student insurance requirements and others may not have any requirements at all. For those schools that do have strict requirements we have updated our Student Secure plan for you specifically in mind.

The new Student Secure 6 Month Plan plan now meets the requirement of having pre-existing conditions covered after 6 months of continuous coverage, however still has the same great benefits of the original Student Secure plan at affordable prices.

If your school does have this 6 month pre-existing condition requirement, then you are eligible to purchase the updated Student Secure 6 Month plan. On the application, you will find your school’s name in the drop down box, and if your school is not listed, then please contact us and we can add your school to this list.

Please visit the 6 Month Student Secure plan today:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student-secure-6month/

Technorati Tags: 6 months pre-existing conditions, pre-existing conditions, student health insurance

School Waiver Requirements

2007-07-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

As the new school year starts, make an educated decision by choosing one of the most comprehensive international student health insurance plans available in the Student Secure plan from InternationalStudentInsurance.com. This plan provides:

- Monthly Payment Options
- Hospitalization Services
- Doctors Office Visits
- Prescription Drug Coverage
- Maternity and Mental Health
- Medical Evacuation and Repatriation
- And Much More….

To view all the benefits of the Student Secure plan, quote or apply online click here:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student_secure_international/

Also, as part of your enrollment process your school will either require you to purchase their plan or show proof of comparable coverage. In most cases the Student Secure plan will meet and exceed your schools insurance requirement, providing similar benefits at a much lower cost. Check out your schools requirements online.

Easy Monthly Payment Options!

2007-06-06T04:31:00.000-05:00

As of June 1st 2007, our flagship international student health insurance plan, the Student Secure, now offer easy monthly payment options for students. The Student Secure has always been a renewable insurance plan, so you can purchase a set number of months and then simply renew - however for students that need to show proof of coverage for a certain period, such as 9 months, it was sometimes hard to make a full payment up front.

The Student Secure will now let you purchase 12 months of coverage and pay for the plan each month via your credit card. When you sign up, you will be given the option to either pay all up front, of opt to have your credit or debit card automatically charged each month - making our insurance even more affordable!

If you are looking for a low cost international student health insurance plan that will be accepted by most schools, and will meet and exceed all country visa requirements, the Student Secure is your best option. It also offers:

- up to $300,000 policy maximum
- Mental Health Coverage
- Maternity Coverage
- Pre-existing Condition Coverage after 12 months
- Sports Coverage
- and much more..

To view the plan and purchase it online please visit:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student_secure_international/

Technorati Tags: insurance payment, international student insurance, international student health insurance

International Travel Insurance - Trip Cancellation

2007-05-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

The new RoundTrip International Travel Insurance plan has now been updated for 2007 with some fantastic new benefits and levels of coverage for our clients. The new plan now has 2 coverage options, the basic standard plan and a NEW enhanced "Choice" plan for those that want a little extra coverage.

The plan provides you with core benefits of:
- Trip Cancellation coverage,
- Trip Interruption benefits,
- Trip Delay,
- Evacuation and Repatriation,
- Lost Baggage and Baggage Delay,

....plus you now have the option to add optional flight accident insurance and collision damage waiver insurance!

The RoundTrip plan is a great comprehensive travel insurance plan, and you can purchase it right online - quickly and easily!

Learn more about the RoundTrip International Travel Insurance Plan!

Technorati Tags: international travel insurance, trip cancellation insurance

Student Insurance Comparison

2007-05-16T05:35:00.000-05:00

A question that we are always asked at International Student Insurance is how to compare the various plans and options that are available. For most students there are a number of plans that are available - and those plans will offer varying benefits and have varying costs. So to make things easier, we have developed a few tools to help you work out what student insurance plan is best for you.

Firstly, there are two main questions which you should ask yourself when looking for coverage:

1 - How long do you need coverage for?
2 - Are there any specific benefits you need?

Knowing the answer to these two questions will start you off in the right direction as you can work from here and eliminate some plans as they do not meet your criteria.

Secondly, you should use our student insurance comparison tool. This tool has been created to offer a side-by-side comparison of the main international student health insurance and international student travel insurance plans that you can purchase. The comparison provides an overview of the benefits of each plan - and should help you choose the right option for you:

- Student Insurance Comparison for International Students
- Student Insurance Comparison for US Citizens

We also have a dedicated customer support team on hand to provide you with guidance and assistance - and they are more than happy to help you locate the right plan for you and give you further information.

New Online Renewal Features

2007-03-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

Great news for all new and existing International Citizens International Health Insurance customers - you can now renew your plan online through our Client Zone. The new online feature means you can now manage your international health insurance plan from anywhere in the world, just as long as you have internet access, and can quickly and easily process your renewal each year with little or no fuss!

If you would like more information about the International Citizens International Health Insurance plan then please see below:
- For International Students (non-US Citizens)
- For US Citizens

Please contact us if you have any questions
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/contact/

Summer Study Abroad Insurance

2007-03-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

For all of those students that are about to embark on their summer study abroad trip you are about to have a life changing experience. Some of you may be going to Europe and some may be going to China, Japan or South America but whether you know it or not you all have something in common. You will all be studying outside of your home country and out of your comfort zone. You will also be exploring a whole new world out there with new and different cultures.

When you are thinking about all the great adventures you are about to have, you may forget to have adequate health insurance that will provide coverage for you while you are studying outside of your home country. Fortunately, most schools require students to have this type of insurance. We have two excellent plans that will satisfy your school requirement for study abroad insurance - the Student Secure plan and the Atlas International plan. Both of these plans offer comprehensive coverage and great rates, especially when you are outside of the U.S. The Student Secure plan offers coverage for inpatient, outpatient, maternity, sports coverage, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. and you must be a student to qualify. You can purchase from 1 to 12 months of Student Secure coverage, and can continue to renew as long as you are studying outside of your home country.

The Atlas International offers similar coverage for those outside their home country, but you do not have to be a student.You can purchase as little as 5 days of coverage, up to a full year, and you can renew the plan for up to 3 years. One nice feature of the Atlas International is that you can choose a deductible as low as $0. Since there is no co-insurance on claims outside the US, you can reduce out of pockets costs for medical claims.

If you are like most students, health insurance is the farthest thing on your mind. You may have waited till the last minute to purchase it and you need proof of insurance by tomorrow or even today. Well, with these two plans we offer a great benefit: online fulfillment. This allows you to receive all of your insurance documents via your e-mail. You will receive a confirmation e-mail after you purchase the plan online and it will include your visa letter, explanation of benefits, receipt and insurance card. You can simply print these items out and bring them with you when you go abroad.

For lots of study abroad information, including program listings, a study abroad blog, etc. visit the Study Abroad section of InternationalStudent.com. You may also want to make sure you have an international phone card or sim card. Your cell phone provider may offer international calling but usually you will see they have very high rates and you can end up with an extremely high bill at the end of the summer. These services and products are all found through a great site: iCallAbroad.com. They offer excellent products with great rates and a “Print n Go” facility.

Travel Insurance for Spring Break

2007-03-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

I remember spring break quite well. This is the most coveted week of the school year for students in the U.S. Many students look forward to this week of relaxation for weeks and with great anticipation. I know I couldn’t wait to go abroad on the trip I carefully planned out. I knew it was going to be the best week of my college experience. After studying every night for mid-terms, writing papers, completing research projects and working part-time I felt like I deserved this mini vacation. The only thing I didn’t think about was getting insurance for myself while I was abroad. Granted I knew I was still under my parents domestic insurance plan, however, you never know if domestic insurance plans will extend overseas and this is something you don’t want to leave up to chance.

So, before you go overseas I would highly recommend getting an insurance plan that will cover you outside of the U.S. There are so many cases where I’ve spoken to people who’ve had an injury or illness that they’ve gotten overseas and their domestic insurance plan only covers extreme cases. At that point, you don’t really have any other option except to pay the bill yourself. But, the lesson they learned the hard way is to have travel insurance. And although, medical expenses are cheaper abroad it still may be an expensive bill, especially for students. Wouldn’t you want to spend your hard-earned money on something other than medical costs?

If you are looking for a plan, then I would recommend the Atlas International plan. This plan is quite inexpensive and it provides excellent coverage. You could choose a $0 deductible plan with maximum coverage ranging anywhere from $50,000 to $1,000,000. Your cost for a 7 day trip would range anywhere from $8.75 to $13.13. This plan also offers great benefits, such as, BagTrak, Lost passport or travel documents assistance, emergency cash transfers, livetravel services, emergency medical evacuation, and so much more. So, even if you don’t end up using the plan at least you’re provided with a sense of security and reassurance that you are covered while you are abroad.

The U.S. Department of State provides more information on requirements for travelers, travel tips for students, tips for women traveling alone, etc. Another great site full of discount student travel information is found through InternationalStudent.com. It gives you great information for vacation planning, things to do before you leave, hostel/hotel room search, cheap airfare, etc.

J1 Visa Insurance Requirements

2007-02-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

If you are a J1 visa holder, or if you are applying for a J1 visa, you must have an insurance plan that will meet certain visa requirements. This post will identify the J1 visa requirements, guide you to insurance plans that meet those requirements, and hopefully save you some time and money.

The insurance requirements for J1 visas are very specific. If you purchase insurance that does not meet these requirements you may waste a lot of time and money. At best, it could delay your visa application process, and in the worst case, you could have your visa application denied. Therefore it pays to know the requirements and to make sure the plan you purchase meets all of them.

The insurance requirements for a J1 visa are as follows:

- Medical Benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness
- Repatriation of Remains in the amount of $7,500
- Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $10,000
- A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness

A policy underwritten by an insurance carrier with:
- an AM Best rating of "A-" or above
- an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd (ISI) rating of "A-I" or above
- a Standard and Poor's Claims Paying Ability rating of "A-" or above
- or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of "B+" or above

All international health insurance plans offered on InternationalStudentInsurance.com meet all J1 visa requirements. In particular, the Student Secure and Atlas America plans meet J1 requirements, and both plans are inexpensive and widely used by J1 visa holders.

For Atlas America (for visits up to one year): Click here to view Atlas America information, quote and purchase.

For Student Secure (for visits longer than one year): Click here to view Student Secure information, quote and purchase.

If you are looking for information regarding visa requirements or have any questions in this general area these two sites have a wealth of information pertaining to visa requirements and the application process: InternationalStudent.com and the U.S. Department of State.

New Database for College Insurance Requirements!

2007-02-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

Applying to become an international student and studying outside of your home country can be a daunting task at times. So, many things are going through your mind and you must remember to have certain forms properly filled out, meet deadlines, find enough money to fund your education and then travel thousands of miles to a school that you may have only visited once. If you find yourself in this predicament, you may want to visit InternationalStudent.com to help you learn more about the USA. This site has a very helpful Study USA Advice Center.

So, then your school tells you that you must have health insurance either through their provider or an alternate provider which you must find on your own means. You learn though that the alternate insurance plan must meet certain requirements. These requirements are usually extensive and can be quite confusing. At this point, you may just want to throw up your hands and pay the school’s insurance fee. However, it may well be worth the time and effort locating a new plan. In a lot of cases, the school’s insurance plan can cost you double what alternate plans may cost. So, to make your life a little bit easier, we’ve added a school insurance requirements database to our website.

This feature will allow you to look up your school by state and identify whether or not our Student Secure Health Insurance plan will meet your school’s requirements. Instead of searching for hours for an inexpensive and acceptable plan on the internet, you will now have the tool to know right away. Through our extensive research, we have identified which level of our plan meets your school’s requirements. Inevitably, this will save you time and money and the guesswork will be minimized.

Click here to view the School Insurance Requirements Database for colleges or universities in the U.S.

If you do decide to waive your school’s insurance policy, then you’ll want to check with your school and see if you need to complete a compliance form. Once you sign and complete this form, we can fax it to your school. Also, once you apply for the plan, you will receive all of your insurance documents via e-mail if you opt for online fulfillment. This e-mail will be sent to you right away and will contain your insurance card, letter of coverage, explanation of benefits and receipt.

We will be updating this list on a continuous basis. If you do not find your school on the list and still have questions in regards to your school’s requirements then please do not hesitate to contact us.

School Insurance Requirements

2007-01-29T06:34:00.000-05:00

As an international student in the USA or anywhere else in the world you are required by either your school or the government of the country you are studying in to meet certain insurance requirements. For most of you, this is not an easy task to try and work out if an insurance plan will meet these requirements so this posting is designed to help you work out the requirements and what plans will fit in with those requirements.

Firstly, you need to check the requirements of the country you are studying in. The US State Department has certain criteria for students coming into the USA, for example the J1 Visa has insurance requirements and for students coming into Europe, the Schengen Visa has certain insurance requirements. The good news is that all the plans offered on International Student Insurance meet and exceed these requirements, so students can purchase any student insurance plan they need.

Secondly, the school you are attending may also require you to meet certain requirements. These requirements are generally a little stricter than the country requirements and can vary greatly from school to school, so it can be difficult to work out if plans meets certain requirements. To help we have created a database of schools around the USA and listed them and indicated whether our plans meet their requirements - you can visit this at:

School Insurance Requirements for the USA - Listed by School and State

If your school is not listed however this is not to say our plans do not meet the requirements but simply that we have not had the time yet to list all schools, so you should check out our Student Secure Student Health Insurance which will most likely meet all the requirements.

Student Secure Highlights:

- PPO Network - Not restricted to any network, but can go to the Hygeia Network
- Deductible - $100 (reduced to $50 at Student Health Center
- Major Medical Benefits - $300,000 (Select Plan) and $250,000 (Budget Plan)
- Pre-Existing Conditions - Excluded for the first 12 months, full coverage after that
- InPatient Mental Health - $10,000
- OutPatient Mental Health - $50 per day, $500 Maximum
- Maternity - $300,000 (Select Plan) and $250,000 (Budget Plan)
- InPatient Prescription Medication - 100%
- OutPatient Prescription Medication - 50%
- Medical Evacuation - $300,000 (Select Plan) and $250,000 (Budget Plan)
- Repatriation - $25,000 (Select Plan) and $15,000 (Budget Plan)
- Sports Coverage - $5,000

You can view the Student Secure Insurance plan here.

We are very happy to assist students in anyway, so if you have an insurance requirement form from your school and you want us to check it to make sure our plans meet them please email us with the form and we will be happy to check it and let you know what plans are available to you.

Study Abroad Insurance Plans

2007-01-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

With over 200,000 US students studying abroad each year (and growing) the need for study abroad insurance is becoming more important each year. This article is designed to provide students with information on what to look for and what options you have when it comes to international insurance for your time abroad.

There are a couple of scenarios when it comes to study abroad insurance and there are several ways you could be covered. The first is through your school, as some schools provide their own insurance plan that they ask students to take out before they study abroad. These plans are often very comprehensive and because of this they can be expensive - you can find very good insurance plan that provides quality coverage at a lower cost, you just need to shop around!

The second scenario is coverage through your parents insurance plan. Although this may provide you with good insurance benefits while at school in the USA, most plans will ONLY provide a medical insurance benefit and most of the time this is a low benefit of just $50,000. Plus, these plans will not provide any evacuation, repatriation or travel benefits which you will need when studying abroad.

The third scenario is that you do not have any coverage through your school or parents and so will need to do all your research to get the best insurance plan. The International Student Insurance Study Abroad insurance pages provide you with detailed information about the plans available to students studying abroad so please take time to learn more about the options available and hopefully you will find a plan that fits your needs:

Please view our Study Abroad Insurance plans online.

HOT TIP - When looking for a study abroad insurance plan you will want to make sure you plan provides you worldwide coverage (so you can travel around - great if you are based in Europe) and some home country coverage so you can can home during the holidays or to visit.

2007 Student Insurance Plans

2007-01-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

The new school year in 2007 is right upon us, and what better time to make sure you have one of the best student health insurance plans around with the Student Secure Health Insurance plan. This plan is affordable, and will meet most schools requirements for student health insurance - and whats even better is that we offer a convenient online application service that allows you to purchase and get confirmation in as little as 10 minutes!

The Student Secure plan provides coverage such as:
- up to $300,000 policy maximum
- 100% coverage within the PPO under the Select Plan
- Maternity and Mental Health Coverage
- Prescription Drug Coverage
- Sports Coverage
- and so much more!

Please take a look at the plan at:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student_secure_international/

or if you need to find out if your school will accept our plan, do not hesitate to contac our customer support team:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/contact/

Live Chat to us now!

2006-12-19T05:36:00.000-05:00

As we strive to improve our customer service to our clients, we have introduced Live Chat on InternationalStudentInsurance.com. Live Chat enables our clients to "chat" in an instant message style (similar to popular programs like ICQ, MSN, Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger) directly with our customer service agents around the world. There is nothing to download on the users part, all you need to do is visit our website and click on the Live Chat logo on any of the pages. A window will pop-up and you enter in your question and within 20 seconds you will be connected.

This new solution allows clients from all around the world to contact us quickly and easily! Our Live Chat center will be open the following hours:

3am - 6pm, New York Time
9am - 12am, Berlin Time
5pm - 8am, Tokyo Time

http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/contact/

Schengen Visa Insurance

2006-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

In June of 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to make it easier for people to visit their countries and travel between them. Known as the "Schengen Treaty", obtaining its name from a small town in Luxembourg, the original 7 member countries have now grown to 15 and they include:

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

For international students around the world this Schengen Treaty makes it much easier to travel to and within these countries, as there is one simplified system and no need to apply to multiple countries. Part of the treaty is that all those who apply for a visa must show proof of adequate health insurance - and this must be:

- The insurance company must have a representative office in Europe
- Medical evacuation/ repatriation coverage of at least US $37,500
- Insurance must be valid for the duration of stay in the Schengen countries

At InternationalStudentInsurance.com we provide Schengen Visa Insurance to applicants from all around the world and and plans that fit these requirements are:

Student Secure - Monthly health insurance just for students
Atlas International - Travel/ Medical insurance for everyone

Please see the plans above for more information about Schengen Visa insurance and for background information the Schengen Visa please see http://www.eurovisa.info/BackgroundInfo.htm

What type of plan is right for me?

2006-12-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Choosing the right international student insurance plan can be a daunting task, with deductibles here and benefits there, it can be hard to understand what you need and what things to look out for! To help you with this, this article is designed to help you decide what type of plan is right for you.

To answer this question effectively you need to ask yourself "What benefits do I really need? What is important?"

For most students who are traveling abroad you are doing this for one of two reasons, either to simply travel and take in the world or to study, or maybe you will be doing a bit of both. Depending on why you are traveling you should then look at the benefits that you will need for that travel:

Students Studying Abroad
It does not matter if you are an international students studying in the USA, or a US Student studying around the world, when you are student studying for months (maybe years) at a time in a foreign country you want to make sure you have a good health insurance plan that provides solid health insurance benefits whilst you are away from your home country. You want to be looking for benefits such high medical maximums, mental health coverage, pre-existing condition coverage, sports coverage and prescription medication to name a few core benefits. Generally these plans are referred to as international student health insurance plans.

Plan Recommendations:
Student Secure for Non-US Citizens
Student Secure for US Citizens

Students traveling abroad for fun/ recreation
Whether you are traveling for a summer, or for a few weeks the main benefits you should be looking are medical and travel benefits. You want to make sure you have adequate medical coverage but also travel benefits such as baggage, evacuation, 24 hour travel assistance and much more should be an integral part of any plan you purchase. You might also want to consider purchasing some trip cancellation insurance to cover any cancellations that might arise on your trip. We call these plans international student travel/ medical plans as they incorporate medical benefits and travel benefits into one plan.

Plan recomondations:
Atlas America - Travel to the USA
Atlas International - Travel to the rest of the world
Trip Cancellation Insurance

We then have the students that will be doing a bit of both, that is traveling and also studying at the same time and this could be a large majority of you. In this case you want to look out for what benefits you think will suit you most. Most people should place their emphasis on health insurance benefits and make sure that your health will be taken care of and covered in the event of the unexpected, however the travel plans listed above will do that but with slightly more emphasis on the travel benefits.

Other resources which may help you with your insurance decision are:
Choosing International Insurance
Health Insurance for International Students
Student Insurance Terms Explained

Insurance Terms Explained

2006-11-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

Shopping around for insurance can be very hard at the best of times, even when you do speak the language it can be hard to fully understand what something means. So, when you are an international student and need to purchase insurance, it can be even harder to understand what everything means when English is not your first language.

So, at International Student Insurance, we have decided to write a comprehensive guide to insurance terms and words so that you know what they mean.....

1 - Premium
The Premium is the price you will need to pay in order to be insured. So if you find out that the cost per month is $45 for example, then this is your premium and what you will need to pay in order to be insured under the plan

2 - Deductible
A deductible is a payment that you, as the insured, will need to make before the plan will start to pay for your insurance needs. There are two main types of deductible, a one time deductible and a per injury or illness deductible. To give you an example of how it will work, if you had a $100 one time deductible and you went to the doctors for the first time - you would need to pay the first $100 and then you will be covered as per your policy (you would not have to pay your deductible again, you pay it only once). Likewise, if you had a $100 per injury or illness deductible, this $100 would need to be paid for each specific injury or illness you had, and then the insurance would pay anything above and beyond this.

In the UK and parts of Europe this is also known as an excess.

3 - Coinsurance
Some plans may have what is called "coinsurance" which is a percentage that you will have to pay. For example a plan may have 80/20 coinsurance which means the plan will pay 80% of your medical expenses and then you would need to pay the remaining 20%. Some plans will however have a coinsurance set at 100% which means the insurance will pay 100% of your medical expenses.

4 - Network/ PPO
The network, or PPO (Preferred Provider Network) as it is sometimes known, is the network of doctors that you can go to under the insurance plan. Most policies will refer to this as "in network" and "out of network".

5 - URC (Usual, Reasonable and Customary)
This is the amount the insurer will pay for a procedure or operation. To give you an example the insurer will not pay $5,000 for an operation that only normally costs $2,000.

6 - Certificate Period
This is the time you are insured under the plan, so if you have purchased a plan for 6 months your certificate period will be this 6 months

Please also be sure to visit our insurance resources pages at:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/resources/

OPT Health Insurance

2006-11-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

I have heard many questions from students and recent graduates concerning OPT (Optional Practical Training) health insurance. Some of these questions have been: Do I really need health insurance since I’m not in school anymore? My school has a policy for those on OPT but it is very costly, is there any other plan I can get? I may only need insurance for a few months before I get a job, what do I do in this situation?

These are all very common concerns regarding health insurance for international students on OPT. Health insurance can be quite costly, especially for students and recent graduates. However, health insurance is absolutely essential in the US. Healthcare is very expensive, and there is no government-sponsored insurance or healthcare available to you.

At many schools, once you are on OPT you are no longer eligible for the school insurance plan. For those schools that do offer an OPT insurance plan for their F1 students, prices are often exorbitant. I have seen school plans range anywhere from $90 all the way up to $230 a month. You know as well as I do that this is a large sum of money for a recent graduate to pay each month. Don’t be discouraged because there are plans that are affordable and comprehensive, and you don’t need to purchase your school plan.

One such plan that works well for students on OPT is the Atlas America plan. This plan is available here: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/atlas_america/. This comprehensive and affordable plan covers just about any injury or illness you may have, and includes coverage for doctor visits, hospital room and board, ambulance costs, prescription drugs and physical therapy. Prices start as low as $38 per month.

An option you may want to consider is group coverage under the Atlas America plan. You must have at least 5 people under the plan (the people under this plan do not have to be related, they can be friends, however they must all be under the same plan with the same deductible, maximum coverage limit, etc.). This way you qualify for a group discount so this will lessen your payment each month.

Many international students that are on OPT are waiting to be hired or enter graduate school. So, a common concern is that you will have to purchase health insurance for a 12 month period. This is not the case. If you are going on OPT you can purchase insurance for as little as 5 days to 12 months of coverage. For instance, upon graduation you could purchase health insurance for three months. Then after three months, if you still don’t have employer-sponsored health insurance, you can extend your existing plan. That way you’ll never be in the predicament where you have two plans, one with employer-sponsored and one you purchased yourself.

For more information on the Atlas America plan, click here:
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/atlas_america/

For more information on OPT rules, visit this post in the InternationalFinancialAidBlog:
Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F1 Students in the US (October 18, 2006 weekly issue)