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Archive for the ‘Insurance Explained’ Category
Friday, April 6th, 2012
Finding international student health insurance can be a daunting task for many students. Between meeting school requirements and understanding all of the terms, things can get confusing. One term that often raises questions is the benefit period.
Many students assume that the benefit period refers to the entire effective period of a plan. In actuality, the benefit period can be thought of as extra time provided at the termination of the plan for a specific condition that was diagnosed or treated while the plan was still in effect. Each plan will vary with the specific terms and length of time attached to this benefit.
For example, the Student Secure plan has a benefit period of 60 days. If a covered individual is hospitalized as an inpatient for an eligible expense on their termination date, that condition would be covered for the next 60 days.
The benefit period for the Atlas Travel plan is slightly different in that an eligible condition that was diagnosed or treated while the plan was in effect, will be covered for 180 days under the benefit period after the plan is no longer in effect. The 180 days begins the first day of diagnosis or treatment for that eligible condition.
Depending on the type of plan you purchase, this benefit could vary greatly from the examples provided above. It is important to research the benefits of your prospective plan before you commit to your purchase.
Despite the difference in the benefit period between the Atlas Travel plan and the Student Secure plan, both of them work well for individuals looking for international student health insurance.
If you would like more information on the Student Secure plan or Atlas Travel plan feel free to contact one of our licensed agents today. They can assist you with any questions you might have, including those regarding the benefit period.
Tags: Benefit Period
Posted in Insurance Explained, Product Information | No Comments »
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Most international students run into the same problem when shopping for international student health insurance. Since many schools require their international students to have repatriation of remains and emergency medical evacuation coverage, this is a key item when they are searching for coverage, but they are often unsure exactly what this benefit is or how much they will need.
Before purchasing an insurance plan it is important to know what benefits and exclusions the plan is composed of. If you are an international student searching for a plan that includes both repatriation of remains and emergency medical evacuation, one option you might be interested in is the Student Secure plan since it includes both of these. Depending on which level of the Student Secure plan you purchase, the smart, budget or select, your coverage amount for these benefits will vary. The amount of coverage for repatriation of remains with the Student Secure plan is offered in the amount of $10,000 (smart), $15,000 (budget) or $25,000 (select). Emergency medical evacuation coverage in this plan is $50,000 lifetime (smart), $250,000 lifetime (budget) or $300,000 lifetime (select).
The repatriation of remains benefit will provide coverage for the transportation of the deceased policyholder’s bodily remains back to their area of principle residence in the event of death due to a covered injury or illness. This benefit allows individuals to prepare for the worst.
When recommended by an attending physician, emergency medical evacuation provides transportation to the nearest hospital that is fit to medically treat the covered individual if they are unable to receive the necessary treatment at a local facility.
If you would like more information on the Student Secure plan or repatriation of remains and emergency medical evacuation, please contact one of our licensed agents today and they will assist you with any questions or concerns.
Tags: international student health insurance, international students, repatriation of remains and emergency medical evacuation
Posted in Insurance Explained | No Comments »
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
It’s the New Year’s and you have discovered that you can purchase our more affordable insurance plan instead of your university’s plan. As an international student, you may wonder to yourself, “how do I find a doctor in the US?” or “can I visit any doctor I want to?”
Whether you have purchased our Student Secure plan, Atlas plan or Citizen Secure plan, you can find a doctor in the US very easily. All three plans are what are referred to as a preferred provider organization, or PPO. PPO is an optional network with contracted doctors or hospitals that you can go to. While this network is not required, these doctors and hospitals usually have discounted rates and have agreed to accept direct payment from the insurance company (this means that the insurance company pays covered expenses directly to your doctor or hospital, instead of paying first and being reimbursed).
If you choose the Student Secure Select level, the Atlas Plan or the Citizen Secure. By choosing a provider that is inside the network, you will receive 100% coverage for eligible expenses after you have met any deductible (up to your policy maximum). Coverage may change if you are outside the network so be sure to check the benefits on your plan as this is common in PPO networks.
Whether you go to a doctor or hospital in or out of the network, simply show your insurance ID card to the doctor office. Your doctor can then call the phone number located on your insurance ID card to arrange direct payment.
With any of these plans, you can simply use our online provider search tool to find a doctor or hospital anywhere around the US. We have multiple plans available to fit your needs; if you need help choosing the right plan contact our insurance agents to assist.
Tags: Find a doctor in the US, find a hospital, finding a doctor
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Let’s say you are planning to study abroad in the near future and you paid your tour cost, your plane ticket, etc. What would happen if you no longer can go on your trip? What would happen to your money for your plan/ train ticket that you already paid for?
This is where trip cancellation comes in! Trip cancellation is designed to cover your prepaid non-refundable losses in case you have to cancel your trip. While every trip cancellation plan is different, many trip cancellation policies cover cancellation due to sickness and injury, death of primary insured or immediate family members, bad weather, travel provider going out of business, etc. Trip cancellation protects you against losing your non-refundable expenses that you paid for if you have to cancel your trip. While trip cancellation benefits usually disclose a list of reasons for canceling, some plans allow you to include the cancel for any reason benefit so that you can cancel for an unlisted reason.
Trip interruption is similar to trip cancellation but it provides protection once you have already begun your travel. If you need to return home due to substantial destruction to your home, or an immediate family member’s death, trip interruption benefit will reimburse you – or it may also cover your plane flight home.
If you want to protect yourself against losing money on your traveling expenses, consider our trip cancellation insurance plan. Our trip cancellation also provides other benefits like trip interruption, trip delay, lost baggage and more. If you have any questions about trip cancellation insurance or other insurance needs, feel free to contact our international insurance specialist.
Tags: cancellation insurance, flight cancellation insurance, Travel Insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, Product Information, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
According to the CIA World Fact Book, Taiwan has an estimated GDP real growth rate of 10.8% placing it at number 4 compared to the rest of the world (2010). Taiwan has one of the most dynamic economies in the world but is often an overlooked destination for student studying abroad. However, this country is a great destination for students who want to study abroad and learn Mandarin Chinese at the same time!
If you will be an international student in Taiwan for over four months you will receive an Alien Resident Certificate which will allow you to enroll in the government’s National Health Insurance (NHI). If you are studying in Taiwan for just a semester, you would not be eligible for the National Health Insurance program and would need to have your own private international student health insurance in Taiwan.
For students ineligible for the Taiwan National Health Insurance (or for those wanting private insurance), our private international student health insurance in Taiwan would be able to provide a great protection against any unforeseen sicknesses or injuries that might happen while you are there.
Tags: health insurance for taiwan, international student health insurance in taiwan, international student in taiwan, study abroad in taiwan, taiwan health insurance, taiwan study abroad insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
International Student Insurance brings you interesting, useful and relevant information with our blog, Facebook and Twitter pages. We are always looking for new ways to provide more useful information to our community – and we’ve just done it again!
The number of international students studying abroad has been increasing year after year. A large number of these international students are from China. In the most recent Open Doors Report 2010, statistics show that the total number of international students increased by 3%. Of this total number, the report found that “this year’s growth was primarily driven by a 30% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to a total of nearly 128,000 students.”
Because of this explosive growth, we have been targeting information relevant to international students from China. We are excited to announce that our International Student Insurance plan information, for example, is now available in Mandarin Chinese! You can now read more about both of our Student Health and Travel Medical Insurance plans in your native tongue.
That’s not all! We’ve just launched our International Student Insurance Chinese blog where international students can comment and read about the latest changes affecting Chinese students studying overseas. We’ve even translated our relevant blog posts to help students in their native language understand pertinent information!
Tags: Chinese Blog, Chinese Student, Chinese Student Insurance, International insurance for Chinese Students, Student from China
Posted in Country Requirements, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011
The third issue of the International Student Insurance Newsletter has just been sent out to our subscribers, packed full of information, advice, help and services to international students and study abroad students who are traveling abroad with our plans. This issue features:
- Launch of our iPhone App
- Waiving out of your schools insurance plan
- Best Practices for seeking treatment
- Study in the USA iPhone App
- and much more….
If you have purchased one of our insurance plans, you will have received the newsletter – if you have not received the newsletter, then purchase one of our plans! or you can read the version online at:
Tags: insurance newsletter, international student insurance newsletter, student insurance newsletter
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, Product Information | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Not all international student health insurance plans are the same, so it is important to know the benefits and exclusions of each insurance policy before you make your final decision on which plan is best suited for you. After all, no one wants an unpleasant surprise where you find out a visit or treatment is not covered.
An example of a very common benefit that many international students often overlook is maternity coverage. Being pregnant is a happy moment in your life, but if you are unprepared it can become a financial burden. If you are uninsured and become pregnant, you will find it extremely difficult to find an insurance policy that would cover your pregnancy leaving you to bear the financial cost. According to the American Pregnancy Association the estimated cost of a low risk delivery alone is $6,000 – $8,000 not to mention prenatal check-ups that you need before the actual delivery.
Having an insurance plan that covers maternity will help protect you against having to pay this yourself. However, be aware that some international student health insurance plans may not provide coverage for pregnancy. Our international student health insurance plan called the Student Secure plan offers maternity coverage under the Budget and Select level as long as you are not pregnant when the plan goes into effect. While the primary insured must be the student, spouses can be added to the plan as a dependent to receive coverage.
Another insurance plan that is available is our major medical insurance plan called the Citizen Secure. This policy does not require you to be a student to apply, so a spouse of a student can apply independently if the student already has coverage and does not need coverage for himself. However, the Citizen Secure plan has a 12 month waiting period before you are eligible for maternity benefits. This means that the maternity benefit will only cover you if inception occurs after being on the plan for a full policy year.
Lastly, we have the Atlas Travel Plan. If you are already pregnant and outside your home country, you may apply for this plan. While the Atlas Travel Plan is not designed to provide maternity coverage, it provides limited coverage in case you have complications from your pregnancy during the first 26 weeks of the pregnancy. Complications of Pregnancy is defined as: Illnesses whose diagnoses are distinct from Pregnancy, but are adversely affected by Pregnancy or caused by Pregnancy, and not associated with a normal Pregnancy. This includes: ectopic Pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, hyperemesis gravidarum, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, missed abortion and conditions of comparable severity.
If you have questions on a plan best suited for you, feel free to contact our licensed insurance representatives.
Tags: dependent insurance, insurance for spouse, maternity, maternity insurance, pregnancy, pregnancy insurance, pregnant
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 1st, 2011
Students planning to study in Estonia should be aware that there is no student visa required. Instead, non-European Union residents will need to apply for a visa depending on the length of their stay. Because Estonia is part of the Schengen area, this country has similar rules to other nations within the Schengen region in Europe as we will explain in further detail.
Estonia primarily offers two visa categories: short-term visa and longer-stay visa. The difference between the two is explained by the duration of your time in Estonia:
If you plan to travel to Estonia for three months or less within a six month timeframe, you may not be required to apply for a visa depending on your passport. Ultimately, this decision is going to depend on your citizenship as determined by the passport you are traveling under. The following nations do not require a visa if you will be traveling to Estonia for shorter than 3 months (you will want to check with the Embassy however as some restrictions do apply):
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador. Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Israel, Japan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, St Kitts-Nevis, Taiwan, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela
If you will be traveling under a passport not listed above, then you may need to apply for the Short-term visa (type C). These visas are intended for stays less than 3 months beginning when you first enter the Schengen area. If this is the case, you will need to purchase an Estonia travel insurance. According to the Short term visa requirements, you will need to show proof of coverage that your Estonia student insurance is valid the entire length of your stay and covers at least 30,000 euros.
If you will be traveling for more than 3 months, you will instead need to apply for the Long-stay visa (type D). With a Long-stay visa you can get authorization to enter the country once or multiple times depending on your reason for travel. Additionally, you will be able to stay up to one year. To apply, however, you will need to have your international student insurance for Estonia in effect throughout the length of your visit in the Schengen area. Be sure to have a minimum of 30,000 euros in coverage as this is a minimum requirement for your visa.
One popular option that will meet both the Short-term and Long-stay visa is our Estonia student insurance. This plan provides comprehensive coverage meeting and exceeding the 30,000 euro requirement. This Estonia travel insurance is designed to cover you outside your home country, and will cover you internationally, including in Europe. Once you have purchased the international student insurance for Estonia, you will receive a confirmation email along with access to your visa letter. This letter has been specifically customized to meet the needs while you study in Estonia. If you have any specific questions on your Estonia student insurance, please feel free to contact one of our insurance specialist today!
Tags: Estonia student insurance, estonia travel insurance, International Student Insurance for Estonia
Posted in Country Requirements, Insurance Explained | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
Many colleges and universities in the US allow international students to waive their school’s insurance plan if students can show a good alternate health insurance policy. Our International Student Health Insurance plan called the Student Secure offers comprehensive coverage and therefore meets and exceeds most school insurance requirements.
There are a handful of universities, mostly in Florida, that have stricter insurance requirements including a waiting period that cannot exceed 6 months for a pre-existing condition. In these cases, we have designed an even more comprehensive plan called our Student Secure 6 Month Pre-Existing Condition plan which will work in these situations.
To understand the different between the two plans you must know what a pre-existing condition is. A pre-existing condition is any sickness, injury or medical condition that you had prior to the insurance effective date. If you have a pre-existing condition, many insurance policies will not cover that particular condition for a specific period of time. Certain universities require that this period cannot exceed 6 months from when the policy begins. For these students, our Student Secure 6 Month Pre-Ex Plan is especially designed to meet this requirement.
To see which plan will work for your school, check out the school requirements for international students.
Tags: 6 month pre-existing condition, health insurance, pre-existing conditions, Student Insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance | No Comments »
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