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Archive for the ‘Insurance Explained’ Category
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 | No Comments »
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 »
Friday, July 8th, 2011
Many colleges and universities offer international student health insurance coverage. However, these plans can be expensive especially for international students. While some universities require their students to buy the school’s insurance plan, many other universities realize that their plan may not be suitable for every international student. At these universities, you have the option to waive out (decline) of the school’s insurance policy if you can show proof of an alternate insurance policy.
To help you determine if our international student health insurance plan will meet your school requirements, check out our School Requirement Database for schools in the USA. We have multiple plans that will work for international students as well, so if you have any questions feel free to contact us and we can help find a plan that would fit your needs.
Tags: insurance compliance form, insurance waiver, international student health insurance, international student insurance, school insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, July 1st, 2011
Today we launched a new online application for our International Student Health Insurance plan. The new online tool now allows you to get a free quote and apply for the Student Secure Smart, Budget or Select level using the same link. You no longer have a different application link to apply for the Smart level of the plan. I will be going over the steps on how to complete this new international student health insurance application.
The first step of the application process is to get a free quote based on your situation. You will have the option of choosing when you want your insurance to begin and end – you can choose to have the plan start in the future or as early as the same day. You cannot choose a date that is in the past. You can choose to have the plan for as little as one month or up to 12 months.
Next, you would enter your date of birth. If the student needs to add a spouse or child, you can click “yes” to dependent coverage and input their dates of birth, otherwise click “no”. After you will answer the question asking if you are a US citizen or resident, please note that if you are an international student studying in the US with a temporary F-1 or J-1 visa, you are not a US permanent resident and you would answer “no” to this question. Once you have filled out the information click on “GET QUOTE” at the bottom of the page and you will be taken to the next page showing you the price for the number of months you chose to have coverage for in the previous step.
On the next page you will have the option to choose the Coverage Area, if you will be an international student in the USA you would need to click the option “Including US” since you will need the insurance to cover you while you are inside the USA. If you will not be needing coverage in the USA you would choose “Excluding US”. Next you will choose with plan level you want to purchase: the Select, Budget or Smart level. You will then indicate whether you want to pay for the plan in full right now or pay monthly. Click on “NEXT” in the bottom right to move to the next page.
On this page you will simply fill out some information about yourself and your contact information. Your mailing address should be the address where we can reach you. Please be sure to fill out an email that you check regularly as this will be the primary way we will contact you about your policy including where we will send your documents and respond to other requests.
You might notice on the right hand side of the page that you can review the summary of your application so far.
Again, when you have filled out all the blanks click on “next”.
In the Eligibility Details page you will fill out your citizenship, home country and host country. In most cases your home country will be the same as your country of citizenship. If you choose to have coverage in the USA, you will have the question “Select Type of Visa” if your visa type is not listed you would choose “Other”.
The beneficiary for the accidental death benefit is the person you’d like to receive the monetary payout in case you pass away. This person can be anyone you want; usually it is a family member.
In the “Online Fulfillment Option” by choosing “Yes” you will receive your insurance documents electronically immediately after you complete the application. If you choose “No” you will get the documents physically email to you instead.
 
Congratulations, once you’ve reach this point you are almost done with the application. On this page you just need to confirm the price of the plan and include your payment information. You can use a credit, debit or bank card as long as they are MasterCard, American Express, Discover or Visa. Please keep in mind that “Visa Electron” is not accepted.
Once you have fill out all the information, read through the terms and conditions and click the check box if you agree then hit the “Place Order” button to submit your application!
Tags: Insurance application, international student insurance, International Student Insurance Application, Student Insurance, Student Insurance application, student secure, study abroad insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance | 1 Comment »
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