Welcome to the International Student Insurance Blog, providing you with news and information about international student insurance, international travel help and advice and much more!
So you’ve been an international student for some time now, living on your own in a foreign country. You’ve been skyping back and forth with your parents, dealing with the intermittent phone calls that are sometimes hard to coordinate with the time change. But this time they’ve announced that they are ready to come for a visit.
Whether your parents will be coming to visit for a week, month, or perhaps are planning to move into your dorm room, you will want to make sure that your parents are covered on their trip abroad. In many cases, international travel insurance may not come to your parent’s mind, as they are busy packing their bags with your favorite items – although unfortunately customs put a limit on some foods that will remain in the back of your mind – but on the top of your to-do list when you come home.
The Travel Medical plan is designed for individuals traveling outside their home country – including travel insurance for your parent’s journey to visit you overseas. The plan provides coverage for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. By having your parents properly insured, this will provide them with the peace of mind that they can travel around with ease and comfort. This can be especially important in countries where the medical system may be just as foreign as the language. And the added plus – one less thing to worry about!
It’s almost that time of year again – it’s that one week off from school to kick back and relax. That is, kick back and relax in a foreign country!
Whether you plan to enjoy the sun in Cancun, Mexico or if you’ll be navigating your way through the web of trains in Europe, you’ll need to be prepared with a spring break trip insurance. Before boarding the plane, you’ll want to make sure that you have your paperwork in order, whether that is your insurance cards or your proof of insurance if required by your destination country.
The bonus? It is guaranteed to make your parents a bit more comfortable as you venture over the border.
Most spring break trip insurance plans can be purchased for a short period and will provide coverage outside your home country allowing you the flexibility of traveling to multiple destinations. By covering yourself, you will have the security of knowing that you’ll be covered in case of sickness or injury.
For the extreme adventurer, you’re going to want your plan to cover you no matter if you’ll be skiing or ski diving. Many spring break travel plans will allow you to add additional sports coverage as well.
Many students have found our Spring Break trip insurance plan, the Travel Medical plan, a comprehensive plan well suited for short trips. Not only can you purchase just 5 days of coverage- but you’ll be covered internationally outside your home country. This plan covers you for doctor visits, hospitalization, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation. Many students have found this plan a perfect fit as it also has the optional sports rider in case you are planning an adventurous spring break!
The UK is one of the most popular destinations for international studies. In fact, studying in the UK is the number two choice for international students in the world, second only to the USA. The UK offers international students an excellent higher education system and with hundreds of universities to choose from – it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular destination. For more demographic and statistical information about international students in the UK, visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs.
Before you leave your home country/country of citizenship you should consider having a health insurance plan for international students that will work for you in the UK.
The Atlas Travel Series is a great choice for health insurance for international students in the UK. The plan provides comprehensive coverage for doctor office visits, prescription drugs, hospitalizations, diagnostic testing, x-rays, laboratory work, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. To be eligible for this plan, you do not have to be a student but you must be outside of your home country.
International students needing health insurance in the UK will find applying for the plan simple and easy – you can purchase the plan right online and get immediate coverage. 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.
After China, India sends the greatest number of students abroad. The majority of Indian students study in the United States, which is followed by Australia, the UK, Germany and Canada. Health insurance for Indian students studying abroad in important especially as health care may work differently than in India.
Unlike India’s national health care, countries like the United States provide private health care. In the United States, the medical expenses can be costly and you’ll be expected to provide insurance coverage in many doctor’s offices and hospitals. Indian students studying abroad in the US under an F-1 visa may be required by their school or organization to have coverage before the first day of school. Indian students studying under a J-1 visa are required by the US government to have insurance, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation.
In Australia, the government provides insurance coverage through Overseas Student Health Coverage (OSHC), which will need to be purchased prior to arrival. In other counties like the UK and Canada where they do offer public health care, it is possible that you may not be covered. The British and Canadian Embassies recommend that Indian students have adequate health insurance before arrival since medical treatment can be expensive and students are not covered by their national health care. The exception to this is in the UK if you’ve been covered by a reciprocal health care agreement or enrolled in a course that is 6 months or longer.
Indians traveling to Germany to study are required to have insurance under the Student visa. Students under the age of 30 or until their 14th academic semester can take out the public health insurance, or you can choose to opt out for a private health insurance. International students over the age of 30 will no longer be eligible for the student rate and may voluntarily choose a public fund or a private health insurance provider.
When you are looking for your insurance while studying abroad or if you plan on traveling to other countries, you’ll want a plan that will cover you for the full duration of your studies or trip. The Student Health Insurance is designed to cover you up to 4 years of studying and meets many school and government requirements. The plan includes comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical coverage (doctor visits and hospitalization), prescriptions, mental health, maternity, sports coverage, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc.
Chinese students make up a large portion of students studying abroad. Health insurance is often times a big concern as most countries, colleges and Universities require that international students have it.
The Atlas Travel Series is an excellent choice for health insurance for Chinese students studying abroad. The Atlas Travel Series provides coverage to students studying outside their home country. It provides coverage for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc.. This plan allows students to choose maximum coverage limits (from $50,000 to $1,000,000) and your deductible (from $0 to $2,500).
The plan meets all of the requirements for the Schengen and US visa’s. In addition to that it can protect students from financial burden in the event of an unexpected illness or injury. So whether it’s required or not – it’s a smart idea for all Chinese students studying abroad to have health insurance.
After this plan is purchased, they will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail. This e-mail will contain the insurance card, letter of coverage, receipt, visa letter and policy details. Students can simply print these documents out to show proof of coverage.
Health insurance is not only a smart idea for international students to have but it can protect you from financial burden if an unexpected illness/injury should happen.Most students are young and healthy and will rarely have medical issues.However, it’s a smart idea to have a comprehensive medical plan in place to protect you.
The Student Secure plan is a very comprehensive and affordable student health plan for international students both, inside and outside the US.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.
After you purchase this plan, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail. In this e-mail, it will contain your insurance card, letter of coverage, receipt and policy details.
The premiums for the Atlas International plan have recently been reduced, making the popular health and travel plan more affordable than ever before.
This plan works great when traveling outside your home country.This 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 is well suited for study abroad programs, international students, vacations and holiday travels. This plan can be purchased online- with same day coverage. You will get all of your documents immediately, including access to obtain a “Visa Letter” – if you need one.
There are many countries that are becoming more popular destinations for Study Abroad programs. For example, Finland, Spain, Italy, France, and the UK are hot spots for international studies and health insurance is also requirement for most of these counties.
The Student Secure plan has become an ideal solution for many these 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.
After you purchase this plan, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail. In this e-mail, it will contain your insurance card, letter of coverage, receipt and policy details.
You will also have access (Client Zone) to what is called a “Visa Letter” that outlines what the plan coverage is, confirms the insured is covered and provide other information about the plan that you have purchased. You can just simply print out these documents to show proof of coverage.
This increasingly popular international student plan is now available with US coverage or without US coverage.
This makes the plan much more affordable for those students that will not need US coverage. For example, non-US citizens wishing to study in other countries (like Finland) can now exclude the US in coverage.
The Student Secure plan will still offer the same great comprehensive benefits. Student Secure is available in two levels, budget and select. As mentioned above, 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.
Like before, you can apply directly online for this plan. 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
What are insurance ratings and why are they important to me?
Nothing is more important to a policyholder than the financial strength of their insurance company. You should always make sure that the plan you purchase is underwritten by a carrier with a great rating. By doing this, you can feel confident that your eligible claims will be paid. In fact, this is even a requirement to obtain most visas, including the J-1 visa.
Some of the world’s largest insurance carriers, such as Lloyds of London and IHI, provide clients with peace of mind knowing that they have a stable and secure carrier behind them. The Atlas Travel and Student Secure plans are underwritten by Lloyds of London. Lloyd’s of London is the largest and oldest insurance market in the world, with 317 years of experience insuring individuals and corporations internationally. Rated A (Excellent) by AM Best Company, and A (Strong) by Standard and Poor’s.
One plan that is insured by Lloyd’s of London is the Citizen Secure plan. This plan is a comprehensive annually renewable plan. It provides up to $5,000,000 worth of coverage and includes coverage for doctor office visits, prescription drugs, maternity, surgery, hospitalizations, diagnostic testing, lab work, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. You have various deductible options: $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 that you can choose. This plan comes in two levels, Citizen Secure and Citizen Secure Economy. The main difference between the two plans is that the Citizen Economy plan has capped benefits (this means each benefit has a certain limit it pays up to). This plan will cover you all over the world and you can chose to include or exclude the US and Canada in coverage
