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Posts Tagged ‘study abroad insurance’
Monday, October 10th, 2011
With its beautiful beaches, lush jungles, exotic culture, rich history and delicious food, Thailand is known as a great vacation destination of the world. While these reasons bring many tourists, the same reasons also bring many students seeking an exciting and unique study abroad experience as well.
It is important to keep in mind that health care in each country is unique and the same goes for Thailand. If you are coming from the Unites States or other western country it is a good idea to be aware of how the health care system works beforehand.
The majority of people arrive in Thailand via the capital city, Bangkok, where most of the major universities are also located. There are many clinics and hospitals in the city as well, but private clinics may not be staffed with English speaking professionals. For most foreigners, the best option may be to visit a general hospital which in most cases is a private hospital. While they are usually more expensive, they are more accustomed to treating foreigner and are often equipped with state of the art medical equipment.
If you decide to study or travel to a more remote area of the country, language barriers may be an issue if you do not speak Thai or if you do not have someone who can translate for you. Most sicknesses or injuries can be treated in the local facilities, but if you need emergency care that would require more specialized treatment, you may need to be medically evacuated to a nearby major city. This is especially true for the poor North Eastern region of the country where the ratio of doctor is 1:7251 according to the World Health Organization‘s 2002 data.
It is important to protect yourself with a private health insurance while you are studying abroad in Thailand since there is no free national health care system. Our international student insurance for Thailand will be able to provide medical coverage in case you get sick or injured during your time abroad, it also includes benefit for emergency medical evacuation and also translation service available 24/7! If you have more questions, feel free to contact our international insurance agents at any time!
Tags: international student insurance, study abroad insurance, study in Thailand, study in Thailand insurance, Thai study abroad insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad | 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 »
Monday, June 27th, 2011
It’s summer time and that may mean that you are planning to take a few months to study abroad. For others, this may mean a relaxing break just in time to start anew for the next school year. If you plan to study abroad in the Fall or Spring semester, it is not too early to prepare for this once in a lifetime experience. Whether you plan to study in China, Britain, or Australia, you will want to do your research and make the most of your experience!
To keep you at your best, many students purchase a study abroad insurance that will cover them outside their home country in case of sickness or accident. Some schools may require you to enroll in their school’s insurance plans, while others may offer the option to purchase your own policy. In either case, it is important to make sure that you are properly insured when you are overseas. Students will need to contact their study abroad office to find out about their insurance requirements and details on their plan. Some school insurance policies only cover students during their program – but what happens if you come early or stay late? Some insurance policies are emergency-only, but what if you have a cold and you want to seek treatment? Perhaps your school’s plan only covers you in one country, but instead you are plan on spending your free time traveling to other countries?
Investigate your study abroad insurance and make sure that this is the proper plan for you. If your school does not offer insurance, or if coverage is limited, you may decide to purchase your own study abroad insurance plan. Many countries have a different health care system than what is offered in the US so it is important to read the plan benefits and see what travel assistance they offer included in the plan.
Tags: study abroad insurance
Posted in Study Abroad | 2 Comments »
Saturday, June 4th, 2011
Many people are confused about the differences between what is an insurance deductible, co-pay and coinsurance. All three represent the portion of the medical bill that you are responsible for in case you get sick or injured. However, there are some differences:
Deductible: A deductible is usually a fix dollar amount that you have to pay out of your own pocket before the insurance will cover the remaining eligible expenses.
Depending on the insurance plan, the deductible can range from $0 all the way up to thousands of dollars. It can also be paid per sickness/injury (per condition) or per certificate period.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the deductible the lower the premium (price to buy the plan) would be and vice versa. Be sure to choose the deductible that is appropriate for your circumstances when purchasing an insurance policy.
Coinsurance: A coinsurance is usually a percentage that the insurance will pay toward your eligible medical expenses. Some common coinsurance includes: 100%, 80/20, 90/10 and 50/50. As an example if you have a 80/20 coinsurance, it means that the insurance company will cover 80% of your medical cost and you are responsible for paying the other 20% yourself.
A deductible is commonly use together with a coinsurance. In this case you would pay the deductible amount first and after you would have the left over coinsurance amount.
Copay (copayment): Copays are similar to deductible, it is usually a fix amount of money you have to pay each time you need to use the insurance. A copay is usually small amount that you pay which applies to certain benefits like general doctor visit or prescription medication.
An insurance policy may have a deductible, coinsurance, copay, any combination of the three or none at all.
Tags: coinsurance, copay vs coinsurance, deductible vs coinsurance, deductible vs copay, health insurance explain, insurance copay, insurance deductible, insurance out of pocket expense, study abroad insurance, Travel Insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, Product Information, Student Insurance, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, April 29th, 2011
When you are planning your study abroad, you would no doubt have to make a decision on where you want to go and which college or university to attend. Many of the factors that would help you determine which college is right for you is similar to that of choosing your college at home.
The first step is to get to know yourself. You need to ask yourself, “why am I going to study abroad?” You will need to think about what you expect to get from your experiences.
Are you looking to just have a lot of fun on your trip and use the opportunity to travel to other countries around the region? Are you looking to learn a new language?
For example, if you are looking to have a lot of community support while you are abroad, you might want to consider joining an exchange program that your University has already set up. This gives you the advantage of knowing that many students have already been there – or perhaps there is a sizable community of people from your own country that would be able to help you adjust to the new environment. But if you are confident with your ability to do things by yourself without much hand-holding, you are freer to choose to go to school where there is relatively few people from your country so you can focus more on your other goals like learning a new language.
Choosing a location
This step is obvious if one of your goals is to learn a new language. If you want to learn Chinese don’t study abroad in Spain and if you want to learn Spanish don’t study abroad in China! Additionally, there are also other considerations when choosing a location. Do you enjoy a big city with a lot of people even if that means your living space may be small? How about the traffic or commute? What is your budget keeping in mind that the cost of living is higher in big cities?
How long is your study abroad trip? Will you be abroad for over a year or just one semester? If you are planning to study abroad just for one semester in the middle of the winter, you might want to reconsider going to study in places like Finland (unless you really enjoys the cold).
Consider your financial need
Many colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants for international students, you would just have to look and apply for it. Not only do you have to consider the tuition costs, you will also have to think about your cost of living; living in London is going to be more expensive than living in rural China.
Many countries especially in Europe like Finland, Spain, etc. also require international students to buy health insurance to get a visa. Most universities in the USA also have school’s specific insurance requirements for their student. So it is important to choose an insurance plan that would provide you with good coverage in addition to an affordable price.
What do you want to do afterward?
Lastly, if you are going to be studying abroad as a full-time degree seeking student, you might want to consider where you want to work after your graduation. Most universities usually have connections to companies or specific areas in which they are located in, therefore if you want to work in the USA or Europe after graduation it may help if you graduate from college in your area of interest.
Tags: finland student insurance, international student health insurance, international student insurance requirements, schengen visa insurance, Study Abroad, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2011
So you did your research for your ideal study abroad program and for international scholarship opportunities, and now you’ve picked where you want to go. That’s great! But now what? Study abroad usually involves more than just picking your school, paying the plane ticket and school tuition. Early preparation is essential and will save you from last minute headaches. Below is a list of some important considerations you should prepare in advance of your study abroad trip:
Country visa requirements
If you already have your heart set on a country and school, you should research what the requirements would be in order for you to study there. Most countries will require international students to apply for a student visa. Checking with your school’s study abroad office or embassy’s website would be helpful to gain more information about what requirements you need to meet to obtain a visa.
Insurance requirements
Keep in mind that even if you have health insurance in your home country, it may not provide coverage while you study abroad.
Many of these countries also require that you must have health insurance in order to apply for a visa. Some examples of popular destinations with health insurance requirements include the the J-1 visa requirements in the US, student visas in Finland and insurance requirements if entering one of the Schengen countries.
Many universities also require insurance for international students. If you are an international student studying in the U.S., you should check if your university requires you to purchase the school’s plan or whether you have other insurance options, look up your insurance requirements in our school insurance requirements data-base.
Check for important dates!
You should also check for any application deadlines and be mindful if you have to mail any documents internationally, as it may take longer than you expected for it to be delivered.
If you don’t have a passport already, you should apply for your documents early. You will also want to make sure that your passport is valid for the period of travel, no one wants to find out that their passport expired in the middle of your trip.
Research your country
Unlike taking a trip while vacationing for just a few days in a country, when you study abroad you are most likely going to spend a long period of time in your host country. You should do some research on the language and culture of the place you are going to in order to avoid culture shock or to avoid accidentally offend someone. Learn some key phrases and make some local friends; this is a great way to learn the culture. If you are a non-native English speaker and will be studying in an English speaking country, you will probably have to take either the TOEFL or the IELTS test for English proficiency.
Get proper vaccination for where you are traveling to, and check if you will need any medication while abroad and if they are available in your host country.
Tags: choosing study abroad, student travel insurance, Study Abroad, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance, Study Abroad Scholarships
Posted in Country Requirements, Health & Safety, International Student in the USA, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Friday, February 4th, 2011
After the recent political unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, we thought it would be important to mention political evacuation insurance plans.
Political turmoil in a country can cause problems for many people around the worlds not just for those living in the country. What if you are in a foreign country traveling or studying abroad and then something happens? What if you haven’t left your home country yet when it happens? Sure that is better than being there in the middle of the chaos, but what happens to your expensive plan ticket that you have already bought?
There are different insurance options which can provide protection against these political uncertainties. A good comprehensive travel medical insurance, like the Atlas Travel plan, can provide you with not only coverage in case you get sick or injured, but also with coverage in case you need to evacuate due to local unrest. If the United States government issues a travel warning that becomes effective after you have already arrived in your destination country, the Atlas Travel plan will provide transportation to the nearest place of safety or even cover your return back home.
If you are already covered for your medical needs, a stand-alone emergency evacuation insurance may be for you. While this plan doesn’t provide coverage for medical expenses, it will provide coverage for medical emergency, political evacuation and more.
Because you never know when something bad can happen, you want to have protection for when you are abroad and also before you actually leave for your trip. If certain events happen that would prevent you from taking your trip, you don’t want to lose all the money you have spent on your non-refundable plan ticket. The Trip Cancellation insurance plan can provide this coverage. If you add the Cancel for Any Reason option to the plan, you can be reimburse for 75% of your non-refundable tour cost. As with all insurance plans, it is important to read the terms of the plan carefully.
Tags: emergency evacuation, emergency evacuation insurance, emergency insurance, political evacuation, political evacuation insurance, study abroad insurance, Travel Insurance, trip cancellation insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, December 4th, 2009
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.
Tags: atlas international, atlas travel insurance, Health Insurance for Chinese students studying abroad, international student health insurance, international travel insurance, schengen visa insurance, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance
Posted in International Student in the USA, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
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.
Tags: international student insurance, Student Insurance, student secure, Study Abroad, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance
Posted in Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 21st, 2007
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.
Tags: student secure, study abroad insurance, summer study abroad, summer study abroad insurance
Posted in Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
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