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.
