Health and Travel Insurance for Swine Flu
April 29th, 2009 by International-Student-InsuranceIn recent news, the Swine Flu is spreading worldwide with primary symptoms including fever, coughing, chest discomfort, headaches, and body pains. In more serious cases, infection has led to death. The World Health Organization has also confirmed that this respiratory virus in humans has been officially reported in several countries including Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Israel, Spain, and the United States.
According to the Center for Disease and Control, officials recommend that travelers check to see if their health insurance plan covers Swine Flu and to make sure that the plan offers medical evacuation.
All of the international health insurance plans on International Student Insurance provide coverage in case you are infected with the Swine Flu during your trip. If you plan on traveling abroad, the Atlas Travel Series will cover you internationally outside your home country. This plan is a travel and health insurance that will provide coverage if you get Swine Flu during your dates of coverage. The plan will also provide emergency air and/or ground transportation to the nearest hospital qualified to provide the necessary treatment. To learn more about the Atlas plan, please click here.
In addition to the Atlas Series, the Citizen Secure plan is available for those looking for a long-term plan. The Citizen Secure is an annually renewable plan that is a health insurance plan that includes coverage if you are infected with the Swine Flu. This plan also offers emergency medical evacuation including air and/or ground transportation. To learn more about the Citizen Secure plan, please click here.
Student Secure- A popular solution for Study Abroad students
April 21st, 2009 by International-Student-InsuranceThere 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.
Health and Travel Insurance for Russia
April 14th, 2009 by International-Student-InsuranceIf you are planning to travel to Russia, whether for work, school or fun, you should purchase adequate health and travel insurance. For some, insurance is mandatory – for instance, travelers from the European Union are required to have medical insurance for their visa (due to reciprocity for the insurance requirements of the Schengen Visa). According to the Russian Embassy, there are no specific requirements for the insurance, except that it be valid in Russia.
The US State Department has stated that “western medical care in Moscow can be expensive, difficult to obtain, and not entirely comprehensive.” Although US citizens are not required for their visa to have insurance before traveling to Russia, the State Department “strongly urges all travelers who visit Russia to purchase travelers’ medical insurance which includes coverage for medical evacuation.”
The Atlas International plan, health and travel insurance offered by International Student Insurance, provides comprehensive international coverage for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. With this travel medical plan you can select the days of coverage to match your trip, ranging from 5 days up to one year, renewable for up to 3 years in total. Visit the Atlas International page to learn more, or to quote or buy online.
If you will work or live in Russia for a year or more, you should purchase long-term major medical insurance with Russian coverage. The Citizen Secure plan provides coverage for all medical providers in Russia and is a comprehensive annually renewable plan with $5,000,000 of coverage. Visit the Citizen Secure page to learn more or to quote or buy online.
Student Secure – now offering enhanced destination pricing
April 3rd, 2009 by International-Student-InsuranceThis 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
Trip Cancellation vs. Travel Medical Insurance
January 7th, 2009 by International-Student-InsuranceThere can be some confusion in deciding which insurance plan is right for you and your trip. To help you decide you’ll want to consider the benefits that each plan offers and what would be most important to you.
Trip cancellation policies cover the actual trip itself and typically provide coverage for personal effect. They also provide you with insurance coverage in case the unexpected happens and you need to cancel your trip. Trip cancellation plans typically provide limited benefits for medical services in case of emergency. One plan that works well for people located inside the US (including non-US citizens) and traveling elsewhere is the RoundTrip International Health Insurance plan. These types of plans usually work well for short-term trips, since you can only purchase up to 90 days of coverage.
Travel medical plans usually provide more enhanced benefits for medical services and they will not cover the actual cost of the trip itself. They do however; provide a limited benefit for “trip interruption”. The Atlas International plan provides coverage outside your home country 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). You can purchase as little as 5 days or up to 12 months of coverage. This plan can also be renewed for up to 3 years.
Italian Visa Insurance Requirements
December 19th, 2008 by Ross Mason
As many of you might know, the Italian Embassy requires non-European citizens to have proof of health insurance. The policy needs to provide coverage specifically in Italy and meet the specific health insurance requirements the Italian Embassy has set forth.
The Italian government requires a signed declaration from the insurance company, also known as the certificate of coverage, that is accepted by the Italian Embassy as proof of insurance. This letter must include the following:
- The dates of coverage must be for the entire trip
- The policy is valid in Italy
- Emergency Medical Evacuation, Hospitalization, Medical Expenses and Repatriation are included in coverage
- The policy provides at least $45,000 (or 30,000 euros) in coverage
To further elaborate, Italy is part of the Schengen Treaty countries. Thus, your health insurance plan must meet Schengen visa requirements. You will need to provide a visa letter from your insurance company that states you are particularly covered in Italy. You will also need to show proof that you have coverage for medical expenses, hospitalizations, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. Coverage for these benefits must not be less than 30,000 euros. When you go to your visa consulate appointment, make sure you bring your visa letter from the insurance company. The visa letter must show that you are covered for all the above benefits as well as the particular dates you are requesting the visa for. We offer two policies that meet and exceed the visa insurance requirements for Italy.
The Atlas Travel 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 provides worldwide coverage excluding your home country. To be eligible for this plan, you do not have to be a student but you must be outside of your home country.
The Student Secure plan is for full time college 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.
You can apply directly online for these plans. 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. You can simply print these documents out, particularly your visa letter, and provide them to the Italian Embassy. Many plans, including the Atlas Travel and Student Secure, provide these letters once the policy has been purchased.
For more information about Italian Visa Insurance Requirements, please see our website or our dedicated page for Italy Student Insurance plans.
Maternity Benefits and How They Can Affect You
December 5th, 2008 by International-Student-InsuranceInsurance benefits and terms can be tricky to understand at first even to seasoned insurance buyers. However, it’s important to understand fully what your policy covers and doesn’t cover. If you don’t, you may be caught in a situation where your policy doesn’t cover it and you may have a high medical bill to pay all yourself.
Let’s take for example, maternity benefits. These benefits will vary in most insurance policies you look at. Some policies may cover it after a 12 month waiting period, some may cover it right away and others might not cover it at all. You also want to make sure how much it covers and what the actual limit it is covered up to. For instance, the Citizen Secure policy offers maternity benefits after 12 month of continuous coverage. Covered maternity benefits include pre-natal, delivery and post-natal care. The insurance company will pay 50% of the next $100,000 worth of eligible expenses after the deductible, then 100% to a lifetime maximum of $250,000. On this policy the deductible is per certificate period and you must meet it before the insurance company will pay towards your eligible expenses. You will also have coinsurance if you choose not to go within the PPO. If you choose to go within the PPO, then you would have 0% coinsurance.
Maternity benefits for the Student Secure policy are quite different. If you are not pregnant before the policy is effective, then you receive full maternity benefits from the first day your policy starts. Covered maternity benefits include but are not limited to pre-natal, delivery and post-natal care as well as expenses for miscarriage and complications of pregnancy. Like all benefits on this policy, maternity benefits are first subject to the deductible and coinsurance. The deductible for this policy is $100 per injury or illness. Coinsurance is dependent upon which level you purchase. On the budget level, the insurance company will pay 80% of the next $10,000 worth of eligible expenses (after the deductible), then 100% to the overall limit ($250,000). On the select level, the insurance company will pay 100% of eligible expenses (after the deductible) up to the overall limit ($300,000) if you go within the PPO or to the student health center.
Finally, the Atlas Travel series policy does not offer maternity benefits. However, if you are already pregnant then this may be the only option we offer. The Atlas series does offer coverage for complications of pregnancy up to the 26th week. This is defined as illnesses whose diagnoses are distinct from pregnancy, but are adversely affected by pregnancy or cause by pregnancy, and not associated with a normal pregnancy. Like the other two plans, benefits are subject to the deductible and coinsurance. With this policy, you have the freedom to choose your deductible (ranging from $0 up to $2,500) and your policy limit (from $50,000 up to $1,000,000). Coinsurance is 100% of eligible expenses while outside the U.S. and inside the U.S. (if you go within the PPO).
Spanish Visa Insurance Requirements
November 25th, 2008 by International-Student-Insurance
Many international students are going to Spain for studies and it’s important to have a health insurance plan that will meet the requirements for your student visa in Spain.
To apply for your student visa, you will have to present a letter (visa letter) from your insurance provider confirming that you have “international insurance coverage for health and accident with a minimum coverage equal to 30,000 euros (or its equivalent in US dollars) during the planning period of your stay in Spain”. Please note that a photocopy of your insurance card will not be sufficient proof. Your visa letter, should indicate your name, policy number, type of insurance coverage received overseas (i.e. accident, sickness, evacuation and repatriation) the dollar amount of your insurance coverage, and the effective and termination dates of your insurance policy.
There are two plans that work great and meet the requirements for Spain. They are the Atlas International and the Student Secure plans.
The Atlas International travel medical plan provides coverage outside your home country 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). You do not have to be a student to be eligible for this plan.
The 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 provides coverage for maternity, mental health, prescription drugs, sports coverage, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc.
The main difference between the two plans is that the Atlas International plan doesn’t provide coverage for maternity, mental health and pre-existing conditions and the Student Secure plan is designed to allow you to make monthly payments.
How long does it take for the visa to be ready?
Generally, you should apply for your visa about 8-12 weeks before the date of your arrival in Spain. First, you must have a passport valid for at least six months after the date that your program ends, so be sure to allow adequate time to obtain or renew your passport and get the visa application processed.
For more detailed information about Spain student insurance coverage, please see our dedicate page for those needing coverage in Spain.
Spanish Image provided by Shutterstock
Health Insurance Requirements for German Visa
October 10th, 2008 by International-Student-InsuranceIn order to obtain a visa to travel to Germany, all non-European citizens must have a travel/medical insurance policy that meets particular requirements. The policy also must show that you are specifically covered in the country of Germany. There are many worldwide policies that cover you outside of your home country. So, it may be wise to purchase one of these policies in case you might be traveling to one of the other European Union countries.
Health insurance requirements for the German visa are that your policy provides at least €30,000 (or $37,500 USD) in coverage. The policy is to provide benefits for emergency medical evacuation, medical expenses and repatriation (return of your mortal remains to your home country).
Most domestic, U.S. health insurance policies do not provide this coverage in countries outside the U.S. Typically, they will provide emergency only type coverage. This will not be sufficient for the consulate. In addition to meeting the above requirements, you also must submit written proof of coverage to the consulate. It must state that you have coverage in Germany and show that you have coverage up to the required amount for the necessary benefits.
It can be difficult finding policies that meet these requirements. I would recommend either the Atlas International or Student Secure policies.
| Atlas Travel | Student Secure |
|---|---|
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| Learn more | Learn more |
Both of these plans meet and exceed the visa requirements. In fact, many students and travelers have purchased them and have had no issues in meeting the consulate’s requirements. You can apply directly online for these plans using a debit or credit card.
After you purchase the plan, you can receive all of your insurance documents immediately via e-mail. Specifically, you will receive access to a visa letter. It will state which country you are particularly going to, how much you are covered for and will have your name and passport on it. It is also signed by an insurance representative. Once you’ve downloaded it, you can print it out and provide it to the consulate.
The Atlas Travel 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 $2,000,000) and your deductible (from $0 to $5,000). This plan provides worldwide coverage excluding your home country. To be eligible for this plan, you do not have to be a student but you must be outside of your home country.
Learn more about the Atlas Travel plan benefits here
The Student Secure plan is for full-time college students. Student Secure comes in four levels, Smart, Budget, Select, and Elite. The plan provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical coverage up to $200,000 (Smart), $500,000 (Budget), $600,000 (Select), or $1,000,000 (Elite). 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.
View the Student Secure benefit comparison table here
If you are not sure of what is the best plan option for you, you can always contact us for personalized assistance finding the right plan for you.
