The English Center

Who underwrites the Student Secure plan and what is their rating?

Lloyd's is the underwriter of the StudentSecure plan. They are rated A (Excellent) by AM Best Company and A+ (Strong) by Standard and Poor's, meeting visa requirements for the USA and countries around the world.

Where will this plan cover me?

The StudentSecure plan provides worldwide coverage, as long as you are outside of your home country.

Am I eligible to apply for the StudentSecure?

Will this plan work for me while on OPT/CPT?

Yes, students on OPT or CPT are eligible for the StudentSecure, even while on post-completion OPT, as long as you maintain valid F1 status.

Does this plan work for scholars?

Yes, full-time scholars who are outside of their home country and affiliated with an educational institution and are performing work or research for at least 30 hours per week are eligible for the StudentSecure plan. These activities may include, but are not limited to, performing research in an area of specialty or teaching for a temporary period of time. This requirement is waived for participants in the US with a valid F1 or J1 visa.

Are my spouse and children eligible for the plan?

No, spouses and children are not eligible for the StudentSecure plan, however, if you need dependent coverage please see our other insurance options.

When can I apply for the plan online?

Will I get an ID card?

Yes, you will receive an electronic PDF version of your insurance ID card immediately by email, and you can also choose to receive a physical ID card in the mail by selecting the “Email and Regular Mail” option on the application.

When will I get my documents?

When applying online, you will receive all your insurance documents, including your ID card and receipt of purchase, immediately by email. These documents can be printed out as proof of coverage. If you have applied for a plan and haven't received your policy documents, be sure to check your spam or bulk folder.

Once you have applied online, within an hour you will be able to log into the "Student Zone" to download your ID card, visa letter, or get claims information. If you are still not able to locate your policy documents after purchase, you can contact us for further assistance.

If you would like physical documents to be mailed, make sure you choose the “Email and Regular Mail” option on the online application. Physical delivery time will depend on the postal service, with delivery to a US address taking about one week and international addresses may take about 2-3 weeks. Express delivery is also available for an additional $20 if your address is in the US or an additional $30 if your address is outside the US.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept all major credit or debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. You are also welcome to use a friend or family member’s credit or debit card with their permission to purchase the plan. If you would prefer to pay using a check and wire transfer, please contact us for more information.

What is a Beneficiary?

In case of a covered/eligible accidental death, the StudentSecure Select and Elite plan includes a death benefit that could be paid out to the beneficiary. The beneficiary is the name of the person who would receive this death benefit. Most students put the name of their mother, father, brother, sister, husband or wife — however you can put any name you wish, including your estate.

Can I extend or renew my insurance plan?

Yes. If you purchase your policy for less than 364 days, you can extend the plan up until you have a full 364 days of coverage. Once you have a full 364 days of coverage, you can then renew your plan for another year. If you continue to meet the eligibility requirements and don’t have any breaks in coverage, you can extend and renew your policy for up to a total of 4 years. Please note that there is an additional $5 fee per extension or renewal. All extensions and renewals can be done quickly and easily through your Student Zone account.

My plan has expired, how can I reinstate it?

Once a plan has expired or lapsed, it cannot be reinstated. You can instead purchase a new plan and begin coverage as soon as the same day. Please click here to apply online again.

Can I cancel my StudentSecure plan?

To be eligible for a full refund, the request for cancellation must be received prior to the effective date of your policy.

Cancellation requests received after the effective date will be subject to the following conditions:

1. A $25 cancellation fee will apply, if paid in full. If your plan has been active for less than 15 days, you will be charged for the first 15 days plus the cancellation fee.
2. Only premium for unused whole-months, if paying in monthly installments, or unused days, if paid in full, of the plan will be refunded.
3. Only members who have no claims are eligible for premium refund.
4. After 60 days, no refunds are granted.

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing. No cancellation requests can be accepted over the phone. You may send this request to info@internationalstudentinsurance.com.

Does this plan cover maternity?

Yes, the StudentSecure Budget, Select and Elite do cover pregnancies if conception occurs after the policy effective date. Benefits include, but are not limited to, pre-natal, delivery, and post-natal care, as well as expenses for miscarriage and complications of pregnancy. Routine nursery care of newborns is also covered.

Are sports covered under this policy?

The Student Secure Select and Elite levels have school sports coverage which will cover medical expenses for eligible injuries and illnesses that result from participation in intercollegiate, interscholastic, intramural, or club sports up to a maximum of $5,000 per Injury or Illness related to school sports.

All plan levels (Smart, Budget, Select and Elite) will cover leisure, recreational, entertainment and fitness sports.

Does this plan have vision or dental coverage?

The StudentSecure plan does not provide any coverage for vision.

Accidental dental is covered if you suffer an accident to your teeth and need to have dental surgery with coverage of $250 per tooth up to a maximum of $500 on the Smart, Budget, Select and Elite plans. Regular dental check-ups or visits are not covered — however if you do have unexpected dental pain the plan will pay $100 towards expenses for treatment for this pain on all four levels of the plan. If you require a more comprehensive dental insurance plan, please see our dental plans.

What does Usual Reasonable and Customary (URC) mean?

URC — which stands for Usual Reasonable and Customary — is either the lesser of 150% of the charges payable under the United States Medicare program for claims incurred outside the PPO network within the U.S., or the average cost charged by a provider for a specific procedure in a specific geographic area. For example, if a particular procedure costs $5,000 on average in the New York City, the insurance company will not pay your provider in New York City $10,000 for the same exact procedure. Instead, they will limit their payment to "Usual Reasonable and Customary" — in this example, $5,000.

What is the difference between the Smart, Budget, Select and Elite plans?

What is a deductible?

The deductible is the amount you are required to pay to the doctor or hospital before the insurance company will pay toward your eligible expenses. On the Student Secure plan, every level of the plan has a $0 deductible. This means you don’t have a deductible to pay. Instead, the plan has different co-pays that you will need to pay each time you get medical treatment.

What is a co-pay?

The copay is the amount you are required to pay to the doctor or hospital each visit before the insurance company pays toward your eligible expenses. On this plan, the copays vary based on the plan level you choose and where you seek treatment. The following are the co-pay amounts of this plan:

• ER Co-Pay: Co-pay due for any visits to the emergency room inside a hospital.
• Student Health Center Co-pay: Co-pay due each time you go to your school’s student health center, or if you use a virtual consultation service.
• Physician Office Co-Pay: Co-pay due for a doctor's office visit.
• Urgent Care or Walk-In Clinic Co-Pay: Co-pay paid each time you go to an Urgent Care Clinic or Walk-in Clinic, such as CVS MinuteClinic or Walgreens Healthcare Clinic.
• Hospital Inpatient/Outpatient Co-pay: Co-pay due for any inpatient or outpatient treatment received inside the hospital.

What is coinsurance?

After the deductible, coinsurance applies to your benefits, and this is the cost sharing between you and the insurance plan. This is typically referred to as a percentage that the plan will pay, for example if there is 80% coverage — the insurance plan will pay 80% and you will need to pay the remaining 20%.

The coinsurance on the Student Secure plan when seeking treatment in the network inside the United States is as follows:

• Smart plan is 80% coverage for the first $100,000 of your medical costs, then 100% after, up to the overall maximum limit.
• Budget plan is 80% coverage for the first $45,000 of your medical costs, then 100% after, up to the overall maximum limit.
• Select plan is 80% coverage for the first $25,000 of your medical costs, then 100% after, up to the overall maximum limit.
• Elite plan is 80% coverage for the first $10,000 of your medical costs, then 100% after, up to the overall maximum limit.

Does my plan include home country coverage?

Yes, the plan provides the following home country coverage options:

Incidental Home Country Coverage

You must have purchased three months of coverage for the Incidental Home Country Coverage to be in effect. For every three-month period during which you are covered, eligible medical expenses are covered up to a maximum of 15 days for any three-month period.

Any benefit accrued under a single three-month period does not accumulate to another period. Failure to continue your international trip or your return to your home country for the sole purpose of obtaining treatment for an illness or injury that began while traveling shall void any incidental home country coverage.

For all non-U.S. citizens electing coverage “Excluding the U.S.” and for all U.S. citizens or residents, no coverage is provided within the U.S., except for U.S. citizens or residents during an eligible incidental home country visit or an eligible benefit period.

Benefit Period

While the certificate is in effect, the benefit period does not apply. Upon termination of the certificate, WorldTrips will pay eligible medical expenses for up to 60 days beginning on the first day of diagnosis or treatment of a covered injury or illness while you are outside your home country and while this certificate is in effect. The benefit period applies only to eligible medical expenses related to a condition for which you are hospitalized as an inpatient on the termination date of the certificate.

In the event you begin a benefit period while the certificate is in effect, and the certificate terminates because you return to your home country, WorldTrips will pay eligible medical expenses which are incurred in your home country during the benefit period. Home country coverage applies only to eligible medical expenses for which you are hospitalized as an inpatient on the termination date of the certificate.

What is the VantageAmerica Discount Card?

For policies purchased with a United States destination, you will be provided with a VantageAmerica Discount Pharmacy Card. This card will provide discounts on most FDA approved prescription drugs at over 54,000 participating pharmacies across the United States, and will save you an average 5%-15% off the cash price for brand drugs and an average 15%-40% of the price of generic drugs.

Once you have received your instant discount, the remaining prescription expenses can still be submitted for reimbursement as usual.

Please note:

• Card NOT Valid in AK, MA, MN, MT, VT, and Canada.
• Pharmacy discounts are NOT insurance and are NOT intended as a substitute for insurance.
• The discount is only available at participating pharmacies.

Does my plan cover vaccinations?

Only the Student Secure plan - Elite level offers coverage for certain vaccinations up to a maximum of $150. The following vaccinations will be covered under this benefit:

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
• Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (TDAP)
• Chicken Pox (Varicella)
• Hepatitis B
• Meningitis (Meningococcal MCV4 and B)
• SARS-CoV2/COVID-19
• Any vaccine required by your school program with documentation from your school

Does my plan cover telemedicine?

Yes, the Student Secure plan covers virtual visits to your doctor for any new, eligible conditions. To find providers in your area, please visit our online provider search tool.

Which doctors or hospitals can I go to?

How do I know which network my plan uses?

The Student Secure plan works with a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) called the UnitedHealthcare Network. With this plan, you can visit any provider that you’d like, however, we strongly recommend visiting a provider within this network, as you will potentially benefit from lower out-of-pocket expenses, and generally, the provider will be able to direct bill the insurance company, so you won’t need to pay for the full amount of the services upfront, at the time of treatment.

To find providers in the UnitedHealthcare Network in your area, please visit the network page or if you need help finding a provider, please contact us.

What is preventative care and is it covered in this plan?

Preventative or routine care refers to routine physical exams, diagnostic labs, x-rays, and procedures for screening or preventative purposes.

The Student Secure plan offers preventative care coverage on the Elite level of the plan. The plan would cover a maximum of $200 per certificate period after the policy has been active for 6 months.

How are claims paid?

Claims are paid depending on where you are located and where you seek treatment:

In-network while inside the USA

When you visit a provider that is part of the Preferred Provider Organization, your insurance bill is typically paid directly. You will need to complete a claim form and email this to WorldTrips for processing, along with a copy of your visa and student status.

Out-of-network while inside the USA

When you visit a provider that is outside the network, you will need to pay for all services up front and then submit your bills and receipts, along with a claim form and a copy of your visa and student status, for reimbursement to WorldTrips.

Outside the USA

When visiting a provider around the world, please pay for the services up front and then submit your bills and receipts, along with a claim form and a copy of your visa and student status, for reimbursement to WorldTrips.

You can access the claims form through your online Student Zone and email this to service@worldtrips.com for processing.

If you are hospitalized for an emergency or planned hospitalization you will need to call the 24 hour emergency assistance number located on the back of your insurance ID card and WorldTrips will assist you further with settling the hospital bills.