Getting accepted as an international student is incredibly exciting! For most people, it’s a dream come true and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only is it a chance to see new places, meet new people, experience new things, but it could also alter the course of your life.
However, despite this excitement, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed. There is a lot to learn and to do to make sure your experience is as wonderful as possible. There are so many important things that students need to arrange, including classes, housing, finances, international health insurance, communication, and more.
With the incredibly long list of things to accomplish, it’s a good idea to make a checklist, so you don’t forget anything. One of the important things to make sure you add to the list is international student health insurance. Depending on where you are from, this may seem unusual. However, it’s a necessity in the United States.
Read below to learn more about health insurance and why it’s a must-have for any international student.
Reason #1: A University Requirement
Today, most colleges and universities either require international students to carry medical insurance, or they are in the process of implementing a mandatory medical insurance requirement. When asked why, the schools have responded with the following five reasons:
1. It reinforces the federal policy requiring international students to be financially responsible. A medical insurance requirement is a logical and legal extension of this government requirement.
2. The school must protect itself from medical providers that might look to the host school for payment of medical bills on uninsured or underinsured students. This is especially true for those schools who have an insurance requirement that is not being properly enforced.
3. The university has a moral obligation to the community, the medical profession, and its students to make sure the international students can afford the high cost of medical care. Host families require coverage with major medical benefits for liability reasons.
4. Some international students come from countries with a form of socialized medicine and don’t understand how the health care system in the United States works. This protects both the student and the university from incurring a large financial burden.
5. Schools want to ensure the coverage is sufficient. International students are not insured under a parental policy nor are they eligible for public assistance in the United States. Simply purchasing travel insurance is inadequate due to coverage limits in both time and amounts.
Not having international student coverage for your students here in the U.S. is first a moral obligation. However, it also keeps the college and university from possible liability concerns. Especially when your international student does not have financial pockets to pay for possible medical bills, which is true of most students.
It’s essential to know what your requirements from your college or university are so you can match or exceed them. Reach out to your school’s admissions program for more information.
Reason #2: Extremely High Healthcare Costs
As an international student, you probably do not have much extra income. It’s an excellent idea to find ways to save money. However, not purchasing medical insurance is not one of them. Instead of saving money, you will put you and your family at risk of financial ruin.
As you’re probably aware, healthcare costs in the United States are by far the highest in the entire world. This includes doctor visits, procedures, and medicine.
Seeing a specialist and getting some medicine could cost several hundred dollars. A broken arm can easily cost $3,000. A hospital stay of just three days could cost about $10,000!
Most international students don’t have thousands of dollars lying around, so consider medical insurance a wise investment.
Reason #3: You Never Know When You May Need It
When we’re college-age, we think that we’re invincible. Nothing bad will happen to us.
Most of the time, that’s correct. Unfortunately, a small percentage of the time, something terrible happens that is out of our control. Maybe our friend’s car is hit with us in it or we catch a contagious disease.
If we don’t have health insurance before that takes place, it will be too late. There are a few sayings in English which are appropriate here:
“It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” And, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” You will most certainly regret not purchasing health insurance if you find yourself in a medical emergency.
International Student Health Insurance Options
Now that you understand why international student health insurance is so important, it’s helpful to know what your options are. There are at least four:
1. Most colleges and universities have their own international student group insurance. The first thing you should do is to contact the people at the university who handle that. These policies will usually provide adequate coverage, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
First, these insurance plans only cover you while you are in their school system. Once you leave, you will have to look for a different plan.
Second, the student insurance medical plans from the university may not have overseas coverage that you might need. Which means you will not be covered if you travel to another country and may not have important benefits like repatriation of remains and medical evacuation.
2. A second option is to purchase one of our international student plans here at Good Neighbor Insurance. These plans cover what the U.S. Federal government requires on an F1 visa, plus a lot more.
Some of the other benefits include coverage for medical evacuation and return of mortal remains. You can have higher coverage limits to make sure all your medical bills are paid for if something unfortunate happens. Plus, you are covered throughout the U.S. even when you are on school break.
3. A third option is you may purchase your own U.S. domestic insurance plan here in the U.S. via a local insurance broker. You must buy the plan in the state where you will be going to school.
However, this option does not include medical evacuation and return of mortal remains, which may be necessary at some point in your travels. Also, these insurance plans are for those only residing in the U.S., so they have no coverage outside the U.S.
4. Lastly, you may have an international medical plan that is provided in your country of residence. Keep in mind these plans have to cover what the F1 visa requires as well as the possible higher medical requirements set forth from your college or university here in the U.S.
Get Your International Student Insurance Today!
We hope you understand why it is so important for international students to carry adequate health insurance. Don’t forget to purchase your plan before you leave.
Good Neighbor Insurance has been providing international student health insurance plans for over 27 years. These insurance plans will not only cover your F1 visa requirements but also your schools requirements. Contact us at 480-813-9100 with any questions you may have, and we’re happy to serve you as best we can.
We hope you enjoy your experience as an international student, wherever your travels may take you!
