• 26
  Oct
  2009

• Who needs health insurance?

  
  Filed Under: Health Insurance
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Everyone falls ill once in a while. Everyone has to visit the doctor once in a while. Everyone (well, almost!) finds medical bills very costly, at least in the USA. Everyone would rather pay a smaller premium to cover the bigger financial risk of health care. Basically, everyone needs health insurance.

For quite some time now, many universities in the USA have made health insurance a necessary requirement for all students. Many more universities are following this policy. All international students studying in these universities are required to have some form of international student medical insurance before commencing classes.

Let us move away from universities a bit, and see what is happening all around in the USA. Health reform bill is slowly inching towards becoming a law. A public option is being introduced. More importantly, not possessing health insurance might actually become illegal, and the offender might be fined. Though not everyone in the public is completely supportive of this move, it points us in the direction that the things are moving: the government is trying to make its point clear about the importance of health insurance.

It only makes sense to consider all available international student insurance policies and make a pick.

• 21
  Oct
  2009

• Health care reform and university coverage

  
  Filed Under: Health Insurance
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University provided international student medical insurance covered students in 71 percent of four-year private universities, 82 percent of four-year public institutions and 29 percent of two-year public colleges during the 2007-2008 academic year, according to a March 2008 Government Accountability Office report. With the new provisions in the health care reform bill, all that is set to change - claims Lookout Mountain Group — a non-partisan study group that examines the impact of the bill and other reforms on students.

The students community, it seems, has been completely ignored, and this might have some adverse effects. All those who received low-cost insurance options through the university might now need to either buy a high risk (read costlier) policy or take the bigger risk of living without insurance, the group spokespersons explain.

The people responsible for formulating the bill seem to be concentrating only on employer and individual schemes, and ignoring students. Many student bodies are getting in touch with their senators, and expressing their concern on this omission, and the senators are being asked to help make some changes to include this very important and vastly uninsured demographic in the reforms.

Here's hoping that these voices will be heard, and some positives changes will be made.

• 20
  Oct
  2009

• Don’t wait, insure your health now

  
  Filed Under: Health Insurance
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International students planning to start their education in the USA need to collect and/or furnish a lot of documents from/to lots of different places. Starting from education certificates from their country, SAT/GRE/GMAT scores, applications to various schools, a passport, visa, travel documents, travel insurance, and a whole set of other documents. Life seems to be sinking in loads of paper, but the prospect of higher education in some of the best universities in the world makes this phase enjoyable, rather than terrible.

Now, when so much is happening, work has to be prioritized. Obviously all aspects related to admission and travel will be top on the list. But, something equally important i.e. international students health insurance gets postponed.

Waiting to get insurance is definitely not advisable. Health care being as costly as it is in the USA and health itself being as unpredictable as it is, it is a good idea to buy insurance as early as you can. Preferably before reaching the States.

These medical policies are created especially for the needs of young students, and often offer a great mix of low premiums and a good coverage. If you have to buy insurance any case, why wait? Insure your health now.

• 19
  Oct
  2009

• Avoid places that the US government asks you to avoid

  
  Filed Under: Health Insurance
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From time to time, the US government issues travel notifications or directives. They are to avoid travelling to certain places during a certain time-frame, or till a new directive comes to nullify the previous one. These are obviously directives, and not laws, and a traveler is not obligated to adhere to them. But, from health insurance point of view, it is best to avoid such places. Students, especially international, are advised to keep an eye out for such announcements.

The directive may be because of a terrorist threat, or a pandemic breakout. It could be because of political reasons, or due to unimaginable levels of pollution. Maybe high crime rate or diseases. Could even be because of extreme weather conditions.

If the American government has issued a notice asking its citizens to avoid visiting a place for whatever reason, it is best to heed to it. Many international students medical insurance companies might not cover any medical expenses incurred in those places.

Of course there are exceptions and your insurer might cover such expenses too. If you have to travel there, it is best to call up your insurer’s help desk and seek clarification. Depending on their response, you can decide whether or not to travel; and also if the travel warrants the risk.