• 27
  Sep
  2010

• Play the game, and stay covered

  
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International student health insurance offers coverage for medical expenses due to illness, injury and emergencies. For people participating in casual, non-contact sports the risk of sustaining an injury is considered almost equal to one leading an almost sedentary life. However, this risk drastically increase for those participating in organized, professional sporting activities. The risks can be prohibitive for a typical insurance policy, and sports injuries are generally not covered.

So, does it mean that for fear of injury and subsequent medical expenses you should bid goodbye to those running shoes? Become a spectator in a stadium when your heart is in the sports field? Deny yourself the chance to be a university Blue? Is there something that allows you to play the game and still stay covered? The answers to these questions are, respectively: No, No, No and Yes.

Yes, there is a solution. Enter the Sports Rider. A small increase in the premium and a rider is added to the the international student medical insurance policy, and can now cover sports-related injuries.

Now, participating in an amateur or professional sporting endeavor can mean concentrating on the game, rather than worrying about medical bills. Do know that extremely high risk activities might still be uncovered. Refer to the policy rider document for details.

• 20
  Sep
  2010

• Pregnancy and maternity coverage

  
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Most international student health insurance policies offer maternity coverage. That means pregnancy is treated as any other condition, and medical expenses incurred are covered as per the policy document. But, of course, there is catch.

For maternity coverage to be available, conception must happen after the policy is bought and has been in force for an agreed period of time. Some policies need to be in force for a period of 3 months to 3 years, before the insured becomes eligible to receive coverage. So, if maternity coverage is important to you, make sure that you read the details about its coverage and pick the right policy.

If the person is already pregnant before the policy was purchased, maternity coverage is not offered. Pregnancy would then be considered as a pre-existing condition. Coverage may still be available for the next child, though. But the policy terms need to be referred for further details.

This underscores the importance of buying a medical insurance policy as soon as possible. Whether it is emergencies that need medical coverage, or planned/unplanned maternity expenses that need to paid for, the sooner the policy is bought, simpler it is.

• 13
  Sep
  2010

• Travel insurance - easier and cheaper than you thought

  
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Travel health insurance somehow always ends up being last on the to-do list of most international students planning a trip abroad. For obvious reasons one doesn’t want to think of sickness and emergencies when planning a fun trip. But, that shouldn’t mean the possibility of such a situation should be altogether discounted.

And considering how easy and cheap it is to buy travel insurance, there should be no reason to not buy one. Let us say, your flight’s booked and the taxi to take you to the airport is at your doorstep. In the time that it takes to load your luggage in the boot, you can actually buy a policy. It is that fast.

And the cost! It’s less than a single visit to the doctor. The fee that you pay a doctor should you need to visit one, is enough to offer coverage for around a month of travel. It covers emergency treatments away from home, hospitalization, prescription coverage, evacuation, repatriation and much more.

Your health card is emailed to you, and most insurers offer online claim filing too. Peace of mind is an essential requirement for any trip, and a good travel insurance policy offers you that at a cost that wouldn’t put a dent in your wallet.

• 07
  Sep
  2010

• Back to the school? Pick your policy carefully!

  
  Filed Under: Health Insurance
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With many students returning to the schools and many beginning a fresh term, international student health insurance has never been as important as right now. This is the time to decide. Which policy, how much premium, what coverage limit, how much out-of-pocket expenses? The questions can seem intimidating. The answers are simpler than you thought.

Most universities require students to have certain minimum health coverage, and those who do not can be automatically signed into the schools group insurance scheme.

The university-offered policy might have lower premiums, but the very fact that they are designed with everyone in mind will mean that they might not be perfect for you. Student medical insurance is not a one-size-fits-all scheme. It is not designed for the lowest common denominator. At least it should not be.

Each policy can be designed and offered with the exact requirements of an individual, and only then it serves him/her most effectively. Students have a choice to get their policy designed as per their needs, and should definitely use that freedom rather than going with the flow and signing up for whatever everyone else did. The difference in the cost between a generic policy and a custom-designed policy might not necessarily be prohibitive too. Just spend some time on it, and you’ll be surprised how easy and convenient it can be.