Jun

Required Coverage Amount for International Students Medical Insurance

by Ray Sondeo

Medical insurance for international students is mandatory for foreign nationals studying at American universities. Universities provide guidelines about the illnesses or conditions that ought to be covered, a rough estimate of coverage amounts and premiums and maybe which insurer to approach.

Most universities require a student to be covered for a medical maximum of $200,000 to $300,000 per injury or illness. There are several policies that suit the unique needs of medical insurance for international students.

Perchance the university has not provided guidelines, students would be wise to analyze their possible requirements and compare and contrast several insurance for international students plans, before zeroing in on one. A reputed insurance advisor would come in handy here.

Go online and get a list of the common procedures done in the state where you will be and the coverage amount for each of them. Several states publish a list of the 25 most common procedures. The list would indicate the procedures, the facilities where they might be done and also the costs accruing to the patient.

To give you an estimate, just a hospital stay, overnight, in some states, might cost you $5000 to $8000, a suddenly detected appendix might cost you $18000 to remove and even an aspirin might cost you $5.

If you have traveled with spouse or partner, then do insure for maternity and childcare. Pre-natal appointments are between $100-$200, and these are just the doctor?s fees. An ultra sound test is between $300 and $1000. The coverage for a c-section is different from that for a regular birth. Post natal complications may or may not be covered by insurance, depending on the international student insurance policy.

Most international students medical insurance plans make a distinction between coverage for student and for spouse. Unmarried partners are not covered for birth, but may be, post marriage. Ideally, cover for pregnancy if there is even the remotest possibility that your partner will get pregnant; once pregnant there will be no pregnancy and childbirth coverage.

Buy an international student medical insurance of about $500,000 for yourself; buy greater coverage if with partner. But do all this after a careful understanding of the benefits and costs. Remember that availing of the doctors and hospitals in the network would be both convenient and cheaper. However, if out-of-network facilities become imperative, keep track of every single expense, so you can make your claim accurately.

About the Author:

Ray Sondeo often writes about international students insurance.