Health insurance coverage is a very important issue for anyone living in USA. The healthcare system of USA is excellent but very complicated in terms of billings and payment options and is extremely expensive. For those without health insurance, life can be very difficult and they are one illness away from bankruptcy. International students should not ignore the importance of having proper coverage, as any health emergency can become a nightmare, specially for a newcomer. Almost all universities in US require the students to carry a certain coverage. The proof of purchase is required to register for classes and the failure to furnish the proof could lead to cancellation of registration and thus practically expulsion from the university. Different options can be categorized into three categories.

A. University provided coverage: Funding like TA or RA usually includes the health insurance coverage. Those without funding can buy a similar plan via unibversity affiliated or approved healthcare plan. The information is typically available via the student health center website of the university. In such plans you can get the treatment done by paying a small co-pay, and the insurance company is billed directly by the doctor or hospital.


B. Coverage purchased in USA: There are many insurance companies which provide plans tailored to students. It is important to check whether the coverage provided meets or exceeds the minimum plan prescribed by the university. Usually in such plans you can get the treatment done by paying a small co-pay, and the insurance company is billed directly by the doctor or hospital. These plans are often cheaper than university affiliated coverage. Some examples:
1. Seven Corners Liaison Student Medical Insurance
2. ISO insurance for international students


C. Coverage purchased in home country: Companies world wide sell travel insurance for coverage in USA. These plans are usually cheap but provide poor coverage and service. In this option the user needs to spend the money out of pocket and claim later. But the health care cost is so high that it could be impossible for an student to pay for healthcare, even if temporarily.

Health insurance should not be confused with life insurance. The sole purpose of health insurance is to help pay for part of medical treatment, doctor visit, operation even mental illness. Even with decent health insurance, the patient is responsible for a part of treatment. So the cheapest insurance options can later prove to be costly due to poor coverage those may provide. This should be clearly understood before buying any insurance. Emergency medical evacuation is a crucial component that should be covered under any insurance plan you buy. You should be covered for the entire duration of your stay with health insurance that conforms to your University guidelines. Contact the University health center or international students office to find out what is the recommended coverage.

The US Healthcare is one of the best in the world IF you can afford it. The doctors are very qualified, hospitals and equipments are truly world-class but the same can not be said of the insurance and payment systems. The way healthcare works in USA is that the cost of healthcare is very high and a vast majority of Americans cannot pay for their healthcare out of the pocket, if they do not have enough insurance coverage. So having a health insurance is really critical to one’s survival.

The concept of health insurance in USA is more complicated than GRE or GMAT and takes a lot of time energy and disappointment before you really understand how things work. In most countries of the developed, developing and third world, people are used to the idea of free healthcare and free medicine for routine healthcare needs. It is nothing less than a cultural shock to realize that the treatment cost for any accident or significant even minor health issue can run into thousands of dollars in USA.

It cannot be stressed enough that as students you should be covered for the entire duration of your stay with health insurance that confirms to your University guidelines. Contact the University health center or international students’ program office to find out what is the recommended coverage. In most cases a teaching or research assistantship comes with added benefits which may include health insurance coverage. If you lose your assistantship, you lose the coverage too. So It is your own responsibility to buy health insurance which takes care of your needs in the event of loss of coverage.

Some links related to student health insurance:
www.insurancepandit.com/
International Student Organizaion

While you are busy Applying to US Universities, you should get a driving license in your home country as soon as possible. And remember to pack it in your luggage to USA. Once you are settled in USA, you may not be able to buy a car during your student life, still try to get a US driving license sooner than later.

Eventually when you buy a car, you will need to buy vehicle insurance. If you have no driving history, you may be charged twice as much as experienced drivers with a good driving record. Some insurance companies will give no weight to your driving history outside USA and Canada, but some will take that into account. All companies will check how long you have held a US license.

It may be noted that driving history is based on the issuance date of your license. If you can show that you had a US license for a couple of years and had a license in another country before that, you can save as much as 50 dollars per month on your car insurance premium.

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