Student Health Insurance: Application, Coverage & Details

Are you all set to apply for college or university admission in the US this year? Do you want to pursue Bachelor’s, Master’s or any other higher-education program in any college or university in the USA? Are you confused about the student insurance part associated with college/university admission? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, I’ve covered all the important details that you need to know about student insurance in the USA.

In this post, I’ve covered the following details –

• Basic details about student insurance
• Student insurance’s importance (when it comes to university or college admission)
• Who is it (student insurance) for?
• Different types of student insurances available in the US
• How to apply (process) for student insurance in the US for higher studies

In short, this post covers all the important details that you need to know about student insurance. Students who are interested in pursuing college or university education in the US will benefit from this post. Apart from them, even parents of students may use this post to gather all the important facts that they need to know about student insurance.

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Come, let us cover each topic one-by-one now. Let us begin –

Student insurance: Basic details

In this section, I’ve covered all the basic (and important) details that you need to know about student insurance. Here is everything you need to know about it –

What is student insurance all about?

In simple terms, the term ‘student insurance’ is simply the ‘health insurance’ that covers the medical expenses of students who are enrolled in colleges and universities in the USA. Yes, student insurance is basically health insurance for students pursuing education in American colleges and universities.

In the USA, the healthcare system is not nationalized or subsidized heavily by the state. The individual is responsible for his/her medical expenses. And the cost of healthcare in the US is high. So, an unplanned medical emergency or medical condition may burn a hole in one’s pocket easily. This is where a health insurance comes handy.

A student studying in any college or university in the US is already expected to pay for his/her tuition and educational expenses. Under such circumstances, a medical emergency or situation may derail his/her financial condition. This is why students are encouraged to have a valid and comprehensive health insurance cover.

‘Student insurance’ is a term used to refer to health insurance for university and college students studying in institutes in the US. These health insurance products are tailor-made for students (international as well as domestic students).

Importance of student health insurance

The first and foremost fact is – a comprehensive student health insurance plan guarantees you peace of mind. It will save you a lot of money when it comes to facing unplanned medical emergencies and situations. A good health insurance will take care of your financial needs in cases such as – illness, medical emergency, accidents and other similar medical conditions.

The second fact is – student health insurance policy may vary from one college or university to another. Many colleges or universities have mandatory health insurance policy. In other words, to secure admission into one such college or university, an applicant must purchase/have a valid student health insurance plan.

Who is it for? Is it mandatory for international students? Or is it mandatory for domestic students too?

When it comes to international students, having some (minimum) form of health insurance is mandatory. Their Visa requirements need them to have basic health insurance cover. In other words, if you are an international student who wants to apply for admission into any college or university in the USA, you must have a valid student health insurance to get your Visa.

University or college health insurance requirements

The above Visa guidelines have been set by the US Department of State (keeping the needs of international students in mind). Apart from the US Department of State, many universities and colleges in the US have a mandatory health insurance policy (when it comes to processing admission applications of international students).

When it comes to domestic students, the need to have health insurance depends upon the college or university that they are applying to. Some universities offer their own health insurance plan or need the students to have their own health insurance plan. Some other universities have no such prerequisites (about health insurance).

Different types of student health insurance available in the US

University/school-offered health insurance plan: These health insurance plans are usually offered by the university/college/school/institute itself. Generally speaking, these are solid group insurance plans. A student may opt for such a plan or even opt for a comparable private health insurance.

Private health insurance plan: These student health insurance plans are offered by private insurance providers or financial institutes.

Private international student health insurance plan: Just like the above entry, these plans are also offered by private insurance providers or financial institutes. These plans are tailor-made for international students and applicants.

Travel medical insurance: It covers emergencies that may occur while traveling within the US. A comprehensive student health insurance usually covers ‘travel-related’ emergencies and conditions.

How to apply for student insurance?

University/school-offered health insurance plan: If you opt for university/school-offered insurance plan, all the paper-work will be done along with your admission application. The university/school’s student registration department will guide you through the process. You may be asked to submit valid medical certificates and documents during the process.

Private health insurance plan: You may visit the website of a reputed private student health insurance provider and register online. You may be asked to submit valid medical certificates and documents during the process.

How to find an ideal and comprehensive student health insurance plan?

The first and foremost thing to check is – coverage. Make sure that the health insurance policy meets the coverage requirements (if any) set by the university/college/school. Based on your requirements, make sure that the policy covers aspects such as – Doctor visits, emergency services, hospitalization, pharmacy expenses and more.

Insurer’s network: Make sure that the insurance plan has a good network of hospitals and/or Doctors near your university/school/institute.

Existing customer reviews: Check online reviews about the insurance plan and the provider as well. Gather information such as – ease of filing claims, claim settlement ratio and customer service reviews.