F1 Visa Insurance - International Student Health Insurance (2024)

Living in the United States can be quite expensive, in particular forstudents coming on anF1 visawho very often finance their studies through scholarships or loans. When it comes to the expensive life in the US, even getting sick can be unaffordable if one does not take the necessary measures on time.

Getting ill or involved in an accident in the United States is not something a student can afford. However, things happen. All of a sudden, you find yourself in poor physical health or badly injured, far away from home and family. Worrying about how to pay the unaffordable medical bill is the last thing you need.

DoInternational Studentsin USA Need Health Insurance?

International students in the US may need health insurance to enroll at university, but not necessarily to get an F1 visa. So, having adequate health insurance coverage is a requirement set by the university, not by US law. So, you should check with the university that you will enroll at whether health insurance is mandatory for international students. If you haven’t choosen a health insurance plan yet, you can click here get a free quote.

What Are the Best Health Insurance Plans for International Students in the USA?

Here are the top 6 health insurance plans that offer a comprehensive coverage for international students in the USA:

• ExchangeGuard.
• Patriot Exchange Program.
• Student Secure.
• Student Health Advantage.
• Study USA.
• Navigator Student.

However, according to a forum discussion on Reddit, if you’re looking for a more basic coverage, ISO health insurance would be the better option. Another Reddit user advises to seek guidance from the university that you are admitted to, as many universities may provide health insurance for their students.

On the other hand, we at VisaGuide.World would advise to check with Insubuy, which is an ACA compliant online comparison site of health insurance plans. There you can compare any plan for students and determine which one is best suited to your personal needs.

When ShouldF1 VisaApplicants Get Health Insurance?

You can get student health insurance anytime after setting foot in the United States, or even before you travel. Comparison sites such as Insubuy,offer different options for students. Depending on the policy, your coverage can start as soon as the next day after purchase.

Why Can’t I Just Use MyTravel Insurance?

YourUStravel insuranceis not the same asinternational student insurancethat is required for anF1 visa, because it is short-term and does not have the same amount of coverage. In a nutshell, travel insurance is to protect you and your belongings during a trip (e.g. the trip from your home country to the US), whereasstudent health insuranceis to cover you for anymedical expensesyou may have while you are actually living and studying in the United States.

Also read:Travel insurancefor students

How to Get Health Insurance for International Students in USA?

Here are the steps that you need to go through to get a health insurance coverage for students in USA:

1. Check if your school/university/college in the US implements amandatory group healthinsurance plan.
   • If they do, you will need to ask them if they are included in the tuition bills, or you need to pay them additionally, and then proceed on with completing the payments.
   • If they have a mandatory grouphealth insurance planwith an optional waiver, check if it fits you. If it does not, ask them to send you awaiver formandcomplete steps2, 3 &4.
   • If they do not have any insurance plan, complete steps 2, 3 & 4.
2. Check for companies offering healthinsuranceforinternational studentsin the US or brokerssuch as Insubuy
3. List the benefits you think are necessary for you(including thewaiver form), and compare it with the plans the companies you have checked are offering. Do not forget to check if your dependents can be added to the plan if you plan to bring someone to the US with you.
4. Select the most suitable plan for you, and proceed with purchasing it.

Canadian students should check the following article for advice on getting US health insurance.

Health Insurance Options for Foreign Students in the US

When you look up forinternational student health insuranceoptions in the USA, you should also consult the regulation of the institution where you are registered at, to make sure in case they have any specificrequirements. Here are the main types that you can choose from:

Mandatory GroupPlan

Someschools/colleges/universities in the US have their own compulsory plans with predetermined coverage, whichforeign students have to purchase.

The main features of plans implemented byschoolsare as following:

• they are often automatically added to your tuition bill
• usually, they cost more than individual plans
• they provide morecomprehensive coverage, including:
  • coverage for maternity
  • pre-existing conditions without a waiting period
  • mental health
  • wellness
  • preventative care

Mandatory Group, with the Option to Waive

Someschools/colleges/universities have a mandatoryinsurance planwith predetermined coverage for all their students, but still, allow students to opt-out. This under the condition that the student who chooses to purchase health insurance outside the one predetermined by the school purchases an adequate plan.

Schoolsdecide whether the outside-plan is adequate through the “waiver form”. This is a document no longer than two pages, that contains a list of the benefitsrequirements that yourhealth insurance policyneeds to either meet or exceed. It requires both your signature and that of theinsurance company.

Optional Plan

There are educational institutions in the US that do not have mandatory plans with pre-determined coverage, therefore students are free to select whatever plan they like.

If your school permits you to purchase whatever plan you like, never go for the cheapest option. The one offering most services, nor least. Instead, take a look at several plans so you can pick the besthealth insurance forF1 visastudentsin the USA.

International Student Health InsuranceRequirements in USA

In particular,schoolswith a “waiver form” will require you to purchase insurance that fulfills the conditions listed below:

• AdequatePolicy Maximum. Usually, students are asked to purchase a plan with a policy maximum of at least $50,000.
• Relatively Low Deductible. Schools often require a deductible limit per condition, or per policy period, as part of their waiver requirements, so that students can have out of pockets costs as low as possible. Here you can read more about what Health Insurance Deductible is.
• Mental HealthCoverage. Thisrequirementis included since universities want to make sure their students are not only physically healthy but also mentally.
• Maternity Coverage. Adequate maternity coverage will be required for female students, with at least an 80%coverage in-network for pre-natal, delivery and post-natal care.
• Pre-existingCondition Coverage. If you have an existing condition i.e. diabetic, you will have to include it in yourinsurance plan.
• Repatriation of RemainsCoverage. In the event where you pass away, coverage for repatriation of remains provides financial assistance to your family to return your mortal remains to your home country.

What Determines the Cost of MyF1 Visa Health Insurance?

The cost of yourF1 visainsurance depends on severalfactors, including the city or state you live in, your age, and coverage.

• Where you live.The prices depend on the state or county in which you live in.
• Your age.The prices are higher the older a person is.
• Coverage:The length (how many months you need the plan for) as well as the level of coverage (what you want the policy to include/cover).

How to Choose the BestHealth Insurance Planfor F1 Students?

When deciding what the besthealth insurance planis, you have to keep in mind the followingfactors:

• The sub-limit of yourhealth insurance.Thisis basically the maximum sum the plan will cover for a specificmedical treatmentand for the hospitalization. This is expressed either through a percentage or a price cap and it decides how much of the medical bill will be covered by the healthcare provider and how much you have to pay yourself.
• Where you purchase yourhealth insurance.Sometimesforeign studentsmay want to purchase ahealth insurance planfrom a company in their own country. However, even though it may be more tempting, purchasing your health insurance in the US is the easier option simply because it is easier to process claims – hospitals can bill your treatmentcostsdirectly to yourprovider.
  • If you have purchased health insurance from a foreign company, you may have to pay the cost of your treatment yourself first, and then request to have the money reimbursed. This may not always happen.
• The school’srequirements.Look at things such as the coverage, thepolicy maximum, etc.

Health Insurance Options ForInternational StudentsAfter Graduation

If you intend to stay in the United States after graduating, the type of health insurance you need will depend on your residential status.

If you change your status to an H-1B Work Visa, you will needH-1B compliant health insurance. This means you will initially have a short-terminsurance plan, and you can switch to a long-term plan after at least six months of residency on an H-1B visa. In many cases, US employers offerhealth insurance coverageto employees.Click here to get an H1B insurance quote

If you are eligible for an Optional Practical Training (OPT),you will have to continue with your current plan. This is not possible if you were subscribed to aninsurance planoffered by your school.

Health Insurance for International Studentson OPT

Studentsunder anOptional Practical Training (OPT)are not eligible for coverage with their school’sinsurance plananymore. So, you will need an OPThealth insuranceplan, which is not any different than regularinsurance forinternational students. As such:

• If you had aMandatory Group HealthInsurance Planoffered by your school, you now have to find a privatehealth insurance companywhich will offer coverage forstudentson an OPT.
• If you had an OptionalHealth Insurance Plan, then you may be able to continue with the same plan even during your OPT. You must contact yourhealth insurance companyfor guidance on how to proceed.
• As a final option, your employer may include you on the company’s group health insurance, which would entail anothertype of insurance. The details of this type of insurance should be provided by your employer.

How to Get Dental Insurance for International Students in USA?

Not allinternational student medical insuranceplans offer dental coverage. Therefore, you may have to purchase an additional dentalinsurance plan, which can be as an add-on to your existing plan (meaning you’ll have to pay a little extra on yourmonthly premium) or as aseparate planaltogether.

If taken as aseparate plan, it works pretty much the same as regular health insurance, wherein you have to pay amonthly premiumand the insurer helps cover anycoststhat may arise.

Depending on the plan, dental insurance includes coverage forroutine check-ups, emergency services, and services such as fillings, extractions, or cleanings. For more complicated services, like root canals, there is a lower amount of coverage, usually at 50% of the cost.

DoesInternational Student InsuranceCover Medications, Eye Checks and Glasses?

Yes, mostinternational student medical insurancecovers forprescription medication. If you are not sure, you should read the policy description or ask the insurer. Usually, the way it works with prescription medication is that you pay for the medication upfront and then you file a claim for reimbursem*nt with your insurer.

Additionally, there are a number of over-the-counter medications that do not require a prescription (such as cold medicine) and are available at drugstores across the US for fairly reasonable prices.

Similar to dental insurance, a basic planmay not offer coverage for eye check-ups or prescription eyeglasses or contacts. Depending on yourinsurance company, you can choose to have it covered, by paying a little extra on yourmonthly premium.

Is ThereHealth Insurance Coveragefor Dependents?

Yes, someschoolsinclude health insurance for the dependents (spouse and children) of theirstudentsas well. However, in these cases, thecostswill be much higher than for an individual student.

If your school offers mandatory insurance without a waiver option, then you will have no choice but to go along with theinsurance planthe school provides, regardless of the price.

On the other hand, if you are free to choose your coverage yourself, then you can opt for an F2 Visa health insurance plan, which offers more flexibility regarding the coverage your dependents receive.