When students travel abroad to further their education, they battle not just culture shock, they are also not prepared for the high rate of medical care, especially in the United States. international student medical insurance plans offer options that are especially geared toward the low-cost, low-risk student group.

Having proof of insurance is a prerequisite for enrollment in most U.S. colleges and universities. For international students (F1 visas) and their dependents (F2 visas), low-cost international student health insurance plans with a range of deductibles are available. The plans are also valid for students who have enrolled in study abroad programs in countries other than the United States.

From a list of benefits and plans, you can choose the one that works best for you. You can choose deductibles from a range of $0 to $2500, and choose to be covered for a period as short as five days and as long as three years. Most plans allow you to renew the plan as long as you are a student.

You can also purchase coverage for your dependents along with your insurance. You and your dependent will be covered for physician consultation, inpatient and outpatient treatment, including prescription drugs. Emergency medical evacuation is also covered in most international student medical insurance plans, as are pre-existing illnesses and pregnancy.

Selecting an insurance plan can be confusing for you, and to help you along, agencies which administers international student insurance plans, provides a Compare option. With this, you can view the relative merits and demerits of different plans at a glance.

Also, if a student sends the company a list of university requirements, insurance companies suggests cost-effective plans that offer the required coverage. These plans can also be less expensive than university health plans. In some of the plans, students can also purchase additional coverage for hazardous sports, on payment of an additional premium.

To better facilitate the process, the plan can be purchased by the method that suits the applicant best – online, fax, or mail. Payment can be made using money orders, checks, credit cards, or wire transfer. For cash-strapped international students, the cashless or direct claims settlement options of international student health insurance plans are a big plus.

International student insurance plans are underwritten by reputed companies such as Nationwide, Lloyds, and AIG. These companies are rated highly by A.M. Best Company, which is regarded as the most accurate source for insurance company ratings.

Ray Sondeo often writes about international student insurance.

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