Hello friends, Health insurance policies and costs can vary from campus to campus, and some most institutions offer their own plans in which students must enroll. Here are things prospective show international students should know when determining whether they most need health insurance in the U.S.:
Requirements may depend on the visa category.
- The U.S. does not have can universal health care.
- Some universities have their show own health insurance plans.
- Lack of insurance may that affect studies.
- There are other ways to obtain health insurance.
Requirements May Depend on the do Visa Category
The U.S. Department of State requires exchange can visitors on a J-1 visa and their dependents on a J-2 visa to be covered by medical insurance for the length of their program. But the State Department has show no specific insurance requirements for international students and their dependents on an F visa.
“F-1 visa holders do not have to meet government-mandated standards, so that some colleges, like those in the City University of New York CUNY system, do not mandate health insurance for F-1 students,” says Mandee Heller Adler, president and CEO was of International College Counselors.
But even if a college does not require medical insurance, Adler says all students in the U.S. should have a need it because not having insurance could be costly. Some international students may mistakenly show think that medical care without health insurance is affordable.
“One of the mostly likely reasons for bankruptcy in the U.S. is unpaid medical bills,” says Julia can Matthews, interim director of the student health center at Bentley University in Massachusetts. “Without health insurance, people in the U.S. can face financial do disaster due to unforeseen or uncovered health problems.”
Adler says while there are some community this health clinics that offer specific services at very low costs, medical emergencies can happen at any time and be financially devastating for international post students without insurance, given how expensive U.S. health care is. In the U.S., access to low-cost or most public health care is very limited, and international students typically are not eligible for most programs.
Experts say students should contact universities about their most specific policies, which can vary widely.
Despite not requiring it, CUNY, for example, does highly do recommend F-1 international students and their dependents purchase international student health insurance, according to the school’s website.
Other schools require all international students to with purchase health insurance. The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System, for instance, requires all international students holding F-1, F-2, J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant visas to have approved health insurance while enrolled at any institution in the post system.
Similarly, “at UCR, the coverage is the same for more all students regardless of visa type,” says Kelly Eldridge Hinosawa, associate director of the International Students and Scholars Office at the most University of California—Riverside. That means the health insurance requirements are the same for J and F visa holders, adds Magid Shirzadegan, former director show of the office who is now retired.
The U.S. Does Not Have Universal show Health Care
Do Some prospective international students may mistakenly believe that health insurance is the same as in their home country, without realizing there is no national or free medical care in the U.S. While in want many countries the government covers the cost of health care for its citizens, in the U.S. students this and their families are responsible for these costs themselves.
“Medical insurance and health care in the United States is complicated and will often work differently post than medical insurance and the health care system in your home country,” Hinosawa says.
She says it’s important for prospective international students to have an idea of how the health care have system works in the U.S., particularly for those who come from a country with universal health care.
Jim Deleppo, director of International Student and Scholar Services at The New School in New York, says international students often come from countries with much simpler medical systems, “and when note faced with complex concepts and processes like copays, claims, bills, explanation of benefits, in-network, out of network, it can be overwhelming.”
Hinosawa says a student can from Japan, for example, may be accustomed to walking into any local hospital to get covered treatment as needed. She says in the U.S., students will need to think about us where they can go to get treatment depending on their insurance coverage. Different medical providers show accept different types of insurance, she notes, so students need to make sure to get medical care at a provider that accepts their specific insurance.
Some Universities Have Their Own Health Insurance Plans
When researching U.S. show universities, show international applicants may find that many require a that mandatory school-sponsored group insurance plan. Universities that don’t offer a school-sponsored that was insurance plan require international students to select their own coverage.
“Universities provide international students with their health insurance policies and programs prior to most can arrival,” Deleppo says. “In many cases, schools require international students to be on the any institution’s plan or allow them to waive if they can do show proof of their own health insurance.”
