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7 Best & Cheapest Health Insurances for International Students & Studying Abroad

Rodrigo @ OutofYourComfortZone

5 Best and Cheapest International Health Insurance Plans for students, faculty, and scholars. Whether you’re studying abroad, doing an exchange study program, or are going to graduate from a university or school overseas, you will be required to have medical insurance coverage. Options listed work for J1, F1 or Schengen visas.

 

 

Picture by Matt Madd, licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

These days, it’s easier than ever for students to study abroad and complete all (or part) of their degree at a school or university overseas.

But of course, the anxiety of moving, settling in, and adapting to a lifestyle and culture different from your own can be overwhelming….and there are all sorts of little details you need to take care of.

(To help with your move, here’s an article I wrote about the First 17 Things You Need to Do After Moving to a New Country or City)  

And one of those details you want to make sure you prioritize? Health insurance.

It’s not fun, it’s not exciting….but it is important. Primarily because many international universities or study abroad programs will require you to have a student health insurance.

But also because different countries have different health insurance policies. And what applies in your native country might not work in your newfound home (and truly, you don’t want to get stuck without insurance in a foreign country!).

Although most universities and colleges have a partner insurance that they offer to their international students, I’ve found that these tend to be pretty expensive. Which means you’re often better off finding your own insurance.

But as you search for international health insurance coverage for students, keep in mind that some colleges and universities won’t accept all insurance plans. So, before purchasing an insurance plan, we highly recommend asking your school or university what their minimum requirements are in terms of deductibles, coverage amounts, and what they do and don’t cover.

What I recommend is that, if you choose a specific health insurance for students, you should ask your university or school if they accept that specific one. And only once they’ve confirmed should you purchase!

If you want to skip ahead directly to the list of the 5 best insurances for international students, click here.

And keep reading all the way to the end, since I also write about 2 other international health insurance companies that can cover international students as well. 

So now…let’s get started!

 

What is international student health insurance?

Just like at home, accidents and illnesses can also happen when you’re a student overseas.

And since the insurance that covers you at home likely doesn’t work in your new country of residence, international student health insurance will make sure you’re covered no matter what happens.

Plus, having international student insurance is a requirement to study abroad in many countries.

 

How do I know if I need international student health insurance while studying abroad?

If you’re on a scholarship or completing a specific study abroad program, often your school will take care of insurance for you.

But truly, the best thing you can do is ask your school and see if it’s a requirement or if they provide it.

 

 

In certain cases, you might be able to get away with just purchasing travel insurance (see the next question for more on this).

 

What’s the difference between international student health insurance, expat insurance, and travel insurance? Which one do I need?  

In general, if you are a student with a student visa and your school isn’t taking care of insurance for you, you’ll need international student health insurance. Luckily, this type of insurance is often the cheapest of the 5 options.

If you’re going to be studying in a school/program for 3 months or less and don’t need a student visa (meaning you’re there either on a tourist visa or don’t need a visa at all), you can often just use travel insurance. Learn more about travel insurance and the best plans in our article here.

If you’re moving abroad but not going to be a student, then you likely need expat insurance. Learn more about expat insurance and the best plans in our article here.

 

International Health Insurance for Students Quick Summary:

 

How do I choose the right international student health insurance plan?

Obviously, this will depend on a lot of things about you personally. But here’s a couple of things to keep in mind:

 

Who do these international students health insurances for  work for?

For these international students studying abroad (exchange studies):

And for citizens from almost every other country studying abroad

 

For international students studying in:

And for students (middle/high school, college/university, undergrad/PhD) studying in almost any other country in the world

In other words, no matter your citizenship or which country you are moving to study, most of these international health plans will work for you since they are truly global insurances.

 

 

The 5 Best and Cheapest Health Insurance for International Students

Attention: Here’s a tip, take a few minutes and make a quote with all the companies mentioned below. I say from experience, a good search can save you a lot of money.

 

   1. International Student Health Insurance by IMG   

IMGlobal offers a variety of insurance plans for students (as well as insurance plans for expats and crew members).

 

 

These are the 3 plans they offer:

 

Plan #1: The Patriot Exchange Program (perfect for students studying abroad in the United States!)

 

This program is designed specifically to meet all the U.S. visa requirements for international students (especially for J1 and J2 visa holders). It also covers spouses (husband or wife) and children.

You can choose plans with maximum limits of $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, or $500,000 for injury/illness. Recently, IMG added telemedicine coverage for non-urgent cases and coverage for COVID-19 cases like any other illness and injury.

One thing to note: if you’re female, some schools will require that your insurance covers maternity care. This one does not cover it. If this is a requirement for your school, consider the two plans below.

 

 

Plan #2: Student Health Advantage (perfect for students studying in Europe/under the Schengen visa!)

 

This program meets visa requirements (for most countries) for international students in a sponsored study abroad program. You can get plans for individuals as well as groups.

It covers mental health disorders, maternity care, and pre-existing conditions (which are things many other plans don’t cover). In addition, IMG covers COVID-19 and telemedicine costs for non-urgent cases. 

 

 

Plan #3: Student Health Advantage Platinum

 

This plan is exactly like the above but offers double the maximum coverage: $1,000,000

 

 

What I like about IMG’s International Student Insurance:

 

What I don’t like about IMG’s International Student Insurance:

 

    2. Cigna Global – International Health Insurance for Students

Cigna Global, one of the largest health insurance companies in the world, has an excellent reputation in the health care industry. It offers plans for travelers, expats and of course, international students.

 

 

Cigna Global offers 3 main plans, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The plans cover the entire world, with the option of including the United States or not. All of them can be used by foreign students. Below is a table for comparing the plans:

 

 

Cigna allows you to have a flexible plan by adding optional modules to your insurance, such as:

 

The company also has a flexible payment policy, offering several options such as annual, monthly and quarterly payments.

 

What I like about the Cigna Global International Health Insurance for Students:

 

What I don’t like about the Cigna Global International Health Insurance for Students:

 

    3. Now Health International

Now Health International is a leader in the international insurance market and its focus is to satisfy its clients with efficient and affordable plans.

Thus, one of the great advantages of this company is its state-of-the-art customer service, which provides information in a fast and practical way.

All Now Health plans are designed to meet, guide, and solve the challenges experienced by foreigners who reside in another country, including international students and exchange students around the world.

Plus, all plans are customizable so that they perfectly fit all your needs.

 

 

What I like about Now Health International Student Plans:

 

What I don’t like about Now Health International Student Plans:

 

  4.StudentSecure Insurance by WorldTrips

HCCMIS from the Tokio Marine group offers insurance for full-time students and scholars studying away from home (alongside the usual travel insurance offerings).

 

 

These are the 4 levels of international student health insurance coverage they offer:

 

StudentSecure Elite

 

StudentSecure Select

 

StudentSecure Budget

 

StudentSecure Smart

 

Here is a comparison of the 4 HCC StudentSecure Benefits and Limits per plans (click to see full chart):

 

What I like about WorldTrips’ StudentSecure plans:

 

What I don’t like about the WorldTrips’ StudentSecure plans:

  

   5. Visitor Coverage

Visitor Coverage is a company founded in 2006 in the United States that focuses on making the process of choosing travel insurance easier. It offers affordable and personalized options and solutions for tourists, students, expats and immigrants.

Through an intuitive platform, travelers can compare and purchase travel insurance that best suits their profile, simply by filling in some information about the type of trip they will be taking.

It is important to note that, although the company does not have its own travel insurance, but rather acts as an intermediary and shows insurance options offered by other companies, Visitors Coverage is renowned and only works with reliable insurance companies, which guarantees protection in emergencies.

In the case of insurance focused on international students, it is possible to fill in the country of destination, the age and nationality of the student. This way, the company will show the best insurance options, their prices, what they include, whether it is possible to cancel, extend the coverage period or add benefits. Additionally, you can see the insurance rating, coverage level and much more specific and detailed information about each company.

What I like about Visitor Coverage student insurance:

What I don’t like about Visitor Coverage student insurance:

 

   6. Foyer Global Health

Foyer Global Health offers international health insurance depending on your needs. Basic or Premium? Short or long term stay? Alone or with the family? Regardless of your needs, there is a plan that suits them.

 

 

The company has 3 different plans, see below the main differences between them:

 

ESSENCIAL

 

ESPECIAL

   
EXCLUSIVE


What I like about Foyer Global Health plans:

 

What I don’t like about the Foyer Global Health plans:

 

   7. Diplomat Long Term and Diplomat International from Global Underwriters

Global Underwriters offers international health insurance plans for a wide range of travelers, including students and exchangers.

Among GU’s plans, I recommend Diplomat Long Term and Diplomat International for international students. If you want to study in the US, take a look at the Diplomat America plan that is tailored to suit foreigners in the country.

 

 

What I like about Global Underwriters plans:

 

 

What I don’t like about the Global Underwriters plans:

Bonus Health Insurance Companies for International Students:

 

  – Allianz Worldwide Care
German company Allianz is one of the best well-known insurance company. They can offer health coverage to expats/immigrants as well as students abroad. So they have really good options for health insurance plans for J-1 visa students in the United States (and plans that cover the other types of student visas all over the world).

Besides their basic plan, Allianz Care, you can also choose from two more robust options: Allianz Care Pro and Allianz Care Plus.  

 

What I liked most about student health insurance with Allianz Care: 

What I liked least about student health insurance with Allianz Care: <

 

   – Liaison Student Series by Seven Corners

Like the others, Seven Corners offers medical insurance for a wide variety of travelers, including a variety of plans for international students.

They offer the following plans for students: Liaison Student Economy, Liaison Student Choice, and Liaison Student Elite. These can cover you worldwide with the option to include or exclude the U.S.

Here’s a breakdown of the differences:

 

 

What I like about Seven Corners Liaison Student Plans:

 

What I don’t like about Seven Corners Liaison Student Plans:

 

2 International Health Insurance Companies That Can Also Be Used by International Students

The two companies I will list below do not specifically offer health insurance plans for students abroad, instead they offer international and even global health insurance.

And it is almost certain that your school or university abroad will accept these insurances when evaluating your documentation. That’s because these companies offer their services almost worldwide and have very complete coverage.

My advice to you is, make a quote on these two companies and compare with the value of the insurance plans mentioned above. If any of these offer good coverage at a lower price than other companies, check with your school or university abroad to see if they accept such insurance. This is a great chance to save money before venturing out to another country!

 

Geoblue is another great option when choosing international health insurance, especially if your destination is the United States. Geoblue has exceptional quality standards and is among the outstanding companies in the area.

 

 

What I like about Geoblue’s international health insurance:

 

 

What I don’t like about Geoblue’s international health insurance:

 

 

Aetna is an exceptional company in the field of international health insurance. One of the reasons for this is that their main objective is to provide service and service within the expectations and needs of their customers.

One of the advantages of getting an Aetna plan is that they work with several flexible plans capable of adapting to your profile.

 

 

What I like about Aetna’s international health insurance:

 

 

What I don’t like about Aetna’s international health insurance:

 

 

Summary Comparison of the 5 insurance companies for international students (with links for you to get a quote)

IMGlobal Cigna Global Foyer Global Health WorldTrips (STUDENTSECURE Plans) Global Underwriters
Student Health Advantage (maximum limit $500,000) Silver (maximum limit $1,000,000) Essential (No maximum limit) Smart (maximum benefit $ 200,000) Diplomat America (maximum benefit of $1,000,000)
Student Health Advantage Platinum (maximum limit $1000,000) Gold (maximum limit $2,000,000) Special (No maximum limit) Budget (maximum benefit $ 500,000) Diplomat Long Term (maximum $1,000,000)
Patriotic Exchange Program (maximum limit $5,000,000) Platinum (No maximum limit) Exclusive

(No maximum limit)

 Select (maximum benefit $ 600,000) Diplomat International (maximum benefit $1,000,000)
Elite (maximum benefit $ 1,000,000)

 

An in-depth analysis and comparison of the 5 best and cheapest international student insurance plans

IMGlobal Cigna Global Foyer Global Health WorldTrips (STUDENTSECURE Plans) Global Underwriters
Medical Maximum $5.000.000 Unlimited on the Platinum plan There are no limits regardless of the plan $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Mental health  Benefit Not specified Unlimited for up to 90 days Included in all plans, with
a 10-month waiting period		 Outpatient: $50 maximum per day, $500 maximum Not specified
Inpatient Prescription Drugs 80% of expenses out of network or 100% in network(US) and internationally Not specified There is coverage
Outpatient Prescription Drugs 50% of actual charges 90 days maximum for dispensing Not specified Not specified For Generic Drugs: 100% coinsurance

Brand Name drugs: 50% coinsurance

Specialty Drugs: No coverage

 INSIDE THE UNITED STATES
$10 copay for generic/$20 copay for brand name (not subject to the deductible)OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
$0 copay (deductible applies
Repatriation of remains $25,000 maximum or $5,000 for cremation Optional Optional Extends to  $50,000 maximum for lifetime

Included in
Evacuation in case of an emergency $50.000 Optional Optional

For Generic Drugs: 100% coinsurance

Brand Name drugs: 50% coinsurance

Specialty Drugs: No coverage

 Included in
Hospital Room Offered up to the average semi-private room rate Private Room Private Room Extends to  $50,000 maximum for lifetime Usual
Terrorism $50.000 Not specified Not specified Extends to  $500,000 maximum in a lifetime eligible medical expenses only Not specified
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) $25,000 principal sum which is not subject to deductible $ 25,000 for the lead participant; $ 10,000 for spouse participating in the plan; $ 5,000 for a child participating in the plan; Aggregate limit of $ 250,000 for the total number of policyholders in the plan Optional

Lifetime maximum- $25,000

Death- $25,000

Loss of 2 limbs $25,000

Loss of 1 limb $12,500

Optional AD&D Rider: Additional $25,000 lifetime maximum

 Included in
Emergency Dental $500 period of coverage per injury Optional Optional Up to $250 maximum per tooth; $500 maximum per certificate period Included in
Maternity Covered only in the platinum plan

In the Platinum plan,

$14,000/

€11,000/

£9,000

 Special and Exclusive plan only

Up to $25,000

 Depends on the plan
Pre-existing conditions $1500 maximum limit after a 12 month waiting period

In the Platinum plan,

$39,000/

€30,500/

£25,000

 There is coverage 6 months waiting period There is no coverage in the Diplomat America plan
Intensive Care Unit Company pays 100% after the deductible is met In the Platinum plan, it completely covers There is coverage Up to overall maximum unit There is coverage
Vaccinations Not specified Optional Special and Exclusive plan only

$150

The following are covered:

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (TDAP); Chicken Pox (Varicella); Hepatitis B; and Meningitis (Meningococcal MCV4 and B)

(These are not subject to coinsurance or deductible)

 Not specifie
Routine Newborn Care Not specified Optional Special and Exclusive plan only Up to $750 Not specifie

 

Do the student insurance plans above cover the requirements of the F1 and J1 visa (for international students studying the United States)?

Yes, all the plans above meet the visa requirements for the J1 visa.

But F1 visas do not always require you to show proof of health insurance. Check with your school or university in the US to find out if you need insurance or not and what kind they accept.

Either way, it’s recommended that you have at least a travel insurance to avoid being completely without medical coverage.

 

Do the insurance plans above cover for studying abroad in Europe/the Schengen visa?

IMG provides great coverage for those studying in the Schengen area (since its plans meet the Schengen area requirements).

 

How do I prove to my school abroad that I’m covered by a health insurance?

BEFORE you do anything else, talk to your school and make sure you know their requirements for health insurance.

(The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money on a plan they won’t even accept)

Then, once you’ve purchased a plan (which is hopefully one you know your school will accept), the insurance company will send you a certificate. All you have to do is send this certificate to the appropriate person at your university, college, or school.

 

How do I file a claim with my student health insurance in case of accident, injury, or illness?

Head to our article about travel insurance here and scroll down to the bottom for the “General Tips to Guarantee You Get Back Your Travel Insurance Reimbursement” section for a complete breakdown.

 

Summing up….

5 Best & Cheapest Health Insurances for International Students & Studying Abroad

  1. IMGlobal
  2. Cigna Global
  3. Now Health International
  4. WorldTrips
  5. Foyer Global Health

 

Conclusion….

Whether you’re an international student, faculty, or scholar, you’re going to want to get health insurance when studying or working abroad. This’ll help make sure your time abroad goes smoothly and you don’t end up spending all your study abroad savings on medical care! Plus, for many countries and schools abroad, it’s a requirement that you purchase an international student health insurance plan.

I know dealing with health insurance can be tricky, so if you have any questions about what plan is best for you or how any of this works, please let us know in the comments below!

 

Are you studying abroad and need to receive or send money back home cheaply?

I have a specific article to help you make international transfers as cheaply as possible: The 5 Best Websites for International Money Transfers (send and receive money from abroad).

 

 

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