Posted on Monday, July 4th, 2011 at 3:57 pm

The United Kingdom is known for its world class higher education institutions, among which include Cambridge and Oxford. If you plan to study in the United Kingdom, you will need to know about your UK health care and what is available to you. The United Kingdom offers its citizens and permanent residence nationalized health care called the National Health Services (or for short, NHS). If you are a Chinese international student studying in the United Kingdom, your access to NHS will depend on the length of your stay:

• If you plan to study in the United Kingdom for less than 6 months, you will not be eligible for their National Health Services. If you need to seek treatment while in the United Kingdom, be prepared to pay the bills out of pocket or to purchase an insurance for Chinese studying in the UK. To prevent large out-of-pocket expenses, we recommend purchasing a private health insurance plan that will cover your UK health care. A popular option is our Atlas Travel plan which is designed to cover you outside your home country while you study in the United Kingdom. This plan is designed to cover you for doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation, etc. Our Atlas Travel plan will not only cover you in the United Kingdom, but will provide international coverage outside your home country and is a daily rated plan allowing you to purchase the exact amount of coverage you need!

• If you plan to study in the United Kingdom for longer than 6 months with full-time courses, you may be eligible for the NHS health care. This means that you will be able to receive the same coverage as any citizen or resident in the United Kingdom. According to the NHS, this coverage will also apply to your spouse, civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) as long as they are living with you while you take your classes.

• If your courses are substantially funded by the United Kingdom government, you are also entitled to the National Health Service. This means that you will be entitled to free hospital treatment while studying in the United Kingdom.

Posted by Jennifer Frankel

Jennifer is the International Director at International Student Insurance. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Florida where she holds a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. She has lived and worked abroad in Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and England, and traveled extensively in South America, Europe and Asia.