Pregnancy Insurance for International Students
Posted on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 at 10:07 am
Not all international student health insurance plans are the same, so it is important to know the benefits and exclusions of each insurance policy before you make your final decision on which plan is best suited for you. After all, no one wants an unpleasant surprise where you find out a visit or treatment is not covered.
An example of a very common benefit that many international students often overlook is maternity coverage. Being pregnant is a happy moment in your life, but if you are unprepared it can become a financial burden. If you are uninsured and become pregnant, you will find it extremely difficult to find an insurance policy that would cover your pregnancy leaving you to bear the financial cost. According to the American Pregnancy Association the estimated cost of a low risk delivery alone is $10,000 – $12,000 not to mention prenatal check-ups that you need before the actual delivery.
To be eligible for the some student plans you must be a full-time student or hold a valid educational visa in the US
Having an insurance plan that covers maternity will help protect you against having to pay this yourself. However, be aware that some international student health insurance plans may not provide coverage for pregnancy. Our international student health insurance plan called the Student Secure plan offers maternity coverage under the Budget, Select, and Elite levels as long as you are not pregnant when the plan goes into effect.
There are other student plan options that allow students to add their spouse as a dependent so they can have limited maternity coverage. Our Student Health Advantage plan provides coverage for maternity for dependents on the Platinum level if the student is also enrolled in the plan.
Get a quote for the Student Health Advantage plan
Another insurance plan that is available is our major medical insurance plan called the Global Medical. This policy does not require you to be a student to apply, so a spouse of a student can apply independently if the student already has coverage and does not need coverage for himself. However, the Global Medical plan has a 10 month waiting period before you are eligible for maternity benefits. This means that the maternity benefit will only cover you if the inception occurs after being on the plan for at least 10 months.
Learn more about the benefits of the Global Medical plan
Lastly, we have the Atlas Travel Plan. If you are already pregnant and outside your home country, you may apply for this plan. While the Atlas Travel Plan is not designed to provide maternity coverage, it provides limited coverage in case you have complications from your pregnancy during the first 26 weeks of the pregnancy.
Complications of Pregnancy is defined by the insurance company as: Illnesses whose diagnoses are distinct from Pregnancy, but are adversely affected by Pregnancy or caused by Pregnancy, and not associated with a normal Pregnancy. This includes: ectopic Pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, hyperemesis gravidarum, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, missed abortion and conditions of comparable severity.
If you have questions on a plan best suited for you, feel free to contact our licensed insurance representatives.
Category: Health & Safety Abroad, Insurance Explained, International Student Health Insurance, International Students in the USA, Product Information, Student Insurance
Tags: dependent insurance, insurance for pregnant international student, insurance for spouse, maternity, maternity insurance, pregnancy, pregnancy insurance, pregnant
Originally from Thailand, Apinant grew up in the United States and has extensive international experience traveling throughout Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. He has lived, studied and worked abroad in China, England, Taiwan and Thailand. Apinant is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Management.
Hi my name is Priya Gupta. I’m student but recently I done my study. I’m 19 weeks pregnant . I live in Brampton ontario. Can I get insurance policy.
Hello Priya,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, if you’re already pregnant, we would not have a plan that could cover your maternity expenses.
We apologize for the inconvenience and wish you the best of luck.