Posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2011 at 1:36 pm

Many international students are required to purchase insurance while studying in the United States. Every school administers their insurance plan differently, some leave students to purchase their own plan, other schools provide an optional plan, and still others have a mandatory insurance plan with the option to waive if they can show proof of coverage.

As students prepare to go back to school, many international students are looking to have high quality health care and save money! Most schools have a mandatory insurance plan that students are automatically enrolled in unless they can show that they have an alternative health insurance plan that meets the minimum requirements specified by the school. International Student Insurance works with students across the United States to help provide alternative, affordable, and comprehensive health coverage. If you are looking to waive your school’s insurance plan, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

Step 1. Find out what your school’s insurance requirements are.

Many schools that allow students to waive their school’s insurance plan want to make sure that their students are properly covered. Because of this, schools require students to show that they have met their minimum requirements (which are determined by your school). Some schools list their requirements on their website, while others provide this information upon request when you contact your adviser or health center. For those schools that have this information published online, we have designed our School Requirements page to help you find this information more quickly!

Step 2. Now that you know your requirements, find a plan that meets.

Every school has individualized insurance requirements that not all international student insurance plans meet. Go through each requirement and compare them with the plan you are interested in. Our Student Secure plan meets most insurance requirements and you are welcome to contact our licensed insurance representatives for assistance.

Step 3. You’ve found a plan that meets, now you need to let your school know.

Once you find a plan that meets your schools requirements, now it’s time to purchase the insurance. Be sure to confirm any particular dates of coverage you are required to have – you don’t want to be automatically enrolled in your school’s insurance plan because you didn’t have the right dates of coverage. Once you purchase the plan, you will need to notify your school that you have an alternative insurance plan that meets their requirements. To do this, most schools have a waiver form – also known as a compliance form – that the student and the insurance company are required to fill out. If you have purchased our Student Secure plan, you can simply fill out your student-only portion and either email or fax this form to us to be completed. We typically have forms completed and faxed to your school within one business day after the form has been received.

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.