Chinese Student Health Insurance for Saskatchewan
September 5th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelLike many provinces in Canada, Saskatchewan offers national health care under the Saskatchewan Health program to all residence in the province. International students studying in Saskatchewan for a minimum of one year are eligible for national health benefits if they have full-time attendance at an accredited educational institution, have submitted the Student Certification, and have a valid Study Permit from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Once you have applied with Health Registration, you will receive a Health Services Card that can be renewed on an annual basis. If you will be studying in Saskatchewan for less than one year, you may not get a Study Permit and thus may not be eligible for Saskatchewan Health. Instead you will need to purchase a private student health insurance from either your school or independently.
It is important to note, however, that if you have traveled to another province longer than 90 days before you arrive in Saskatchewan, you will have a 3 month waiting period applied to your Saskatchewan Health plan. If this is the case, you will want to purchase a private health insurance plan to cover you for this waiting period. Some foreign students from China even purchase a supplementary insurance plan to provide additional coverage to the free benefits provided under the Saskatchewan Health.
Chinese Student Health Insurance in British Columbia
August 29th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelLike many provinces in Canada, British Columbia offers its citizens national health care. Known as the Medical Service Plan (MSP) in British Columbia, the national health care lawfully requires residence of British Columbia to enroll in this health care system. You may wonder, does the MSP also apply to international students, including those from China?
For foreign students in British Columbia who plan to stay in Canada for 6 months or longer, study permits are issued under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Under this status, British Columbia recognizes international students as residents and thus are eligible and required to enroll in the Medical Service Plan.
To apply for this coverage, international students must apply with a passport and Study Permit upon arrival in British Columbia. Once students have submitted their application, there is a 3 month waiting period before any benefits are paid. Because of this, many Chinese students purchase a private health insurance plan so that the plan will cover your medical expenses instead of having to pay out of pocket for this period.
Once the 3 month waiting period is over, you will receive your Care Card in the mail which will typically have the same expiration date as your Study Permit. If you will be studying in British Columbia for less than 6 months, you will need to secure your own private insurance plan for Canada to cover you in case of illness or injury.
International Student Insurance for High School
August 24th, 2011 by ahoontrakul
When most people hear about studying abroad or international students they think of students in their 20’s studying in college or university. But there are many international students studying that are still in high school, and there students all around the world who are studying internationally at high school.
Many insurance policies for international students are designed specifically for college students, and traditionally high school students may have some trouble finding an insurance policy that will work for them. But, luckily there are options available to you if you are a high school student that are both comprehensive and affordable!
The best International Student Insurance for High School plans are:
- Most of the time you will be traveling under the F1 Visa – in which case you are automatically are eligible to apply for our Student Secure. The plan comes in three different levels: Smart, Budget and Select, and all three provide a range of benefits that you will need. If you are also planning on playing in an interscholastic sports team, the Budget and the Select level will provide coverage for most sport-related injuries as well. The plan is also renewable, so if you plan to study for more than one year it is a great option!
- If you are coming to study in the US on a high school exchange program which would last no more than one year, the Atlas Travel Plan is another good option for you. The Atlas Travel Plan gives you the flexibility to choose the exact number of days you need coverage for your stay in the US, along with the policy maximum and deductible level you would like.
Whichever option you choose, both plans offer a wide range of benefits for emergency and non-emergency services including doctor visits, prescription medication, etc. However, if you would like assistance in selecting the right plan for your needs, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experience insurance agents who will be more than happy to help you find the right plan for you!
Waiving Your School’s Insurance Plan
August 22nd, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelMany 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.
Student Zone – FREE iPhone App
August 16th, 2011 by International-Student-Insurance
With the growth in smart phone usage around the world, more and more students have been requesting that we provide access to all the main services we offer through their mobile phones. We are proud to announce that the InternationalStudentInsurance.com Student Zone app is now live and available to download. The free application provides current customers with a world of information, help and advice right at their fingertips to take with them wherever there phone is!
The ISI Student Zone app includes:
- Mobile Access to your account – login with your certificate number and date of birth to:
- Update your personal details
- Renew your coverage
- View claims information
- Update credit card information on file
- View your insurance ID card
- Quick access to the insurance helpline
- Provider Search
- Email and Call us
Chinese Student Health Insurance in Ontario
August 15th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelOntario offers its citizens and permanent resident’s health care under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). If you will be a full-time student in Ontario you are ineligible for this plan unless you are independently employed. If you cannot enroll in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, you may be required to enroll in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) instead.
Eligibility for the UHIP is determined based on whether you are a full time student with a valid study permit or temporary resident visa issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. As a foreign student, you must also be registered in a degree program at an accredited and participating Ontario university or affiliated college and pursuing an undergraduate, graduate or post graduate degree. The UHIP begins when you first arrive in Ontario and covers hospital and medical services of non-resident students at Ontario Universities and affiliated colleges and their families.
If you are a Chinese student studying in Ontario, however, you will need to be familiar with what is and what is not covered under the UHIP plan. Benefits like vision, dental, prescription medication are specifically excluded from the plan so if you’d like additional coverage you would need to purchase a private student health insurance plan to cover additional services. The UHIP plan will cover you in other provinces, but will only cover medically necessary emergency services if you travel to another country. If that is the case you may want to consider purchasing a student travel insurance plan for any out-of-country traveling you intend to do.
Pregnancy Insurance for International Students
August 10th, 2011 by ahoontrakulNot 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.
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
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.
Chinese Student Health Insurance in Canada
August 8th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelIf you are planning to study in Canada, you may wonder what type of health care you are eligible for. As you may know, Canada has a nationalized health care system that is universal to both citizens and permanent residence. Whether you are eligible as a Chinese international student will depend on the province you are located in while studying in Canada.
Geographically, Canada is divided into 9 provinces, all of which have their own national health care, and along with that, their own eligibility rules. To help you determine whether you are eligible as a Chinese international student, we have put together a summary of the various provinces and the health care eligibility specific to foreign students. Over the next few months, we will examine the eligibility of each health care system and how it relates to international students.
Even if you are eligible, it is also important to confirm what facilities you have access to. You may find that having national health care gives you access to public facilities, however having a private student health insurance will in many cases allow you to choose private doctors and hospitals.
It is important that before studying in Canada, you ask questions to your university, student health insurance, and embassy to get a clear understanding of what access, coverage, and area your plan will work in. We know that studying overseas can be difficult, especially if English is not your first language! Ask us questions as we discuss health insurance options in each province as it relates to you.
International Student Insurance for Estonia
August 1st, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelStudents planning to study in Estonia should be aware that there is no student visa required. Instead, non-European Union residents will need to apply for a visa depending on the length of their stay. Because Estonia is part of the Schengen area, this country has similar rules to other nations within the Schengen region in Europe as we will explain in further detail.
Estonia primarily offers two visa categories: short-term visa and longer-stay visa. The difference between the two is explained by the duration of your time in Estonia:
If you plan to travel to Estonia for three months or less within a six month timeframe, you may not be required to apply for a visa depending on your passport. Ultimately, this decision is going to depend on your citizenship as determined by the passport you are traveling under. The following nations do not require a visa if you will be traveling to Estonia for shorter than 3 months (you will want to check with the Embassy however as some restrictions do apply):
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador. Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Israel, Japan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, St Kitts-Nevis, Taiwan, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela
If you will be traveling under a passport not listed above, then you may need to apply for the Short-term visa (type C). These visas are intended for stays less than 3 months beginning when you first enter the Schengen area. If this is the case, you will need to purchase an Estonia travel insurance. According to the Short term visa requirements, you will need to show proof of coverage that your Estonia student insurance is valid the entire length of your stay and covers at least 30,000 euros.
If you will be traveling for more than 3 months, you will instead need to apply for the Long-stay visa (type D). With a Long-stay visa you can get authorization to enter the country once or multiple times depending on your reason for travel. Additionally, you will be able to stay up to one year. To apply, however, you will need to have your international student insurance for Estonia in effect throughout the length of your visit in the Schengen area. Be sure to have a minimum of 30,000 euros in coverage as this is a minimum requirement for your visa.
One popular option that will meet both the Short-term and Long-stay visa is our Estonia student insurance. This plan provides comprehensive coverage meeting and exceeding the 30,000 euro requirement. This Estonia travel insurance is designed to cover you outside your home country, and will cover you internationally, including in Europe. Once you have purchased the international student insurance for Estonia, you will receive a confirmation email along with access to your visa letter. This letter has been specifically customized to meet the needs while you study in Estonia. If you have any specific questions on your Estonia student insurance, please feel free to contact one of our insurance specialist today!
