European Winter Travel Chaos
December 20th, 2010 by International-Student-Insurance
As you have probably seen in the news, winter weather is causing chaos all over parts of Europe including the UK, Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The cold snap, which has been around for around a week now is causing heavy snow and temperatures as low as -20 degrees celsius to parts of the UK and much colder further into Europe.
Most of the time, winter weather is a hazard you cannot avoid if you are traveling in the winter months through Europe – but there are some things you can do to try and help minimize any disruption for yourself or your family.
- It cannot be stressed enough, how important a good trip cancellation travel insurance plan could help you in situations where flights are cancelled, you have missed connections or there has been a long delay to your travel. Most insurance plans also include assistance services who can help rebook and arrange your travel for you if something does go wrong.
- Try to keep all your travel through one airline and join their loyalty program. Over the years that you travel with that airline, you will accumulate points and status with that airline, when things go wrong (which can happen often, even in good weather) airlines tend to treat their higher loyalty program customers first and you receive better compensation and benefits. If you are delayed or your flight is cancelled, for example, they will try their best to put you up in a hotel and make arrangements for you beyond what they would do for everyone else.
- Never get angry, frustrated or upset with airline or airport staff. It may sound like a very small thing to do, but by being nice and asking for help and assistance rather than demanding things, you will find staff will be more inclined to help you out.
- It is always good to know what your rights are when it comes to airline delay and cancellations. For example in Europe, you have the European passenger air rights that need to be followed whenever there is a delay and these will protect most consumers when flying from or within Europe.
We hope anyone that is stuck in the Travel Chaos in Europe, gets to where they need to be in time for the holidays!
Emergency Medical Evacuation
December 13th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceWhen purchasing a travel insurance policy, you will want to be sure that your insurance plan has emergency medical evacuation included.
What is emergency medical evacuation?
When you have an emergency overseas, depending on where you are located there may not be proper facilities and care to treat your illness or injury. In these cases, it may be medically necessary for you to be transported to another facility that is properly equipped to give you the care you need to recover. Whether by emergency air or ground transportation, many international travel insurance plans will transport you to the nearest hospital qualified to provide medical treatment.
Why do you want emergency medical evacuation?
You’ll want to be sure that you are properly covered with your international travel insurance since the average cost for international air medical evacuation is $75,000 – and it is possible that costs can get even higher depending on the treatment and where you are being transported to.
If you do not have a plan that will cover you internationally, the Atlas Travel policy is a comprehensive travel and health insurance plan that will cover you outside your home country. The plan covers doctor visits, hospitalization, labs and x-rays, repatriation, etc. Additionally, the plan covers up to $500,000 for emergency medical evacuation.
What if my domestic health insurance already provides coverage overseas?
If you have a current policy already in place, you will want to contact them to verify whether your plan will provide emergency medical evacuation while you are overseas. If your plan does not already cover emergency medical evacuation, you can purchase a plan to provide this.
Our Emergency Medical Evacuation travel insurance plan is a stand alone insurance policy designed to offer emergency medical evacuation for those traveling outside their home country. It is offered in 3, 6 and 12 month coverage periods and immediate coverage is available. Once you purchase the plan, you will receive an email with your policy documents to bring when you travel abroad.
Taiwan International Student Insurance
December 7th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceTaiwan is one of the top 5 nations sending international students overseas to the United States. With roughly 27,000 international students, it is important to arrive prepared. One of the major differences that students may experience is the different health care system. In Taiwan, the current health care system is known as the National Health Insurance program which is a mandatory social insurance that covers all citizens when they go for treatment.
Unlike the heath care system in Taiwan, the United States does not have a nationalized health care system in place. Instead, the United States relies primarily on a private insurance system to help assist with covering the costs. If international students arrive in the United States without insurance, they will be expected to pay for their bill – which could easily add up! In fact, back in 2000 the World Health Organization ranked the United States the most expensive country for health care costs.
To avoid these expensive bills, it is important that international students from Taiwan arrive with a health insurance plan in place. International student insurance plans are designed to cover students will they study in the United States and provide comprehensive health insurance. One popular Taiwan international student insurance policy is the Student Secure plan. This plan is designed to cover doctor visits, hospitalization, labs, x-rays, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc.
Enrollment in your international student insurance is easy! You simply apply right online and choose the date you’d like coverage to begin. Once you complete the application, you will receive an email confirmation with your policy documents that you can bring with you by simply printing out the information. If you have any questions about your Taiwan international student insurance, please contact one of our insurance agents standing by to assist with your questions.
International Student Enrollment 2010
December 2nd, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceDuring International Education Week, new statistics were published to track the trends of international students studying in the United States. According to the Open Doors Report 2010, international student enrollment increased 3% over last year, a new record high of 690,923 international students.
The growth of international student enrollment was primarily fueled by Chinese students which made a 30% leap compared to last year. The second largest group of international students – which make up 15% of all international students – are from India; there was only a slight increase of 2% enrollment of Indians compared to last year. To put this into perspective, China, India and South Korea make up almost have the total number of international students total.
Most of these international students are enrolled in business and management tracks as well as engineering, math and computer science. Moreover, international student enrollment is concentrated in the states of California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois.
Even with these positive results, the Open Doors Report 2010 found that the growth of international student enrollment was curbed due to the worldwide economic downturn that preventing some families from sending their children overseas. As the economy continues to recover, these rates are expected to trend upward.
Gap Year Travel Insurance
November 8th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceAs the world climate becomes more interconnected globally and curiosity about the world we live in continues to expand, the trend of students taking a gap year off is becoming more popular. This concept originally started in the United Kingdom and has expanded out to many countries including Canada, Israel, New Zealand and Australia. The gap year provides students with the opportunity to take some time off to work, travel, or volunteer overseas.
That being said, it is important that these students are adequately covered with a gap year travel insurance policy that will cover students overseas no matter where they travel. When choosing the appropriate plan, it is important to consider:
– Does your plan cover you in all the countries you will be traveling to?
– Do you want coverage for non-emergencies?
– Does your plan include emergency medical evacuation and repatriation?
One popular travel insurance option for the gap year is the Atlas Travel plan. With this tavel plan, individuals will be covered internationally outside their home country for doctor visits, hospitalization, prescriptions, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation. This gap year travel insurance plan covers accidents and illnesses – whether or not it is an emergency situation. You will be fully covered even if you just have a cold! We know how important it is to be properly insured, in fact our international plans all include emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.
Contact one of our licensed agents today if you have any questions.
Foreign Student Insurance
October 19th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceMany insurance plans are designed to cover students while they are inside their home country. What happens when you travel to another country and need a health insurance plan to cover you abroad?
That is why many students, whether studying abroad, doing an exchange program, or studying as an international student, purchase a foreign student insurance plan. These policies are designed to cover you while you are outside your home country in case you have an accident or develop an illness.
For many schools, foreign student insurance is a requirement since medical cost can get expensive and they do not want their student’s stuck with a high medical bill.
To prevent this, many foreign student insurance policies offer a wide range of benefits covering beyond major emergency services including doctor visits, prescription medication, sports, etc. These policies can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars and in many cases, will help you navigate the unfamiliar health system that may differ from the health care you are familiar with at home.
International Provider Network
October 12th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceTraveling to a foreign country can be difficult, that is why our international student insurance offers an optional network to find local doctors and hospitals. Our Student Health, Travel Medical, and Major Medical plans all use the CMN network whether you are in the US or overseas. This worldwide directory of providers gives you access to more than 400,000 doctors and 7,000 facilities.
This CMN international provider network offers the following features:
- Ease in locating nearby facilities in case you need to seek medical attention
- US contracted physicians and hospitals that offer discounted rates
- Can reduce your out-of-pocket expense on your policy
- Direct pay from the insurance company paid directly to the hospital or doctor
You have access to these providers by simply navigating a user friendly search tool where you can identify providers by location as well as the type of physician or hospital.
International Insurance for Faculty Led Programs
October 4th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceAre you preparing to organize a student group to travel overseas? Whether you are looking for a customized international travel insurance plan for a short-term or long-term program, International Student Insurance works together with faculty led programs from many schools and organizations to ensure that they are protected in case a member needs medical attention overseas.
Our international insurance provides comprehensive plans that ensure that each faculty led program is tailored to fit your group’s needs. All of our international carriers are rated A+ excellent by A.M. Best, are equipped to handle your medical coverage internationally, feature travel assistance that includes translation services, and also includes a large international network where providers accept direct pay.
If you are interested in obtaining a quote for your faculty led program, you can contact our agents qualified to help you with your upcoming trip.
2010 Travel Video Contest
September 28th, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceIt’s that time of year again, InternationalStudent.com is excited to announce its 5th Annual 2010 Travel Video Contest!
The first place winner will receive $4,000 and there will be some great runner up prizes as well. To be eligible, students must be at least 18 years old and enrolled or planning to enroll in a college outside of their home country.
To enter, students can submit a 5 minute or less video telling us what trip you’d like to take and why. The deadline for submission is October 29th, 2010.
We had many great videos last year and we look forward to this years videos – good luck to all!
Korean International Student Insurance
September 22nd, 2010 by International-Student-InsuranceAs an international student in the United States, it is highly recommended that you purchase an insurance plan while overseas. The US health care system is quite different compared to South Korea’s National Health Insurance program where health insurance is mandatory and the fees and treatment are standardized by the government.
Unlike South Korea, the United States does not automatically enroll you in an insurance plan since coverage is not mandatory. Additionally, the cost of health services, examinations, and prescription medication is much more expensive than what you may be accustomed to. It is not uncommon for an emergency visit to add up to thousands of dollars. To avoid this, you will want to enroll in an international student insurance plan that will cover you while studying in the US.
Korean international student insurance is a well-suited option for students studying in a foreign country. The plan is available in three levels to provide you with the coverage you are looking for. These plans cover doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. With up to $300,000 in coverage, you will have the proper protection in case the unexpected occurs.
Please contact our insurance representatives who are available to answer your questions about your insurance options.
