Today, I will take you to know about the medical insurance for American students, hoping to help students who are going to study in the United States!
First, medical insurance considerations
Everyone knows that it is expensive to see a doctor abroad, and they are worried about being cheated. So first of all, we must understand medical insurance!
1. Insurance period
(1) insurance premium
Refers to the fees paid by the insured to the insurance company on a regular basis, usually monthly, and student insurance is generally paid by semester.
(2) insurance period
Part of the insurance can be extended during the internship or part-time job after graduation on the F 1 student visa in the United States, including the problem of continuing to pay treatment fees in the future if the conditions for continuing insurance are not met. You can also ask in advance to buy this.
2. Scope of application
You need to see clearly the insurance coverage, such as whether it covers dentistry and ophthalmology. And whether insurance can be used outside the insured area. If you find that the school insurance does not cover the scope you want, you can choose extra insurance outside the school.
3. The amount of insurance premium
1 deductible:
After enrollment, when seeing a doctor, according to the provisions of the insurance contract, the insurance company will first pay a certain amount of medical expenses, and then the insurance company will begin to reimburse the medical expenses incurred thereafter.
2*** Co-insurance:
After each use of medical services, the insured needs to pay a part of medical expenses according to the proportion agreed in the insurance contract, which is called co-insurance. Pay the bill yourself and knock on the blackboard.
The part of a particular service that needs to be paid for.
A fixed amount that needs to be paid every time you see a doctor is usually not included in the deductible.
Co-insurance is similar to registration fee.
A certain service needs to be paid, a fixed percentage, which is paid every time you see a doctor, usually included in the deductible.
Maximum payment and maximum insurance amount
The maximum amount paid by the insurance company will not be reimbursed if it exceeds this. Some insurances are divided into the maximum amount of compensation each time and the maximum amount of compensation each year, which you need to pay attention to.
prescription drug
The costs of the three levels are different (for example, 15 USD /40 USD /60 USD, you pay so much for each prescription, and other insurance companies pay).
Pre-existing conditions are diseases.
Some insurances don't cover this item. In the future, insurance companies may refuse to pay for existing diseases. Be sure to pay attention when buying.
come to a conclusion
How to judge the quality of an insurance: the lower the deductible and deductible limit, the better, and the higher the co-insurance and maximum compensation, the better. However, good insurance also means that the insurance premium is more expensive, so you can choose according to your actual situation.
Second, how to choose medical insurance
1. Campus medical insurance
In the United States, high-quality medical insurance generally includes physical examination, hospitalization, surgical treatment and prescription drug costs in some doctors' offices. In the event of serious illness or trauma, insurance companies can pay most of the medical expenses, so that individuals can avoid huge medical expenses.
American schools require all students to buy medical insurance (generally excluding dentistry and ophthalmology)
First of all, the most important thing is insurance.
Most international students will be forced to buy student insurance, with the amount ranging from about 1K-3K. Antai, United Medical Care and Blue Shield are more common.
The disadvantage is that you have to pay money every semester, which is just a basic plan and does not include eye and tooth insurance. The advantage is that you can use the school hospital, and the coverage is better. On-campus medical insurance is a little more expensive, but letting students buy off-campus medical insurance that meets the requirements can also save you money.
2. Self-protection outside school
Health insurance off-campus self-protection
Short-term health insurance (off-campus purchase)
How to qualify: Most people are eligible for short-term health insurance. However, many applicants may not be covered because insurance companies have much fewer restrictions on the coverage that must be included in short-term health insurance plans.
How to register: Students can purchase insurance policies through intermediaries or directly from insurance companies. But remember, some states don't allow short-term health insurance.
Mode of operation: As the name implies, short-term health insurance can provide insurance in a short time. Renewable policies can be used for up to one year.
Advantages: Compared with the health insurance plan, short-term health insurance is much cheaper.
Payment method: Because the insurance company can adjust the cost of short-term health insurance policy according to the health status of the insured, the healthier the individual, the lower the premium.
Third, how to see a doctor in the United States
Medical process
The first step is to make an appointment in advance and determine the time. You need to arrive at the clinic 10 minutes in advance on the day of seeing a doctor. If it is the first time to see a doctor, you need to bring your insurance card and identification.
The second step is to fill in the form. General clinics will require students to fill in insurance information and physical description. The nurse will take a basic temperature measurement, ask specific symptoms and make a preliminary examination.
The third step, the doctor will come to the specific consultation. When you see a doctor in America, you won't pay directly, and the bill will be sent home.
Summarize the tips for traveling to the United States:
1. See the general practitioner first.
2. Weigh yourself, measure your height, and fill in the basic information form.
You don't need to take medicine.
4. Send the test results directly to email.
5. There is no medical record book
Form of seeing a doctor
Medical forms in the United States:
1. Appointment is suitable for examination and chronic diseases.
2. Emergency clinics and clinics. Emergency treatment is suitable for acute illness and trauma.
3. Referral (referral) is applicable to the case that primary doctors can't diagnose whether they need specialists after reading it.
For international students, some minor illnesses are uncomfortable and need urgent medical treatment. You can go to the school clinic, and the urgent school doctor can also make an appointment directly. Insurance can be divided into in-network and out-network, and their reimbursement amounts are different.
In-network (also known as PPO) is a doctor's pharmacy and hospital that cooperates with your insurance company. Check with the insurance company in official website and make an appointment to see a doctor.
If you don't cooperate outside the network, the payout ratio may be low, and you may need to pay for it yourself. The insurance company is making claims.
The school hospital can't do surgery, but in fact, the equipment and doctor team of the school hospital are absolutely professional. It is recommended that international students go to the school hospital first if they get sick.
If you need surgery or special treatment, the doctor will advise you to transfer to a recommended hospital. This will save money, because international students can use their own insurance, which is relatively cost-effective.
It is suggested to give priority to hospitals with cooperative medical insurance.
1. will be cheaper than offline.
2. Generally, no personal advance is needed, which saves a lot of trouble.
In short, health is the most important thing during studying abroad, and we should also pay attention to the combination of work and rest, and don't forget physical exercise. When you are sick, make rational use of medical insurance to get better quickly, and don't let your family worry.