International students attending school or living abroad are typically required to purchase health insurance coverage through either their school or host country, although they also have the freedom of choosing their own plan from private providers.
Students studying abroad need coverage to protect them against expensive medical costs and evacuation fees, which will make their experience more pleasant. This benefits package is essential to creating an enjoyable study abroad experience.
1. AXA
Students traveling abroad need the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will be protected in case of medical emergencies. AXA plans offer comprehensive emergency coverage at every tier – from non-medical escorting back home on commercial flights with oxygen and lay-flat seats, up to air ambulance evacuation with stretchers; AXA’s plans provide invaluable peace of mind.
AXA plans are the only comprehensive student travel insurance policies offering coverage for mental health and substance abuse outpatient treatment services while abroad, which is increasingly becoming an issue among students studying abroad, according to Adamski. With this growing concern, accessing treatment while away is of critical importance.
Adamski highlights that AXA policies include trip interruption and cancellation coverage as an essential feature, which reimburses for non-refundable expenses that have been incurred due to circumstances like illness or family emergencies that were covered under its policies. Furthermore, its baggage loss/delay coverage provides peace of mind when traveling abroad for studies abroad programs, Adamski notes.
Pace students participating on faculty-led programs are automatically enrolled in AXA’s international travel insurance as part of their Program Fee. Students will receive an email confirmation as well as accessing an online GEO portal that details the specific coverage details they are eligible for during their Pace program.
2. USI Affinity
USI Affinity stands out from UVA’s required students abroad insurance in that it offers multiple single-trip travel plans with medical evacuation coverage. Their Ruby plan earned three stars among our best student study abroad plans as it provides trip cancellation and interruption coverage up to 150% of your prepaid, nonrefundable costs plus travel delay, missed connection, baggage loss coverage as well as preexisting condition exclusion waiver coverage.
USI Affinity also offers the Diamond plan, with higher emergency accident and sickness medical expense and travel evacuation coverage, rental car collision damage waivers and additional rental car collision damage waivers. Both plans offer unlimited telemedicine services and 24-hour emergency assistance in multiple languages; additionally their medical evacuation coverage could save time and money in cases where serious illnesses or injuries cannot be treated locally and need to go elsewhere for care, Durazo says.
Refund plans provide travelers with an invaluable feature: cancellation/cutback options within specified timeframes can allow you to get reimbursed for certain nonrefundable prepaid trip expenses with their Cancel For Any Reason upgrade, available as an add-on on all plans at an additional fee. In addition, Covid-19 coverage is also offered as an add-on rider while additional trip related expenses such as prepaid tour cost refund coverage can also be covered, notes Van Scyoc.
3. Travel Guard
Travel insurance might not top your priority list before studying abroad, but having the appropriate plan can play a critical role in making sure it goes as smoothly and safely as possible. Student travel plans provide coverage against unexpected events like lost luggage, missed flights and medical emergencies that might arise while traveling – some premium policies even offer cancellation for any reason benefits to help ensure non-refundable expenses can be reimbursed should something unexpected come up before starting their program.
GeoBlue provides comprehensive travel medical plans tailored specifically for study abroad students without breaking the bank. Their Navigator for Students plan offers similar deductibles, monthly payment plans and unlimited annual maximums that cover medical care both inside and outside the United States – including medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.
Travel Guard also offers students access to an abundance of online resources, including country-specific medical and security information as well as general travel guidance. Their travel assistance service offers medical referral services, crisis response support and multilingual 24/7 multi-lingual support – in total with seven strategically located global assistance centers with more than 1,000 employees around the globe available to assist travelers worldwide. If interested in purchasing travel insurance coverage they can explore various packages online or contact a representative directly for more details.
4. Nationwide
While most student study abroad programs require students to purchase national travel insurance plans in their host country, this coverage often isn’t enough for more comprehensive medical and evacuation protection. Therefore, it would be prudent for travelers who desire such coverage to purchase global policies from a provider who offers coverage in multiple countries–including the US–such as CSA Global Travel Protection.
Nationwide offers flexible and cost-effective international travel insurance plans designed for individuals and groups of travelers alike. Their plans offer coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical expenses/evacuation expenses/loss of baggage delay/loss as well as 24/7 travel assistance services. Furthermore, Nationwide’s student travel plans offer peace of mind while traveling on a tight budget with specific needs but still wish for global protection and assistance services.
If you’re taking an extended journey, Allianz travel insurance policies offer comprehensive protection against pre-existing conditions and offer add-on options such as medical expenses coverage and luggage loss/delay protection. Their most popular plans include Allianz Global Assistance Basic which offers medical expenses coverage while Allianz World Nomads Ultimate plan provides top-rated coverage for students with pre-existing conditions.