High School Study Abroad Medical Insurance

In the excitement of preparing your high schooler to study abroad, you may feel a little anxious. This could be your child’s first time living away from home for a long period of time, or you may have some concerns regarding their chosen destination.

In reality, you probably have a few looming “what if…” scenarios playing through your head:

• What if my child becomes seriously ill and needs to be hospitalized?
• What if my son or daughter has an accident playing an intramural sport?
• What if my child is caught in the middle of a terrorist attack?

Whatever the scenario, one investment you can make to help ease your mind is study abroad medical insurance.

There are many reasons why your high schooler may need study abroad health insurance:

1. High school study abroad programs often require students to possess health insurance.

Students can either register for a plan that's predetermined by their program or purchase their own medical coverage and submit a waiver form to their program officials.

Students planning to waive the program’s insurance plan may seek other coverage options that better align with their budget. However, alternative travel medical plans must still comply with the program’s health insurance requirements.

2. A domestic policy may not cover your child internationally.

It’s vital to check if your current health insurance plan extends across international borders. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to start searching for a policy that does. Some key benefits to consider for a study abroad medical insurance plan include:

• An Emergency Medical Evacuation benefit for potentially life-threatening illnesses or injuries incurred while studying abroad. This will cover eligible costs associated with the transportation of your child from an emergency facility with insufficient care to the nearest hospital that can provide medically necessary treatment. 
• A Leisure, Recreational, Entertainment, or Fitness Sports and Activities benefit that can reduce medical costs for the treatment of covered injuries or illnesses resulting from these types of sports and activities.
• A Terrorism benefit in case your child sustains injuries and illnesses resulting from a covered act of terrorism. This benefit would help reduce medical costs resulting from the necessary treatment. 

3. Your child will need a student visa in order to study abroad.

Some visas require applicants to provide proof of sufficient funds for food, accommodations, and medical costs incurred during the trip. An international student health policy could help prove your child’s ability to pay for unexpected medical costs incurred in their host country.

You’ll need to ensure that the student health insurance you purchase for your child meets their school, program, and/or visa requirements.

WorldTrips’ StudentSecure® insurance offers four different plans so you can determine which plan meets your child’s requirements and works with your budget. Each plan meets J-1 visa insurance requirements for the U.S. as well as the requirements of most visas and many schools. However, plan costs and coverage limits vary.

For example, an elite plan like StudentSecure Elite will have a higher cost but will provide a higher maximum coverage limit and some additional coverages. A more economical plan like StudentSecure Smart will have a lower cost but will provide a lower maximum coverage limit and more limited benefits.

If your child needs international medical insurance, but you’re not ready to commit to a policy, you can get a free StudentSecure quote to help figure the costs. You’ll be able to save your quote for a later date you’re ready to purchase.