Last month, we discussed why a student traveler needs international travel medical insurance, regardless of a two-week spring break or a three-month study session. That being said, what qualifies one as a “student”? Surprisingly, simply being enrolled is not enough for many companies. What makes a student eligible comes down to a few criteria: age, school status, duration, and even location.
There are three stipulations which are generally used by all travel insurance agencies: the applicant must be a citizen or a visa-carrying international student living in the United States; the traveling student must not obtain residency status in the country he or she is visiting (if you do have to obtain residency or get a visa due to an extended stay, it may be best to look into health insurance within that country); and, you must be traveling outside of your home country. A New Yorker traveling to California to take in the language and culture isn’t exactly considered “studying abroad”.
Next, an insurance company may have their own age limit for covering students. Some agencies list a maximum age as 24 years old, others say 29, and still others say up to age 66! Whatever they specify, this means you cannot surpass their limit while traveling. So, what if you are 24 years old and your birthday is in two months, but you had planned to travel for six months? Well, you may want to either speak with a representative directly about your dilemma or find a new company with a higher age limit altogether.
School status is another stipulation which may result in changing policies. Most companies demand a student be enrolled full-time; however, their idea of full-time is ten credit-hours for undergraduates and six credit-hours for graduates. This is actually fewer credit-hours than what many colleges deem to be “full-time.” If you have not yet started school, some companies will cover you if you are within 31 days of becoming a student. Next, the school itself can make or break a policy. You must be enrolled in a recognized U.S. institution or study-abroad program. For many companies, online colleges do not qualify. Also, your purpose for traveling must be school-related: either due to a planned exchange activity or to earn academic credits.
The next criteria which will help you choose your insurance company is the duration of your visit. Maybe your study abroad program calls for three months or even a year. Coverage varies from carrier to carrier: some will cover you for only two weeks or a month; others will carry you for up to three years! In general, though, most agencies have a maximum limit of twelve months.
Finally, make sure a company will cover you in your country of choice before signing up, as some have exclusions based on a destination. Many will not cover “high-risk” areas (defined as countries currently facing war, rampant disease, or natural disasters); examples of high-risk countries include Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, North Korea, Rwanda, Haiti, and India. Also, some countries simply don’t recognize a particular insurance within their borders. Talk to an agency prior to enrolling, to determine if your destination will be covered.
