University Requirements for Health Insurance
Shopping around for the perfect health insurance plan can be daunting, but we are here to help. We’ve compiled a brief comparison of IMG’s international student insurance plans: Student Journey Medical Insurance, Patriot Exchange Program, Student Health Advantage, and Student Health Advantage Platinum. IMG’s plans were specifically designed for international students and scholars traveling away from their country of residence, and they vary mainly by cost and coverage level.
Compare International Student Health Insurance Plans
Student Journey Medical Insurance
Student Journey Medical Insurance is designed for cost-conscious students and scholars, offering three plan options to suit various medical and budgetary needs: Student Journey Lite, Student Journey Plus, and Student Journey Platinum.
Student Journey can be a less expensive alternative to a university’s group health plan and includes a range of medical benefits for injuries and illnesses, hospitalization, and medical emergencies. If you're a healthier student seeking lower up-front insurance premiums with potential for some higher out-of-pocket costs in the case of seeking treatment, Student Journey could be the plan for you.
Patriot Exchange Program
Beyond the standard coverage requirements, Patriot Exchange covers pre-existing conditions up to $500 after 12 months of coverage and includes coverage for mental and nervous disorders. View the full Patriot Exchange benefits table.
Student Health Advantage
Student Health Advantage is designed to meet the needs of international students, scholars, and people involved in long-term educational and cultural exchange programs. This international student insurance plan offers a robust package of benefits and builds upon the benefits included in the Patriot Exchange Program by offering full pre-existing condition coverage after the first 12 months of the plan. This plan can be renewed for up to five years and spousal/dependent coverage can be accommodated. Student Health Advantage also includes mental and nervous disorder coverage as well as organized sports coverage. View the full Student Health Advantage benefits table.
Student Health Advantage Platinum
Student Health Advantage Platinum provides our maximum amount of coverage for students and scholars. Building on the coverage provided by Student Health Advantage, there are two main factors that set Student Health Advantage Platinum apart from IMG’s other international student health insurance plans: maternity coverage and a six-month waiting period for pre-existing condition coverage. If either of these situations appeal to you or are required by your school’s student health waiver requirements, then Student Health Advantage Platinum is the plan for you. View the full Student Health Advantage Platinum benefits table.
Real World Examples
Daiyu is preparing for upcoming university exams, and she starts to come down with flulike symptoms. She doesn’t have a car on campus and needs to speak with a doctor quickly so she can get feeling better before her exams, but she doesn’t feel her symptoms warrant a visit to urgent care or the emergency room. Daiyu has a Student Journey Medical Insurance plan, which includes virtual telehealth services, so she arranges a video consultation with a doctor in just minutes—from the comfort of her dorm room.
Aditya is in his junior year of college and has always been healthy with no major medical issues in his past. During the second semester, his throat starts to feel bad, so he decides to go to an urgent care facility. He is diagnosed with acute pharyngitis, or a sore throat. All of IMG’s international student insurance plans would provide coverage for this unexpected event.
Li Na is preparing for her freshman semester at Indiana University. She has a history of kidney stones but has not had a flare up in over a year, though her doctor warns that it could happen again in the right circumstances. With a Student Health Advantage plan, an unexpected kidney stone would be covered (even as a pre-existing condition) after the first year of coverage. The Student Health Advantage Platinum plan would provide the same coverage after only six months. Both plans are renewable up to five years, so either option could potentially be a good choice for Li Na.
Have Additional Questions?
If you're ready, go ahead and get a quote today! If you have questions regarding different scenarios and what’s covered between IMG’s different student health insurance plans, please contact our Sales Service Center at +1 (317) 655-4500 and the team will be happy to help you.
This is a summary of a selection of plan benefits offered only as an illustration and does not supersede in any way the Certificate of Insurance and governing policy documents (together the “Insurance Contract”). The Insurance Contract is the only source of the actual benefits provided.
These materials are for informational purposes only and do not contain legal advice. The laws and regulations regarding healthcare and the need or requirement to have health insurance in foreign countries are diverse and their application to your situation depends upon many facts. You should contact your attorney to obtain legal advice on any particular issue.