Students can be at a higher risk for emergencies when they are travelling overseas, increasing the importance of international student insurance coverage. With new environments and unknown sanitary conditions, students can be more susceptible to illness or injury.

Most students and their parents don’t understand that the insurance plan in their home country probably doesn’t cover them when travelling abroad. A stressful situation that is a result of being injured or coming down with an illness in an unfamiliar environment can be scary when a student is overseas. With an international student health insurance plan, you can save money and stress if an emergency situation comes up.

Typical international student medical insurance plans cover emergency care for injuries or illnesses that occur when the student is in a different country. Often these plans offer coverage for hospital stays, outpatient care, prescriptions, and medically necessary treatments. Some plans also include coverage for costs that are incurred as a result of having to return home from a trip early.

When preparing for a study abroad program, be sure to cover all the bases, from insurance and beyond. As reported by the Center for Disease Control, all students should be prepared with their current vaccination record, emergency contact information and any prescriptions that are required prior to leaving for their destination.

In additional to purchasing study abroad insurance, students should also purchase a first aid kit for their trip that includes helpful items like hand sanitizer, bandages, and over-the- counter stomach remedies for unexpected non-emergency health issues.

International student insurance is the only way to protect yourself when travelling overseas. Being away from home and family can make any illness or injury seem frightening and stressful. You and your family can be prepared by having insurance and can feel confident that you will be taken care of should an emergency situation occur.

If you are planning to participate in a study abroad program, be sure to include purchasing international student health insurance in your plans. Doing so will allow you to relax and get the most out of your experience, without having to worry about the unexpected.