Spending a half of my life in the past in America, I can say with full confidence that you never know what can happen to you. You can catch a trite runny nose or, slowly passing the road, be knocked off by a rally driver. In any case, when I broke my arm and got to the emergency room, the first thing I heard was the question about my coverage… well, and how I felt of course.
American medical care is globally regarded as one of the best one, however, the most high-priced one at the same time. If a foreign student is not aware of main legislative principles in the healthcare system of U.S., the medical expenses because of an accident or even a simple ailment can result in out-of-pocket medical costs.
To lessen them, an overwhelming amount of the Americans, as well as future undergraduates from abroad, tend to take out an insurance policy. This choice has proven to be rather beneficial in terms of American environment, decreasing the sum of money to pay for medical assistance in many cases. In that regard, it is a high time for you to shop around for the most advantageous option to choose.
On-Campus Medical Facilities
Despite the fact that there is no free public medical assistance in America, most colleges provide general healthcare services. Unfortunately, they are not fully no cost; nevertheless, if to compare to general prices in U.S., the difference is tangible. An undergraduate is eligible to get, for instance:
- basic first aid;
- medication of not serious illnesses.
and the primary care centers offer the maintenance when there is a need for/to:
- make a radiograph;
- laboratory analyses;
- prescribed medicine;
- examination of certain specialists.
If you decided to choose the medical facility in college, then prepare in advance the copies of your medical records to submit them later to your college’s healthcare center.
Off-Campus Facilities
If you have a fear of entrusting your life to the local school infirmary, you can always go to the nearby hospital if you want to consult with a certain specialist or to the emergency room if you ended up heavily injured or in a case demanding an instant interference. However, the costs will be inevitably higher.
Moreover, you have a possibility to visit a medical practitioner. Usually, they work from 9 a.m. until 5 or 6 p.m. and the prior appointment is needed.
If you are a foreign undergraduate but have a poor English command, especially when it goes about the medical field, then it is better to take with you a friend, which is good in English; the success of treatment is directly connected with being correctly diagnosed initially.
Insurance – Recommended Without Fail
Every semester, an average undergraduate has to pay various college fees. Moreover, they, usually, go beyond tuition. Some of such fees go toward technology development or athletics support, however, a big deal of them are allotted for insurance.
Not all of us are able to pay all fees and, in that regard, spend a lot of time earning this so needed money. Nonetheless, experience has proven that there are many types of situations that, in case of their occurrence, require an insurance to be taken.
For example, one can end up in a car accident, which will cost him/her hundreds of dollars without medical insurance. It is a fact that no one knows the future and what we should expect from it. Exactly in that regard, insurance plan is what every foreign student in the USA should consider before going in the country of destination.
Almost every school has its own coverage plan, which can be offered to a foreign student. However, all non-U.S. students must have insurance before educational process has started.
Main Terms to Know and Where to Get Information From
If this article ensured you to think more serious about healthcare services in the USA and insurance for the whole term of your stay in the country, then the following terminology will be of a great use for you:
- Premium;
- Co-Insurance;
- Deductible;
- Expenses.
It is clear that there are many niceties in the American healthcare system and in various coverage plans for foreign undergraduates. In that regard, it is of a high priority to puzzle out in all details regarding insurance. Such information can be obtained from your school’s International Student Office that commands the base of supposed private firms that provide insurance services specifically for foreign undergraduates.
As you can see, there are many variants for those who search. The main reason to write this article was the desire to share my experience and show that we have to be ready to everything that is waiting for us round the next corner.