A typical international student’s first decision associated with healthcare insurance is usually when he/she purchases an Opt health insurance plan. OPT insurance is insurance for an international student on an F-1 visa (and his/her dependents) when undergoing OPT, usually a 12- or 29-month employment period meant for the international student to gain practical knowledge in his/her field of study.
OPT insurance works like a typical short-term health insurance plan, and you can use it to get coverage for you and your dependent during the temporary OPT period. It is mainly used for unplanned medical issues.
As an international student, you might have been covered under the school-sponsored plan thus far. However, remember that plans that schools offer for a student under OPT are usually more expensive than your regular student insurance plans. Optional practical training insurance offers you coverage for this period, which is usually a year.
One thing to note is that unlike international student health insurance, OPT health insurance is not mandatory, but it is important to remember the high costs of healthcare in the United States before taking a decision to live without insurance. In the United States, it just takes one accident or health complication to empty out savings and destroy the credit report of a person.
Some of the typical benefits offered by OPT insurance include inpatient and outpatient care, emergency medical assistance, ambulance services, dental expenses (excluding routine care), emergency medical evacuation, accidental death and dismemberment, as well as repatriation of remains. Most plans also cover prescription drugs for new ailments.
Your OPT insurance will, however, not cover known or planned medical conditions such as pregnancy, periodic eye and dental care, and pre-existing conditions. The look-back period for pre-existing conditions can be just a year.
Benefits of OPT health insurance plans range from coverage of $25,000 to $1 million, and a range of deductibles are available, depending on by the plan. Most OPT insurance plans can be purchased for durations from five days to a year.
It is a good idea to keep in mind the employment or repatriation plan of the student before purchasing OPT insurance. If planning to return to the home country immediately after the OPT period, it is best to purchase insurance for an entire year. If the plans are fluid, it might be worthwhile to purchase insurance monthly, until coverage is extended by an employer.
Dan Miller often writes about international student insurance.
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