F2 Visa Health Insurance – A Complete Guide

Did you ever take the time to consider the importance of insurance when it comes to visa? The thing is that many people overlook this, although the costs of healthcare in the US tend to be quite significant. But the truth is that coping with a health-related problem in the US without insurance can be very expensive. To that end, in today’s article, we will talk mainly about F2 visa health insurance.

Can F2 Visa Holders Get Insurance?

Essentially, an F2 visa health insurance is a must for dependents of an F-1 visa. Basically, by getting an F1 visa, international students may have the opportunity of studying in the US. When it comes to the dependents, these can be either the spouse or unmarried children of the visa holder. Concurrently, the children should be under the age of 21 years old.

And while it is true that getting an F2 visa health insurance isn’t mandatory – that is to say, it’s not required by the law – it is still important to have it. Medical expenses are really high, especially when compared with the costs in other countries. So, in order to avoid having to pay for all the expenses out of your own pocket, getting insurance is primordial.

On the other hand, there are many schools in the US that supply health insurance to international students with an F1 visa. Since 2014, due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many schools have embraced this approach. Concurrently, many of these plans don’t come with a policy maximum, also supplying coverage for all sorts of conditions, including pre-existing conditions, preventive or maternity care, so on and so forth.

On a different note, an F2 visa holder can and should get insurance. That’s mainly because international medical insurance plans facilitate coverage for the F1 visa holder. That is to say, the dependents aren’t included.

Insurance Requirements for F2 Visa Holders

Once again, we would like to outline that there are no strict insurance requirements when it comes to F2 visa holders. If you have an F1 dependent visa, though, most schools do advise both students and dependents to have adequate health insurance for the entire duration of their stay in the US.  The healthcare costs in the US are increasing by the year, and this shouldn’t be neglected by whoever is considering coming to this country, even on a temporary basis.

Types of F2 Visa Health Insurance

While as an F1 visa holder you might benefit from a health insurance plan facilitated by your school, your spouse or children might not be included. At the same time, if you do have the possibility of getting coverage for your spouse or children, then the price expected to pay will be considerably higher. This is applicable especially in the case in which the F2 visa holders will use the plan more than the F1 visa holder.

Meanwhile, if getting an F2 visa health insurance isn’t possible through the school, then you can always browse for different insurance plans and choose the one that best suits your needs. In fact, it is highly advisable to get an F2 visa health insurance that is customized based on your specifications.

What to Consider when Choosing F2 Visa Insurance

Evidently, you shouldn’t get the first F2 visa health insurance plan that crosses your path. It’s always sensible to do some research beforehand. Primarily, you should factor in your budget and your needs, as well as your health background as a family.

To that end, you should establish a sum of money you afford to pay for the plan. At the same time, you need to point out the duration you need the insurance for. Concurrently, it’s best to consider whether you need the plan during your flight/road back home as well, or only during your stay in the US.

Note that different health insurance plans come with different benefits. Hence, if you want to enjoy benefits such as wellness, sickness, sports, maternity, accident, so on and so forth, you should consider this while doing your research.

Another aspect that shouldn’t miss your attention is whether you want your dependents to enroll, without including the student in the plan.

F2 Visa Health Insurance Options

Moving on to some options for reliable F2 visa health insurance, we would like to talk about four alternatives. Of course, there are many others to choose from. Ideally, you should take the time to read the specifications and details on each plan, to ensure that you get the best value for your money and needs.

Exchange Guard

ExchangeGuard provides an excellent plan for F2 visa holders. The duration of the policy can range from 5 days to 1,456 days. Concurrently, there is the option of choosing a co-insurance or deductible that best suits your needs – which is great since each family has a specific budget and needs.

After covering the price of your chosen deductible, in most cases, the plan will pay up to 100 percent of the maximum included in the policy. In other cases, the plan will only pay up to $5,000 or 80 percent. Nevertheless, once again, this depends on your personal preference and choice.

This is a very convenient option especially for families with young children. That’s because dependent children under 9 years old are included in the coverage without any extra costs. With that in mind, if you’re on the lookout for an F2 visa health insurance plan that is family friendly, this is worth noting.

Atlas Essential America

Moving on, Atlas Essential America supplies low-cost, affordable insurance plans for people visiting the US. Most importantly, this insurance provider is flexible, meaning that you can customize your plan depending on your specific needs. With that in mind, when it comes to aspects such as purchase duration, cancelation, extension, deductible choices or policy maximum choices, there are many options to choose from.

It’s up to you to analyze each of them and weigh the pros and cons that come with the territory. Nonetheless, in spite of the benefits, there are also several restrictions, such as in the case of dental care, or complications of pregnancy. In addition to that, when it comes to pre-existing conditions, the plan won’t cover the expenses associated with that.

Atlas America

Furthermore, Atlas America is another option worth considering. Note that the Atlas America Plan also includes coverage for pre-existing conditions, which is the main difference between the Atlas Essential America plan and the Atlas America plan. You can purchase the plan online, and you can do that in a limited time frame, in case you’re short of time.

As for the degree of flexibility, it is also noteworthy, which is why this insurance is worth looking up if you want a decent F2 visa health insurance plan.

Patriot America & Patriot America Plus

Another recommendation worth pointing out would be Patriot America and Patriot America Plus. Both plans entail covering 100 percent up to the policy maximum, within the PPO network. Nonetheless, outside the PPO network, note that the plans will only cover 80 percent for the first $5,000 and after that, up to 100 percent of the policy. Each of these plans can be purchased for up to two years.

Individual F2 Visa Health Insurance Options for Families

When it comes to individual insurance plans for families, we have other recommendations, as follows:

• Major Medical – If you want to get a renewable insurance plan, this might be well worth considering, as it supplies worldwide coverage. There are five levels to choose from, and the plan encompasses hospitalization, wellness, prescriptions, doctor visits, maternity, and you may also include vision and dental care if you consider it necessary for your personal situation.
• Travel Medical – You can get this plan for up to one year. Families may get coverage that is up to $2 million per family member. Children under the age of 9 years old are included without any additional costs.
• Patriot Travel – What’s great about this plan is that you can buy it for up to one year. You also have the alternative of renewing it up to two years. In addition to that, the plan also pays the expenses associated with new accidents and illnesses. The maximum coverage is of $2 million.

Conclusion

To sum up, the topic of health insurance might lead to a lot of debate, as some people think that having an F2 visa health insurance is unnecessary. Nevertheless, there is no way in which you can rule out the possibility of encountering a medical problem during your stay in the US. And this is applicable in the case of F1 or F2 visa holders, as well as K1 or H1b visa holders. If you want more information regarding insurance plans for H1b visa holders or K1 visa holders, all you have to do is browse our website as we have numerous resources that will help you in this respect.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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