Getting health insurance coverage if you’re a student and planning on going abroad for school can be a tricky process.

In most cases, your school offers some program where you can purchase the necessary insurance.  It’s also not uncommon for the school you’re attending to offer you some kind of coverage as a part of your study abroad program.

Either way, it’s crucial that if you’re going to study abroad, you figure out how your insurance is going to cover you before getting there.  Medical bills are one of the easiest ways to find yourself in insurmountable debt, and it’s not something that you can (necessarily) live without.

If your school isn’t going to set up a program for you, there are still plenty of options.

For example, Atlas International is a company which offers health care coverage accepted most anywhere in the world.  It has an American branch—Atlas American—but it also offers international coverage.

Atlas International is set up specifically for people traveling abroad, and offers programs that range from 5 months to three years, depending on the set up you need.

Above and beyond typical health care coverage, Atlas International also offers terrorism coverage, lost luggage coverage, and similar forms of coverage to help insure your entire traveling experience.

They’re set up to easily custom tailor your particular plan, and it works similarly to anything else—you apply, get a quote and can choose your approach from that point forth.

On a similar note, Citizen Secure offers primarily health care coverage for those traveling abroad.  Their plans last for a year at a time and you can choose the option to renew them at the end of your agreement.

Citizen Secure does cap out at three years, however, so it’s not ideal if you’re going to be over seas for that long.

They do offer full health benefits which includes up to a 5 million dollar maximum on the policy.  They’re also accepted worldwide, making them an extremely high choice for those spending some time over seas for school—you aren’t going to end up somewhere that you aren’t covered.

When applying for a plan through Citizen Secure, you work along side them to find the appropriate amount of coverage for you, and to make sure that you aren’t going to end up somewhere where something isn’t covered.  The limitations are fully outlined before hand.

Another popular choice is Student Secure, which, like Atlas International, includes a variety of additional insurance coverage, such as terrorism coverage and lost luggage.  Unlike the other plans mentioned, however, Student Secure is available for renewal on a month-by-month basis.

However, this plan is mostly common among students who are spending time in Europe.  That doesn’t mean that it won’t cover elsewhere, it just means that it’s something worth looking into before deciding.

Most student plans to cover your health care abroad will give free quotes online, so you can work out the arrangements of what is and isn’t covered, pinpoint where you will be and what kind of coverage you will need, and sort through elective coverage (like the terrorism insurance).

Before traveling, it’s recommended that you get a full physical check-up in the US so that you know where you stand.  Many of these providers are going to require access to prior health records, and if you’re lacking in that area it might ultimately hurt you (or they’re going to request that you get a physical done).

Similarly, it’s important to be aware of your pre-existing conditions, given the vast number of providers who decline to cover them.  Finding yourself overseas with your typical medications not covered could be a disaster, and it’s worth mapping out first.