Most educational institutions in the United States require students to have at least minimum Health Insurance. As a student, you probably have access to a number of Health Insurance plans offered by your educational institution. Some of these are essentially group Health Insurance plans that offer services through either a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or a Health Maintenance Organization (PPO). These options are cheaper than if you tried to get individual Student Health Insurance. If your educational institution includes any medical schools or hospitals, plans that use these hospitals may be the cheapest. You may qualify for additional Student Health Insurance discounts if you have an International Student Exchange identity card that you can order online.

For those of you who were covered until going to school under your parents Health Insurance, your parents employer may continue your benefits for an additional 18 months. Ask your parents to check with their employer about COBRA, as this additional coverage is called. However, this may not be as cheap as campus insurance. Some Student Health Insurance policies cover you during vacations and travel outside the United States, while others do not. Be aware of the conditions not covered under your Student Health Insurance.

Shop around for the best deal, and ask fellow students what type of insurance they have. To help you understand comparisons when you shop for the most affordable Student Health Insurance, you need to understand the basic terminology of Health Insurance. A deductible is how much you pay before your insurance starts paying for your medical care; in general, the higher the deductible, the lower your insurance premium. A co-payment is a fixed amount you pay each time you access services, for example when you get a prescription or have a doctors appointment. Coinsurance is the amount you have to pay, after the deductible, for your medical expenses.