OPT insurance refers to the insurance taken by an international student and his/her dependents during the training period that usually follows graduation.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.
For international students, the OPT period is usually a period between college and full-time work, and OPT insurance is meant for exactly this period—to help the F-1 holder and his/her dependent during this period.As the plan is short-term, it can mainly be used to cover unforeseen health problems.
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.The OPT period is unique in that the international student is between a full-time student status and a full-time employment status.
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.The high costs of U.S. healthcare make OPT health insurance mandatory by logic.
Medical benefits and AD&D and repatriation benefits are provided by OPT health insurance for international students. Outpatient care and hospitalization, diagnostics, prescription drugs (unless used for pre-existing conditions), ambulance services, and medical evacuation are common benefits offered by most OPT insurance plans.
Your OPT insurance will, however, not cover known or planned medical conditions such as pregnancy, periodic eye and dental care, and pre-existing conditions.Most OPT insurance plans also exclude pre-existing conditions; however, it is possible to find plans with look-back periods as short as one year.
There are a wide range of options to choose from for OPT insurance. Maximum benefits ranging from $ 25000 to $ 1 million, deductibles which affect the premium payable, and plan durations lasting anywhere between five days and one year, are all choices available to the OPT insurance plan applicant.
When making choices regarding OPT insurance, you might want to consider your future plan after completion of your OPT.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.