Ross Insurance vs. Independant Insurance

[Squirrelfriend]

I recently received the information for the health insurance that Ross offers. After reading the information I thought it was a "little" too expensive to spend over $ 2,000.00 per year on top of the thousands of dollars that we're dispensing with tuition, plane tickets and extra money for the first few months. My question is if it's possible to find cheaper health insurance from an independent company on Dominica?

If this is possible, where could you go to get more information? If indeed we deny the Ross health insurance, would it still be permissible to use (in case of an emergency) the infirmiry on campus?

Thanx,

Squirrelfriend :-acorn

[radiohead]

MitchDC could you please reply to this? Is our personal insurance covered by tuition at Ross. We all received info packets in the mail, but on the checklist for insurance it only provides boxes for spouses and children. The rate is exceedingly high ( $734 per semester). Anyway, we do not have to pay this right? I mean I am going to the island by myself. Is my insurance covered or what? thanks...

[MitchDC]

In response to the posts above:

No, you don't HAVE to pay for the insurance that the school offers, BUT YOU MUST HAVE INSURANCE. There isn't health insurance for sale on the island by other companies. However, you may buy an international policy in the States that will work here and satisfy the school.

Ross University offers you a group insurance plan as a service. Some students are already covered under an insurance plan in the states. FEW of these cover problems out of the counrty, but some do. It is up to you to check that before you travel.

You can get less expensive insurance, but it may not be as inclusive as the policy the University offers to students. For example, their policy will cover you INSIDE and OUTSIDE the US while others that are less expensive do NOT. You'll have to make those comparisons on your own before buying a plan. I have taken the gamble and gone with another company (IMG) for my wife and I, however that policy is restrictive and does not include some of the things that the StudentResources.net (the school's policy will cover).

Hope that helps,

MitchDC

I recently received the information for the <a target=new href=http://www.edvisors.com/ads/adclick.cgi?manager=adcycle.com&gid=13&cid=99&mid=115&id=896>health insurance</a> that Ross offers. After reading the information I thought it was a "little" too expensive to spend over $ 2,000.00 per year on top of the thousands of dollars that we're dispensing with tuition, plane tickets and extra money for the first few months. My question is if it's possible to find cheaper <a target=new href=http://www.edvisors.com/ads/adclick.cgi?manager=adcycle.com&gid=13&cid=99&mid=115&id=896>health insurance</a> from an independent company on Dominica?

If this is possible, where could you go to get more information? If indeed we deny the Ross <a target=new href=http://www.edvisors.com/ads/adclick.cgi?manager=adcycle.com&gid=13&cid=99&mid=115&id=896>health insurance</a>, would it still be permissible to use (in case of an emergency) the infirmiry on campus?

Thanx,

Squirrelfriend :-acorn

[wilscrews]

Mitch, or anyone who may know,

If we opt out of the insurance plan offered through Ross, will we still have access to the on-campus clinic/infirmary?

Thanks

[MitchDC]

Yes, you do. The on campus health clinic is sponsored by the University and not the insurance company. Your insurance will be needed to help pay for medication or other more critical/invasive care than can be provided on campus.

MitchDC

[FRNC]

Try these:

www.internationalstudentinsurance.com

www.imglobal.com

and a Cadillac evacuation insurance: www.medjetassistance.com with more info at www.medjet.com

My kid also carries a stateside high deductible major medical policy.

[Canadian eh?!]

Hey Mitch

I would really appreciate it if you could provide me with the email addresses or names of the insurance (health) companies you know of or are currently with. I'm currently residing in canada and will be attending Ross University in Jan. 04. The 734.00$/semester fee i find is extremely expensive especially considering the exchange rate and all (everyone knows the canadian twoonie ain't worth much :? )

Thanks
Mazen.

[dt]

Hey Mitch

I would really appreciate it if you could provide me with the email addresses or names of the insurance (health) companies you know of or are currently with. I'm currently residing in canada and will be attending Ross University in Jan. 04. The 734.00$/semester fee i find is extremely expensive especially considering the exchange rate and all (everyone knows the canadian twoonie ain't worth much :? )

Thanks
Mazen.

If you are a Canadian, and you are going to be a student outside Canada, your provincial medical plan should still be effective. What you will need is a supplementary insurance coverage. Check out the Spartan forum (where people are more resourceful (lol) ) for a posting on this by Kirst. It is a heck of a lot cheaper!

You may want to check to see if you can submit the total claim to the supplementary insurance and let them deal with claiming the provincial portion.

You can confirm coverage by your provincial medical plan by asking them, eh!

[MitchDC]

I have used both of the companies listed in the post above by FRNC. The www.internationalstudentinsurance.com is an insurance agent for a couple different plans. IMG is the one I am with for this semester. Also try www.mnui.com

MitchDC

[Ross]

Since I know little about the provincial insurance and the supplement, this posting may not be necessary but I just want to make sure all bases are covered.

Students who use an insurance plan other than the school's need to make sure that their plan includes emergency evacuation from the foreign country. Air evacuation is extremely expensive! Canadians, therefore, should make sure that their provincial coverage or the supplemental policy to which dt referred includes emergency air evacuation for major health problems.

[BrotherMan]

If you can get independant insurance that covers you internationally, by all means go for it. The insurance policy that the school provides doesn't really cover anything and you will have to battle them for a long long time to get any payments out of them

[shaggy411]

I'm looking at all the options for the IMG insurance and I'm so confused on which one to get due to all these exclusions and different inurances etc

anyone know anything about hthonline (highwaytohealth.com)?

[link626]

If you have bluecross, just waive your school insurance. From what I've read, bluecross has international coverage on all PPO plans, as little as $40/month. just google it.

Health care on the island is free, covered by the gov't. School insurance doesn't do jackcrap for you on the island. It's just a waste of money. Worst thing most people get is a minor cold or flu. and since it's viral, there's nothing you can do except to let your body fight it. Otherwise, it's hard to get sick in such hot weather.

[discombobulase]

Has anyone actually got reimbursed by the school's recommended insurance co for meds cost ?
I know what the policy says. But is there anyone out there who has tried to get some money back from them and actually succeeded ?

[PILOT2BMD]

I found this company recommended in a old post. I used them and got higher limits than the school policy. You can get a quote on line. https://www.specialtyrisk.com/

[Dru]

Start by checking with your own insurance first. Keep in mind if you are covered on your parents, you need to be aware of the age when you will no longer be covered. (It's usually 24, but depends on the policy) As the Ross official states, MAKE SURE you have a hefty evacuation coverage. The biggest cost in a medical-surgical catastrophy requiring you to be airlifted off the island is the evacuation (travel, not fecal). It can run THOUSANDS, especially if the airline demands that you have a physician in attendance.

The other issue when you look at insurance is if it will cover you when you are OFF campus, or does it only cover ON campus. (If it covers ON only, you might want to form a pact with some buddies to drag you there in an emergency injury or illness.)

[vaneleus]

What's considered a good amount of coverage for medical evacuation? Would 100K suffice?

[Dru]

$100 would probably suffice if an MD was required and you were on a stretcher. I had a friend who had an auto accident in Russia, and it ran him $250K to get from Russia to Austria and Austria to the US.

Medical care is limited on the rock. There are four hospitals in Dominica, only one of which performs general surgery, and several clinics. There is no hyperbaric chamber; divers requiring treatment for decompression illness must be evacuated to Guadeloupe. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. More often you would be evacuated to Puerto R. and cared for there.