Guide for International Students: Health

The U.S. healthcare system is privatized and expensive, and costs can add up quickly. A simple doctor’s visit or an emergency room trip can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Insurance helps mitigate costs, but you’ll still have out-of-pocket expenses like copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. Know these terms.

• Premium: The monthly fee for insurance.
• Deductible: The amount you must pay out of pocket before insurance starts covering certain services.
• Copay: A fixed amount you pay for a service (e.g., $20 per doctor's visit).
• Coinsurance: The percentage of costs you share after meeting the deductible.

• Missouri S&T has a student health center that provide basic services, like general health check-ups and vaccinations. See a list of their services here.
• For specialized care, you'll need to visit an external doctor or hospital. It's often cheaper to visit urgent care clinics for non-emergency health issues, rather than a hospital emergency room. 
• You may need to choose doctors or hospitals that are "in-network" with your insurance to avoid higher fees.

• In the U.S., people typically see a primary care doctor for routine health issues and check-ups. For more specialized problems, you may be referred to a specialist (e.g., cardiologist, dermatologist).
• Some insurance plans may require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist.

• Emergency care (e.g., broken bones, severe injuries) is available at hospitals, but it’s expensive. Only use the emergency room (ER) for true emergencies.
• For non-life-threatening issues (e.g., cold, flu), go to a primary care doctor or an urgent care clinic, which is much cheaper and faster than the ER.
• Ambulance rides are very expensive and often not covered.  If it is possible, use other transportation to the hospital.
• Air evacuation is typically not covered by insurance and some individuals carry a separate insurance in case they need air evacuation.