Health insurance for new arrivals & students

Who this is for

New arrivals and international students figuring out how to get health coverage — and people arranging visitor coverage for parents coming short-term.

How US health coverage works (the words you'll hear)

• Premium — what you pay monthly to have the plan.
• Deductible — what you pay yourself before the plan starts sharing costs.
• Copay / coinsurance — your share at each visit.
• Out-of-pocket maximum — the most you'll pay in a year; the plan covers the rest after that.
• Network — the doctors/hospitals your plan covers best. Going out-of-network costs much more.

A "cheaper" plan with a huge deductible can cost more if you actually get sick — weigh premium and deductible and whether your doctor/meds are in-network.

Your likely routes

• Students: school coverage rules are campus-specific. Check your university's official student health insurance page to see whether coverage is required, what plan is offered, and whether waivers are allowed.
• Workers: a job-based plan through your employer is usually the best value because the employer pays a share; enroll when you're hired or during open enrollment.
• The ACA marketplace (HealthCare.gov): for those without student/employer coverage — you may qualify for subsidies; eligibility and savings depend on income and status.
• Medicaid: free/low-cost coverage for those who qualify; eligibility depends on immigration status and income and varies by state — check, don't assume.
• Visitor / travel medical plans: short-term private products may be an option for visitors, but benefits and exclusions are plan-specific. Check the official policy documents before assuming parents or other visitors are covered.

Steps

1. Identify your category (student / employee / marketplace / Medicaid-eligible).
2. Compare real plans: confirm your doctor + prescriptions are in-network and add premium + deductible, not premium alone.
3. Enroll in the window (when hired, your school's window, or marketplace open enrollment / a special enrollment after a qualifying life event).
4. Get and save your insurance card; learn your plan's PCP + how referrals work.
5. Know where to go: a primary-care doctor for routine care, urgent care for non-emergencies (far cheaper than the ER), the ER for true emergencies.

Tips + safety

• Don't stay uninsured if you can avoid it — a single ER visit or hospital stay can run into many thousands of dollars.
• Community health centers / sliding-scale clinics serve people regardless of insurance/income — useful while you get coverage sorted.
• Free interpreter: most clinics provide a phone interpreter on request (ask for "Nepali interpreter") — it's your right, and it's free.
• Always ask whether a provider is in-network before a non-emergency visit.