Alliant Insurance Services

What Alliant is

Alliant Insurance Services is an insurance broker, not an insurer. The footer of its student page says so in plain words, "Alliant is an insurance broker, not an insurer," and the contact page adds, "Because Alliant is a broker and not an insurer, claims or claims inquiries are not accepted via this form and will not receive a reply. Please contact your account representative." On the international student page Alliant calls itself "an introducer to the top international student health insurance plans for non-U.S. citizens on F-1 and J-1 visas studying and residing in the U.S." The plans themselves come from a named carrier: "The plans are underwritten by Crum & Forster, a leader in the insurance sector with over 200 years of experience." A student who enrolls holds a Crum & Forster policy that Alliant has introduced. The page refers to a "plan administrator" without naming one.

The footer carries a license line for the broker, "Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. CA License No. 0C36861." No license or regulator is named for Crum & Forster. Student health insurance is a small line inside a much larger firm. The "Why Alliant" page describes the company as "the fourth largest U.S. insurance broker, with majority employee ownership and nearly 30% year-over-year growth to more than 15,100 current employees," and dates it to 1925: "Alliant has been a transformative force in risk management since 1925." Those are company-wide statements about the whole brokerage, which also sells risk management, employee benefits and industry programs well beyond education.

What the plans cover

The page speaks of "plans" in the plural and does not name them individually or split benefits between them. It says, "These plans ensure access to healthcare within the UnitedHealthcare network and offer services that include hospital stays, doctor visits and medication costs," and that they let students "easily find and access network healthcare providers and file claims." Under a "Coverage" heading it lists:

• "Accident and sickness medical expenses"
• "Mental and nervous disorders, including coverage for substance abuse"
• "Prescription drugs with copays as low as 20 dollars"
• "Emergency room, hospital, urgent care and physician visits"
• "Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation"
• "Optional athletic sports benefit add-on"

The page publishes no premium, no medical maximum and no deductible for any plan; enrollment runs through the page's "Enroll Now" buttons.

Pre-existing conditions and exclusions

The exclusions section opens, "The policy does not cover any loss resulting from the following, unless otherwise covered under the policy by additional benefits," and lists six items:

• Suicide, attempted suicide (including drug overdose) and intentional self-inflicted injury, with the qualifier that this item "Applies to Accidental Death and Dismemberment only."
• "Voluntary active participation in a riot or insurrection."
• Committing or attempting an assault or felony, or activities while "engaged in an illegal occupation."
• "Charges which are in excess of usual, reasonable and customary charges."
• Pre-existing conditions, with a stated way out: "a pre-existing condition will be covered after the plan participant has been continuously insured for 6 months under the same participating organization." The page adds that the policy describes "credible coverage that will waive the pre-existing conditions exclusion."
• "Expenses incurred during a hospital emergency room visit which is not of an emergency nature."

The page closes the list by calling these "some of the exclusions" and points to the full policy for the rest. Two items bear directly on students. The pre-existing rule means a condition a student arrives with is excluded for the first 6 months of continuous cover under the same participating organization, unless prior coverage waives it. The emergency room rule means a non-emergency visit to the ER is not paid.

Travel assistance from On Call International

The plans include a Travel Assistance Program "provided by On Call International," which the page describes as "fully customizable travel risk management and assistance services." Under emergency transportation it lists emergency medical evacuation and medically necessary repatriation, repatriation of mortal remains, transportation after stabilization, a visit by a family member or friend, and return of dependent children.

Under emergency support it lists medical monitoring, hotel arrangements for convalescence, medical and dental search and referral, advance of emergency medical expenses, help replacing medication, medical devices and eyeglasses, transfer of insurance information and medical records, emergency travel arrangements, interpretation and translation, locating lost or stolen items, and an emergency cash advance. The page explains several of these. On Call will "monitor your case to determine whether the care is adequate from a Western Medical perspective." It will "advance on-site emergency inpatient medical payments to secure, admit or discharge upon receipt of satisfactory assignment of benefits." It offers "telephone interpretation in all major languages." For vaccine and blood transfers it will coordinate where it can, but "You are responsible for all expenses related to this service."

A separate block lists "non-insurance personal assistance services." Pre-trip information covers visa and passport requirements, health hazard advisories, currency, inoculations and embassy referrals. Legal referral and bail help comes with the note that "All costs associated with this service are your responsibility." The emergency cash advance is capped: "On Call will advance up to $500 after satisfactory guarantee of reimbursement from you."

Who can enroll

Eligibility is written out. The plans are open to "All international students and scholars aged 65 and under with a current passport and an F-1 or J-1 visa, who are temporarily residing outside their home country while actively engaged in education or educational activities or research related activities." They also cover international students "enrolled in and attending classes on a full-time basis in a high school, undergraduate school, graduate school or English as a second language program." The page names three groups who cannot buy: "OPT participants, dual citizens or permanent residents of the United States are not eligible." It also warns that "The plan administrator maintains its right to investigate student status to confirm eligibility," so a student's enrollment and visa status can be checked after purchase.

Who it suits

On the page's own terms, these plans fit an F-1 or J-1 student or scholar aged 65 or under, enrolled full time, who wants a Crum & Forster plan using the UnitedHealthcare network, prescription copays from 20 dollars, and a travel assistance program with evacuation and repatriation. Students on OPT, dual citizens and US permanent residents are excluded by name. For a student with an existing condition, the 6-month continuous-coverage rule is the term that decides when that condition is covered. Price and limits sit in the policy and the enrollment flow, and Alliant's contact page says it takes no claims through its form.