VISIT International Student & Traveler Health Insurance

What VISIT is

VISIT International Student & Traveler Health Insurance is an insurance broker, not an insurer. Its About page says, "VISIT® is a US based licensed broker, located in the Washington, D.C. Metro area," and describes its carriers only in general terms, saying it works only with US-based carriers rated A Excellent or higher. The school proposal page adds, "We have insured SCHOOLS of All Types since 1979, and we represent every major Insurer." The mailing address in the footer is a PO Box in Mount Vernon, Virginia. VISIT says it was "Originally established at the request of foreign embassies in Washington, D.C. to provide health insurance plans for their students studying in the U.S.," that it now partners with "numerous universities, colleges, and major J-1 Visa cultural exchange programs," and that it is "a proud member of NAFSA and AIRC." It also claims to have "satisfied over 1 Million clients" since 1979, which is the company's own figure.

The site sells plan families under names such as ELITE, ROYAL, CROMO, StudentSecure, Patriot Exchange, EXPLORER, WellAway SCHOLAR and PREMIER, ATLAS, PATRIOT and expatriate plans. The FAQ ties several to networks: "Explorer, WellAway Plans, IMG Plans, StudentSecure, Atlas and Global Care Plans all use the UnitedHealthcare PPO Network," while "GEO Blue Plans, use the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Network." The pages here do not name the underwriter plan by plan; the study abroad page names Blue Cross Blue Shield only for VOYAGER, a plan "for USA Residents (only) traveling abroad."

Student plans for the US, with the site's prices

The student page groups plans by what a school requires, and it publishes annual starting prices:

• ELITE (ACA-compliant): "fully ACA-Compliant Health Insurance with Unlimited Medical Coverage," for F-1, M-1 or J-1 students whose university requires it, with deductibles of $800, $450 or $250, or ELITE PLUS at $0. Prices shown include "ELITE 450 as low as $1,621 / year," "ELITE 250 as low as $1,909 / year" and "ELITE PLUS as low as $2,460 /year." It "Includes Pre-Existing Conditions (no waiting period), Preventive Care, Mental Health & Maternity coverages," with a "Minimum 12-month purchase unless graduation sooner."
• ROYAL (ACA-comparable): unlimited medical cover with a choice of deductibles, from "ROYAL 500 as low as $1,026 / year" to "ROYAL PLUS as low as $1,997 / year."
• UnitedHealthcare student plans: four ACA-comparable options, including "BASIC ($500K) as low as $893 / year," which include "Pre-Existing Conditions (waiting period may apply), Preventive Care, Mental Health & Maternity."
• CROMO: basic, non-ACA cover: "Choose CROMO $100,000 or PREMIER $250,000 Medical + Pre-Existing Conditions + Mental Health," aimed at schools without ACA requirements.
• StudentSecure: four levels, Basic, Smart, Select and Elite. "The Elite plan includes Maternity and Pre-Existing (6-month waiting period) Conditions coverage," and Select and Elite include "$5,000 per injury coverage for athletics sports."
• Patriot Exchange (PEP): for students "who do NOT need ACA-style coverage" and J-1 cultural exchange programs, with "Monthly Premium starts at only $51 per month!" and "Pre-Existing Conditions (not included)" and "Maternity (not included)" in its highlights.

Separate school-only versions exist for the University of Southern California and the University of South Florida. For OPT, the site offers plans "as low as $42 per month," including "OPT $200,000 or PREMIER $400,000 Medical Coverage with $500 Deductible."

J-1 scholars and exchange visitors

The J-1 page sets out what it calls the visa's minimum requirements for scholars, exchange participants and dependents: "Medical Coverage of at least $100,000 per accident or illness," "Repatriation of Remains in the amount of $25,000," medical evacuation home "in the amount of $50,000," and "A Deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness." Those are the page's statement of the visa rule, not the benefits of any one VISIT plan. For that market the page offers "2 WellAway J-1 plans (SCHOLAR and PREMIER) that meet the requirements of the US Department of State for Scholars on a J-1 Visa," for "J-1 Research Scholar, J-1 Professor, or J-1 Short-Term Scholar." On those plans the "J-1 Visa holder must be primary in order to add J-2 Dependents," though the page's introduction says "J-2's may enroll without the J-1" on its J-visa cover generally. A "Stand-Alone Annual Coverage" plan for J and student visas is pitched at "Scholars on University insurance but missing the MedEvac coverage."

Study abroad, travel and expat plans

EXPLORER (Plan E Plus) is VISIT's own travel medical plan for students, groups and travelers outside their home country, with "a choice of Medical ($50,000 to $1,000,000) and Deductibles ($0 up to $500)," "100% of covered medical expenses after deductible," mental health, medical evacuation and repatriation, and COVID cover. It "Does NOT include Maternity or Pre-Existing Conditions," and "$100K+ is J-1 Visa compliant." ATLAS offers "Choose Medical $50K-$1MM" and "Choose annual Deductible $0-$500"; PATRIOT Lite widens the deductible to "$0-$2,500"; PLATINUM offers "Choose higher Medical $2MM-$8MM" with deductibles "$0-$25,000." NAVIGATOR is "medically-underwritten" with "Pre-Existing Conditions (12 mo wait)" and "Maternity after 12-month enrollment."

For people living abroad, the expat page says "Expat Gold offers a maximum annual coverage of $1,000,000, and Expat Diamond and Expat Plus offer a maximum annual coverage of $3,000,000," with Gold and Diamond deductibles of $1,000, $2,000 or $5,000 and "Plus has $0 Deductible & 0% Co-Insurance!" HORIZON and AMERICAN are ACA-compliant plans with "$1,000,000 coverage outside USA," HORIZON with deductibles of $3,000, $5,000 or $7,000 and AMERICAN with $1,500, $3,000 or $5,000.

Waivers, refunds and schools

VISIT's student pitch centers on university waivers: "Enroll Today and we'll submit your Insurance Waiver for you!" After buying Patriot Exchange, a student receives "a Certification of Coverage to upload into your University waiver portal." The refund rule is specific: "Refund requests must be submitted within 14 days of the waiver denial date and only if the plan has not been used. Proof of the school's denial is required." The site lists schools that accept its ELITE plan, including Arizona State University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University. For schools, VISIT designs group SHIP plans with "Administrator, Waiver & Student Portals at No Additional Cost," a dedicated account manager, and a student portal where students can download ID cards and renew.

Who it suits

On the site's own terms, VISIT fits an international student who needs a plan that matches a specific school rule (ACA-compliant, ACA-comparable or basic) and wants published starting prices and waiver help; a J-1 scholar or exchange visitor looking for plans built around the visa minimums the page lists; and a study abroad student, traveler or expat comparing several plan families through one broker. Pre-existing condition terms differ sharply across the range, from included with no waiting period on ELITE to excluded on EXPLORER and Patriot Exchange, so the plan choice decides that question.