Short term student health insurance is an affordable plan of temporary medical insurance designed especially for students who are studying away from home and temporarily without any health insurance. Medical insurance is a generic term used to explain all types of insurance policies which cover the cost of health care. In United States, short term student health insurance gives international students the temporary health insurance coverage needed to pay for unforeseen illness and injuries.

Short term student health insurance is simple, low-cost and easy to obtain. Most policies are non-renewable and their coverage is available from 30 days to 6 or 12 months. Short term student health insurance benefits include coverage for injury and sickness, medical evacuation, repatriation, and home country coverage. But it does not cover pre-existing conditions, maternity, and mental illness or substance abuse.

There are two basic types of short term health insurance plans, the Indemnity Plan and the Managed Care Plan with its variants. An Indemnity Plan offers you the freedom of choosing your own doctor or hospital, however, this freedom usually has high out-of-pocket costs. The Managed Care Plan, the rules are more restrictive, requires you to exploit the medical professionals and organizations which are part of the plan's "network." The advantage is that the cost of this insurance plan is normally lower than the Indemnity Plan.

Today, a growing trend can be seen among colleges and universities to take medical insurance for all enrolled students. With extremely low-cost rates, many institutes provide their own short term student health insurance plans, or one through a local insurance source. The college plans only cover any health or accident related bills as long as the students maintain a certain period as a registered scholar.

Because of high insurance costs in America, short term student health insurance is the best alternative for students coming from neighboring and distant countries. This insurance policy provides the best benefits at affordable rates for students. The important thing to remember is that the students should select a plan that best meets their requirements and budget.