While the United States offers excellent health care, navigating the system can be a daunting and expensive task, especially for a college student. Health care in the United States is costly, and it is the responsibility of the patient to pay for all care received. As a result, most people take advantage of the group health insurance offered by their college, employer, or other organization. By purchasing insurance with a large group of people, the costs of care are lowered. Most colleges and universities offer health insurance to their students.

If your school does not offer health insurance, it's recommended, and sometimes required, that you purchase it. Students with J-1 status visas are required to have health insurance, and some colleges require that all students have health insurance. You can buy it from most U.S. insurance companies and from student organizations, such as International Student Organization. Without insurance, a visit to a doctor can cost anywhere from $50 to more than $300. It can cost more than $2,000 to stay in a hospital for one day.