HEALTH INSURANCE LITERACY IN TCU: EXAMINING THE DIFFERENCE IN HEALTH INSURANCE KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC COLLEGE STUDENTS AND ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF HEALTH INSURANCE EDUCATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Abstract

International students are increasing in U.S. academic institutions and are making great contributions to the U.S. Economy. As the number of international students experiencing health and financial problems is growing, it is important for them to utilize health insurance to protect their well-being. Nevertheless, it is uncertain that some international students are aware of how U.S. health insurance works. In order to address this issue, we conducted research that compared international students to domestic students in health insurance literacy at TCU, based on their backgrounds (classification, gender, college major, seeking insurance information, and number of health center visits). Our research showed that the international population possessed less health insurance knowledge than their domestic fellows, in regard to every background. We concluded that international students need to be educated on health insurance in order to understand the significance of preventative care in case of unexpected unhealthy conditions, and the guarantee against financial burden in the case of unexpected medical expenses.