You can visit the US IRS website to learn about student or short-term worker exemptions to the ACA’s Individual Mandate. Typically, you have an exemption for a certain period of years to the individual mandate, so you won’t require ACA-compliant major medical insurance right away. If the government doesn’t require you to buy an ACA plan, you may choose to purchase travel medical insurance as a lower cost alternative, but you should compare the premiums and benefits of various plans to understand the kind of coverage that you’re buying.