​We know, that it’s difficult to understand the different requirements to insurance if you want to study in the USA. Therefore, we summarized the most important facts for you:

​J-Visa Health Insurance Requirements
As of May 2015, J-Visa holders and their dependents are required to have medical insurance coverage with the following minimum benefits: 

• Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness 
• Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000 
• Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000 
• A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness. 

All our Compass Student Insurance Plans meet these J-Visa Requirements.  

OPT and F1 Insurance Requirements
For OPT visa holders, there are no government-related health insurance requirements, however your school may have insurance requirements and also require you to purchase a school-sponsored insurance plan.

You should ask them about all the details about the medical insurance plan, including cost and detailed information about what will be covered and if dependents can be added (if that is relevant to you). You often have the option to waive the school-sponsored plan and purchase another insurance plan that you prefer which is more often a better value while still matching the requirements.

If you need help to understand your school’s insurance requirements or want to know if our plans fulfill all needed requirements, please send us an email to info@studenthealthusa.com.

ACA Requirements
Some schools also request that your insurance plan needs to be comparable to ACA (Affordable Care Act). Watch out for our next blog article, where we explain what ACA requirements are and how international students are affected by these.

There are three chief reasons to carry foreign student health insurance:

• Health insurance makes it much easier to receive quality health care and can help guarantee that you have the funds to continue with your education.
• Medical care can be very costly, especially for those foreign students who are not able to access free care available through government resources (acceptance of free medical care can jeopardize your visa status).
• Most schools require that foriegn students & scholars have some form of foriegn health insurance.

Protect that investment by making sure you have a good foreign student health insurance plan.​

​But be careful: It is not uncommon to see low cost plans that only cover outpatient care to a certain limit (usually $750 to $1,500). These same plans often cap hospital stays at $1,500 per day. While this may be adequate coverage in your home country, it is considered low for medical coverage in the U.S.

These low cost plans often mislead buyers by not identifying the limitations. Examples are some of the plans under the PSI or ISOA, but it can sometimes be the school plan that is written more for American students that may have coverage elsewhere.

Please review any product you purchase carefully. Be sure it meets your needs and your school’s requirements. This includes the Compass Plans – be aware that there are some limitations relative to dental, pre-exisiting conditions, mental health and certain therapies such as physiotherapy.