J Insurance Requirements

Per the U.S. Department of State regulations, every international scholar and their dependents are required to have health insurance from an approved vendor in order to maintain legal status. Please note that you are required to purchase insurance that begins on the J-1 program start-date listed on your DS-2019. It is recommended to purchase insurance that covers you from the day you arrive to the U.S. to the day you depart. There are multiple options to choose from when searching for insurance that meets the requirements listed below.

The insurance plan must meet ALL of the following:

  1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per person per accident or illness;
  2. Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
  3. Expenses associated with the medical evacuation to the insured's home country in the amount of $50,000;
  4. A deductible not to exceed $500.00 per accident or illness;

Insurance policies secured to fulfill the requirements in this section:

  1. May require a waiting period for pre-existing conditions that is reasonable as determined by current industry standards;
  2. May include provisions for co-insurance under the terms of which the exchange visitor may be required to pay up to 25% of the covered benefits per accident or illness; and
  3. Must not unreasonably exclude coverage for perils inherent to the activities of the exchange program in which the exchange visitor participates.

In addition to the above, the insurance plan must meet at least ONE of the following:

  1. Underwritten by an insurance corporation having a rating of "A-" or above; or
  2. Backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the insured's home country; or
  3. Part of a health benefits program offered on a group basis to employees or enrolled students by a designated sponsor; or
  4. Offered through or underwritten by a federally qualified Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or eligible Competitive Medical Plan (CMP) as determined by the Health Care Financing Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Eligible Insurance Provider Options

Once the insurance has been purchased, you must fill out and submit the IS-205 form, along with proof of insurance for each person, to IS. Certificates of coverage with a summary of benefits will count as proof.