Health Insurance for Exchange Visitors | Global Education

The U.S. Department of State requires all J-1 exchange visitors and J-2 dependents to maintain sufficient health insurance for the entire duration of their Exchange Program as listed on their Form DS-2019. It is the responsibility of all J visa holders to ensure their policies meet DOS regulations and remail valid throughout their time in the United States.

J-1 Exchange Visitor Program participants and their dependents are required by the U.S. Department of State to have health insurance in effect that covers them for sickness or accidents during the time of their exchange visitor program, as listed on their Form DS-2019. This includes any time spent outside of the U.S. during the program period. Failure to maintain adequate health insurance is considered to be a violation of the Exchange Visitor Program regulations, which will result in termination from the program.

Minimum coverage requirements are listed below for reference.

Minimum Coverage Requirements

Pursuant to Federal Regulations [22 CFR 62.14], the minimum health insurance coverage must include:

Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
Expenses associated with 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
Coverage for pre-existing conditions after a reasonable waiting period as determined by current industry standards
Underwriting by an insurance corporation having one of the following:
- A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above,
- Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of “A-I” or above,
- Standard and Poor’s Claims Paying Ability rating of “A-” or above, or
- Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above;

Note: Insurance that is backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor’s home country will meet this requirement.

In addition, insurance policies:

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
Must not unreasonable exclude coverage for perils inherent to the activities of the exchange program in which the exchange visitor participates.

Coverage for the family members of non‐ students is very expensive ‐ $3,000 or more per year for an adult couple with additional costs for children. In the U.S., certain kinds of elective medical care, such as eyeglasses or dentistry, are ordinarily not covered by insurance, and they are very expensive. To the extent possible, Exchange Visitors should take care of those needs before leaving home or purchase supplementary vision or dental insurance.

Exchange visitors enrolled in a program of study may be eligible for the High Point University Student Health Insurance program. The plan is administered by HPU’s Office of Student Accounts and includes a plan through United Healthcare. Read more about the Student Health Insurance program, fees, coverage, and more.

It’s important to know the health insurance plans offered by High Point University do not sufficiently meet the regulatory health insurance minimums. Therefore, the J-1 principal must acquire supplemental or private health insurance for themselves and their dependents no later than the day they arrive on campus. An Exchange Visitor or accompanying dependent who willfully fails to maintain the minimum level of insurance coverage established by the Department of State will be in violation of these regulations and will be subject to termination from the Exchange Visitor program. Please note that this requirement holds even if the exchange visitor or J-2 dependents are temporarily abroad.

Research scholars and visiting professors may be eligible for HPU Employee Benefits, including the employee health insurance plan. The plan is administered by HPU’s Office of Human Resources and offers a plan through MedCost. Check with your departmental supervisor or the Office of Human Resources to understand if you qualify for HPU Employee Benefits and for fees, coverage, and more.

If you do not qualify for one of HPU’s insurance plans, qualify but choose to waive the plans, or are looking for supplemental insurance to satisfy U.S. DOS regulations, you may consider looking at private insurance options. A few options are listed below. This list is not exhaustive nor does it imply any endorsement or product guarantee by the Office of Global Education.