Office of International Services | 708 William Pitt Union, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 | 412.624.7120 | [email protected]du | www.ois.pitt.edu
Last Reviewed: FEB 2023
University Center for International Studies
University of Pittsburgh
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
Health Insurance Requirements for J-1 Scholars
All exchange visitors (both J-1 principals and J-2 dependents) are required to have sickness and accident
insurance as well as medical evacuation and repatriation insurance in effect for the entire duration of their
exchange visitor program. A willful failure to carry insurance is considered to be a violation of the Exchange
Visitor Program regulations.
Medical care in the United States can be very expensive. Having adequate health insurance is a regulatory
requirement for J-1 exchange visitors, but it is also important to have insurance simply because of the high
cost of medical care in the U.S. Even routine visits to a doctor or hospital can cost hundreds or thousands
of dollars without insurance.
Minimum Coverage Required
A health insurance policy must provide at least the following minimum coverage to comply with U.S.
Department of State regulations:
(1) Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
(2) Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
(3) Expenses associated with medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country
in the amount of $50,000; and
(4) A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
Note the explicit requirement for medical evacuation and repatriation insurance. Most domestic health
insurance policies do not include this feature, or it is included only for bringing people or remains back to
the United States from abroad. You may have to purchase medical evacuation and repatriation coverage
separately. Many insurance companies provide this special coverage at reasonable cost. Exchange visitors
with UPMC plans are covered for repatriation and medical evacuation.
UPMC Health Plan
Many J-1 exchange visitors are provided with UPMC health insurance as part of their University of Pittsburgh
appointment. Enrollment is not automatic, but the cost of the health insurance is often covered by your
academic department. Your appointment letter should indicate if you will be provided with health insurance
by your department. Exchange visitors with UPMC plans are covered for repatriation and medical evacuation.
Purchasing your own health insurance
If you do not have a University of Pittsburgh appointment that provides health insurance for you and your
family, and/or you do not wish to purchase the UPMC Health Plan discussed above, you will be required to
purchase health insurance coverage on your own.
OIS does not endorse any particular private health insurance plan, but we provide information about several
plans that we know offer coverage that satisfies the Department of State regulations for J-1 exchange
visitors, as well as include repatriation and evacuation coverage. We recommend that you research these
and other providers and compare plans to determine the best for you.
Each of these private health insurance providers offer a variety of types of insurance. It is
imperative that you make sure that the plan that you purchase covers the minimum requirements
to satisfy Pitt requirements and recommendations.
Office of International Services | 708 William Pitt Union, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 | 412.624.7120 | [email protected]du | www.ois.pitt.edu
Last Reviewed: FEB 2023
University Center for International Studies
University of Pittsburgh
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
Please visit the Resources List on the OIS website for additional options and information.
CISI CULTURAL INSURANCE SERVICES INTERNATIONAL
https://www.culturalinsurance.com/
HTH Travel Insurance
https://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/students_plans.cfm
ISI International Student Insurance
https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/
ISO International Student Insurance
https://www.isoa.org/voyager
PSI Health Insurance
https://www.psiservice.com/pitt
VISIT International Health Insurance
www.visitinsurance.com
