Health Insurance Requirement for J-1 and J-2 Visa Holders

All J-1 Exchange Visitors and their accompanying J-2 dependents are required by government regulations to have health and accident insurance during the entire period of time participating in UCSF’s J exchange visitor program.

Minimum levels of health insurance coverage must provide:

1. medical benefits of at least $50,000 per illness or accident;
2. deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness;
3. expenses associated with medical evacuation in the amount of $10,000
4. repatriation of remains in the event of death in the amount of $7,500
5. Coverage of pre-existing conditions after a reasonable waiting period
6. Co-payments that do not exceed 25 percent

If you will have University coverage, please discuss health insurance coverage with your UCSF department; UCSF health insurance is arranged through the sponsoring department.

If you choose to buy your own health insurance coverage from another source, the insurance corporation underwriting the policy must have one of the following ratings:

1. an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above;
2. an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of “A-i” or above;
3. a Standard & Poor’s Claims-paying Ability rating of “A-” or above; or
4. a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of “B+” or above

Insurance coverage backed by the full faith and credit of your home government meets this requirement.

The use of the Form DS-2019 to acquire J-1 visa status for your UCSF program will record your agreement to abide by United States government health insurance regulations. Government regulations require the University to notify the United States Department of State and to terminate J-1 visa status in the event that a scholar or a scholar’s dependent willfully fails to comply with the insurance requirements.