International Students:
All International students are required to carry health insurance. To comply with the University’s health insurance requirement, students must either enroll in the University of South Florida Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or waive by submitting proof of alternate health insurance each semester.
Alternate Health Insurance Requirements:
To qualify for a waiver of SHIP, your alternate health insurance must meet or exceed the requirements as set forth below and AHP must receive the waiver request by the waiver deadline.
For students on F/J Visas
- Coverage must include the full academic year, including annual breaks, regardless of the student's terms of enrollment. The policy must provide continuous coverage for the enrire perior the insured is enrolled as an eligible student. Payment of benefits must be renewable.
- Basic Benefits: Room, board, hospital services, physician fees, surgeon fees, ambulance, outpatient services, and outpatient customary fees must be paid at 80% or more of usual, customary, reasonable (UCR) charge per accident or illness, after deductible is met, for in-network, and 60% or more of usual, customary, and reasonable charge for out-of-network providers per accident or illness.
- Preventative/wellness services as defined by HealthCare.gov vaccines/screening mandated by USF Policy 33-003 TB Screening.
- Inpatient Mental Health Care: Must be paid at 80% in-network or 60% out-of-network of the usual and customary fees with a minimum 30-day cap per benefit period.
- Outpatient Mental Health Care: Must be paid at 80% in-network or 60% out-of-network of the usual and customary fees for a minimum of 40 sessions per year.
- Maternity Benefits: Must be treated as any other temporary medical condition and paid at no less than 80% of usual and customary fees in-network or 60% out-of-network.
- Inpatient/Outpatient Prescription Medication: Insurance policy must pay for prescribed medications up to $500,000, after any required copays or deductibles. That deductible does not apply when you use a USF Student Health Services Pharmacy and/or any equivalent campus pharmacy.
- Pre-existing conditions must not exceed first 3 months of the policy period, at most.
- Repatriation: $ 25,000 (coverage to return the student’s remains to his/her native country).
- Medical Evacuation: $50,000 (to permit the patient to be transported to his/her home country and to be accompanied by a provider or escort, if directed by the physician in charge).
- Deductible: Maximum of $500 per year.
- Minimum coverage: $500,000 for covered injuries/illnesses per policy year.
- Insurance Carrier must have an “A” rating or above per Part 62.14(c)(1) of Section 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
- Policy must not unreasonably exclude coverage for perils inherent to the student’s program of study.
- Claims must be paid in U.S. dollars payable on a U.S. financial institution.
- Policy provisions must be available from the insurer in English.
- Student must be eligible to purchase the insurance for the full year.
If your alternate health insurance meets the above minimum requirements, acquire the following scanned documents to submit a waiver request:
- The front and back of your insurance member ID card.
- USF Compliance Form OR Full Policy Brochure
WAIVE OR ENROLL IN THE STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
