Gateway for

Health Insurance/Medical Resources

J-1 scholars and their dependents are required to have health insurance for the duration of their program.

Scholars paid by Rice for a “benefits eligible” position may apply for coverage under the Rice employee group health insurance plan. Under this plan, you pay a portion of the insurance charges for yourself and your family. *Note: the Rice plan does not cover Repatriation and Medical Evacuation insurance, which you may purchase separately at a small cost (information available at OISS).

If you are coming in “complimentary” status, or for some other reason will not be considered eligible for benefits, you will need to buy an alternate insurance policy to cover yourself and your family. Information about health insurance as well as some alternative insurance policy brochures are available in the OISS office.

Important note: At the time of your mandatory immigration check-in at OISS, you will be required to certify that you will purchase health insurance for you and your family. Failure to maintain adequate health insurance can, by law, result in the termination of your J-1 status. The Rice plan plus the supplementary plan, or the alternate insurance plan, should be satisfactory for the legal visa requirements. Click here for more information on the J-1 health insurance requirement. If you select the Rice Aetna plan, here are instructions how to provide OISS proof of your enrollment.

There are three insurance options available to J-1 scholars and their families:

1) Rice University Aetna plan (must be eligible for employee benefits)

2) Alternate insurance plan meeting all minimum requirements – Rice internationals may choose to participate in an alternate insurance plan of their choice, so long as the insurance plan meets all the requirements listed below. If an insurance plan does not cover medical evacuation and repatriation, please select option #3.

3) Alternate insurance plan + supplemental medical evacuation & repatriation plan  – Rice internationals may choose to participate in an alternate plan that does not cover medical evacuation and repatriation., However, they will need to purchase a separate supplemental plan to meets all the minimum insurance requirements. The cost of this additional insurance plan is approximately $40 (family) per year.

Minimum requirements for alternate insurance plan under J-1 regulations:

• Medical benefits of at least $50,000 for each accident or illness (a higher benefit is better)
• Medical evacuation in the amount of $10,000, should you need to be sent home on the advice of a doctor
• Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500, should you die while in the U.S.
• Coverage must include the semester for which you are at Rice University
• Minimum 75% coverage for each accident or illness
• Maximum deductible of $100 per condition per plan year
• A pre-existing “wait period” limitation of no more than six months
• The policy must be backed by the full faith and credit of home country government (for those covered by their home country's national insurance plan), or the company providing the insurance must meet minimum rating requirements established by the U.S. government (an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or above, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of "A-i" or above, a Standard & Pool's Claims-paying Ability rating of "A-" or above, or a Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above). Policy must be in English

Dental and eye examinations

The health insurance fees listed above generally do not include routine dental and eye examinations or charges for dental work and eyeglasses. The normal charge for a full dental exam is about $100. Eye examinations cost about $100. Glasses can cost $125 or more.

Additional Resources:

 Helpful Tips for Using Health Insurance 

Chinese Medical Terminology Dictionary - This medical terminology handbook has been created to assist you when you go to the doctor in the U.S. This terminology handbook was designed to translate the most common symptoms and complaints in both Chinese and English, to assist the patient - doctor communication. Please feel free to print out a copy to take with you to the doctor.

Spanish Medical terminology dictionary