It is strongly recommended that all scholars purchase sufficient, entry to exit health insurance coverage, as health care in the U.S. is very expensive. In addition, J-1 scholars and their J-2 dependents are required to have health insurance for the duration of their program and provide proof of coverage to OISS in order to maintain their valid immigration status.
- Minimum requirements for health insurance under J-1 regulations
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- Medical benefits of at least $100,000 for each accident or illness (a higher benefit is better)
- Medical evacuation in the amount of $50,000, should you need to be sent home on the advice of a doctor
- Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000, 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 $500 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-1" or above, a Standard & Poor's Claims-paying Ability rating of "A-" or above, or a Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above).
- Policy must be in English
- All exchange visitors and any accompanying dependents may also be subject to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (22 CFR 62.14(a))
Options to meet the legal requirements for J visa holders
Rice-sponsored J visa holders can choose from 3 Options to meet the legal visa requirements:
1. Rice benefits plan through Aetna + supplemental medical evacuation and repatriation (ME&R) coverage through Betins (+ ISI short-term coverage for interim period, if applicable)
2. Wellfleet insurance plan for Rice scholars
3. ISI International Student Health Insurance: "Select" OR "Elite" options only
All 3 options meet the minimum J requirements, and only these options will be accepted for immigration purposes. You’re welcome to enroll in additional insurance plans if you choose to, in addition to what is required above to meet your individual needs.
Option 1) Rice Benefits Plan through Aetna Insurance, only for Rice Benefits Eligible Employees
- General Information
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Under the Rice benefits plan through Aetna, the Rice employee pays a portion of the health insurance charges, and Rice University pays another portion. Currently, the Aetna Memorial Hermann ACO and the Aetna Select HMO options are accepted for J immigration purposes.
Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains (ME&R), which are required for J visas, are not covered by any of the Rice benefits plans through Aetna. Therefore, when choosing the Aetna plan, Rice employees with J Exchange Visitor visas will also have to purchase a supplemental Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains coverage from another insurance company: Betins, https://www.betins.com.
The Rice Aetna plans start on the first day of each month. Employees with an employment start date on the first day of the month can enroll in Aetna any day of that month. Employees with an employment start date other than the 1st of the month will be able to enroll in Aetna the following month and will have to purchase the ISI insurance plan "Select" OR "Elite" options only for the interim period between their program start date and the start date of their Aetna plan.
To meet J visa requirements:
Step 1: Check your Rice program start date.
1.a.: If your start date at Rice is anything other than the 1st of the month, enroll in the ISI insurance plan "Select" OR "Elite" options only. This is to cover the interim period between your program start date and the start date of your Aetna insurance coverage. If your program at Rice starts on the first of the month, you may skip this step.
1.b.: Enroll in the Rice benefits plan through Aetna (Click on "Medical Plans" for Aetna Memorial Hermann ACO or Aetna Select HMO options only)
Step 2: Purchase Beta supplemental Medical Evacuation & Repatriation Plan - Estimated Charges
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Estimated Aetna Insurance Charges as of July 2024 (all fees subject to change)
Rice Plan (For Benefits-Eligible Employees only)
Scholar only $85-$118/month
With spouse $321-$439/month
With children $280-$382/month
With family (spouse and children) $545-$744/month - How to Enroll
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Step 1.a.: If your Rice employment start date is other than the 1st of the month, purchase the ISI insurance plan online:
1. Visit the ISI Website: Go to https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com
2. Select Your Plan: Under the "Student Health" section, choose "Student Secure" and review both the Select and Elite plans.
3. Get a Quote: Use the quote tool to enter your age, coverage dates, and any additional options to receive a personalized price.
4. Apply Online: After reviewing, click "Apply" or "Buy" to complete the application process.
5. Make Payment: Payment can be made through major credit or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express).
Step 1.b.: Enroll online either in the Aetna Memorial Hermann ACO or the Aetna Select HMO plan through the Office of Human Resources (HR) here. You will be able to enroll only after you check in with HR. You can use Single Sign On (SSO) with your NetID and password to login to the iO system. Please go to the Me Tab, Benefits, Add any eligible dependents under People to Cover, and enroll in the plan of your choice.
Step 2: Enroll in a supplemental Medical Evacuation & Repatriation plan through Betins electronically:
1. Go to https://www.betins.com/
2. Click on the Evacuation circle (at the bottom of the page)
3. Click on Beta Scholastic
4. Click on Quote This Plan
5. Enter your information and click Next
6. Your quote should be approximately $40 for one year of coverage - Providing Insurance Proof to OISS
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Instructions on how to provide OISS proof of your enrollment in ISI, if applicable
- Secure proof of enrollment. Please note only the “Select” or “Elite” options will be accepted.
- Continuing J-1 Scholars: Complete the J-1 Exchange Visitor Insurance Information form at https://oiss.rice.edu/J1insurance and follow the instructions for submitting your health insurance documents.
- New J-1 Scholars: Upload the health insurance documents in the OISS Portal as part of your check-in process.
Instructions on how to provide OISS proof of your enrollment in Aetna and Betins
- To obtain proof of enrollment in the Rice Benefits Plan through Aetna:
- Log in your iO account (http://io.rice.edu/) via Single Sign On (SSO) with your NetID and password (please note you will have access to your iO account only after you check in with HR)
- Go to Me
- Go to Benefits
- Click on Your Benefits box
- Click on Rice Employee Benefits in blue. You can change the date to the first of the following month if that is the effective date of your benefits.
- Print report as PDF file
- To obtain medical evacuation and repatriation supplemental coverage through BETINS, please go to http://www.betins.com/.
- Continuing J-1 Scholars: Complete the J-1 Exchange Visitor Insurance Information form at https://oiss.rice.edu/J1insurance and follow the instructions for submitting proof of Aetna enrollment and a copy of your Medical Evacuation and Repatriation insurance.
- New J-1 Scholars: Upload the health insurance documents in the OISS Portal as part of your check-in process.
Option 2) Wellfleet Insurance Plan for Rice Scholars
- General Information
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If you are an unpaid Academic Visitor, or are not considered eligible for Rice benefits, you may choose to enroll in the Wellfleet Insurance Plan for Rice Scholars to cover yourself and your family.
For any specific questions, additional information and assistance, please contact the insurance representatives directly:
Enrollment Issues: Pinnacle Student Insurance: 877-626-0360
Paul Fisher – Phone: 877-626-0360; email paul@psihealthplans.com
Nancy Braun – Phone: 877-626-0360; email nancyb@psihealthplans.com
Benefits and Claims Issues: https://www.wellfleetstudent.com
Wellfleet: https://studentinsurance.com/
PO Box 15369 Springfield, MA 01115-5369
Customer Service Phone: 877-657-5030 (M-Th 8:30am - 7:00pm EST; Fri 9:00am - 5:00pm EST) - Estimated Charges
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Estimated Wellfleet Insurance Charges as of July 2024 (all fees subject to change)
Wellfleet (Approved insurance plan available to meet J-1 scholar health insurance requirements)
Scholar $1836/year or $153/month
For spouse $1836/year or $153/month
Each child $1836/year or $153/month
3 or more children $5508/year or $459/month - How to Enroll
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To enroll yourself and/or your dependent(s) online, please go to www.wellfleetstudent.com. Enter ‘Rice University’ under ‘Search for your school’. Then click on Enroll, and choose “Enroll Visiting Scholars”. After that please select your requested coverage dates.
If your entire program at Rice lasts for only one month or less, you can purchase coverage for one month.
You will need to pay with a credit card, and there will be an additional $25 transaction fee.
For any specific questions, additional information and assistance with enrollment, please contact Nancy Braun (Phone: 877-626-0360; email nancyb@psihealthplans.com). For example, if you are trying to enroll while still in your home country and are experiencing difficulties accessing the Wellfleet website, Ms. Braun will be able to assist you with options for enrolling from abroad.
NOTE: If your program falls into 2 different Academic Plan Years, please work directly with the insurance company for enrollment. For more information, please contact Nancy Braun (Phone: 877-626-0360; email nancyb@psihealthplans.com). - Providing Insurance Proof to OISS
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Instructions on how to provide OISS proof of your Wellfleet enrollment
- Enroll online and pay the premium via credit card. Please make sure to use the link under "Visiting Scholars." Upon successful submission, you will receive a confirmation email.
- Continuing J-1 Scholars: Complete the J-1 Exchange Visitor Insurance Information form at https://oiss.rice.edu/J1insurance and follow the instructions for submitting your health insurance documents.
- New J-1 Scholars: Upload the health insurance documents in the OISS Portal as part of your check-in process.
Option 3) ISI Alternate Insurance Plan
- General Information
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If you are an unpaid Academic Visitor, or are not considered eligible for Rice benefits, you may choose to enroll in the “select” or the “elite” option of the International Student Insurance Plan as an alternate to the Wellfleet plan to cover yourself and your family.
For any specific questions, additional information and assistance, please contact the insurance company directly:
• Toll-Free (U.S. & Canada): +1 (877) 758-4391
• International: +1 (904) 758-4391
• Email: info@internationalstudentinsurance.com
• Live Chat: Available on their website during business hours. - Estimated Charges
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Estimated ISI Insurance Charges as of January 2025
Pricing details are highly variable based on age and length of coverage.
Select Plan Pricing:
• For an 18-year-old: $109.44 for one month, $51.30 for 15 days
• For a 30-year-old: $555.52 for one month
• For a 40-year-old: $987.84 for one month
Elite Plan Pricing:
• For an 18-year-old: $187.20 for one month, $87.75 for 15 days
• For a 30-year-old: $900.48 for one month
• For a 40-year-old: $1,590.72 for one month - How to Enroll
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1. Visit the ISI Website: Go to https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com
2. Select Your Plan: Under the "Student Health" section, choose "Student Secure" and review both the Select and Elite plans.
3. Get a Quote: Use the quote tool to enter your age, coverage dates, and any additional options to receive a personalized price.
4. Apply Online: After reviewing, click "Apply" or "Buy" to complete the application process.
5. Make Payment: Payment can be made through major credit or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) - Providing Insurance Proof to OISS
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Instructions on how to provide OISS proof of your enrollment and coverage information of the ISI alternate insurance plan
- Secure proof of enrollment. Please note only the “Select” or “Elite” options will be accepted.
- Continuing J-1 Scholars: Complete the J-1 Exchange Visitor Insurance Information form at https://oiss.rice.edu/J1insurance and follow the instructions for submitting your health insurance documents.
- New J-1 Scholars: Upload the health insurance documents in the OISS Portal as part of your check-in process.
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 $150. Eye examinations cost about $250. Glasses can cost $150 or more.