International Students

Health Insurance

Student Insurance Requirement Policy
Common Insurance Terms

Per the Florida Board of Governors guidelines, no international student in F or J non-immigrant status shall be permitted to register or continue enrollment at a university without demonstrating that the student, and in the case of J visa holders, their accompanying spouse and dependents, have adequate medical insurance coverage for illness or accidental injury. 

International students must show proof of an ACA-compliant policy that also aligns with the requirements of the State University System of Florida Board of Governors, specifically BOG 6.009.

  • The required coverage dates for Florida State University are as follows:
    • Annual coverage dates- August 15 to August 14
    • Fall only coverage dates- August 15 to December 31
    • Spring/Summer coverage dates (Spring only is not an option)- January 1 to August 14
    • For students beginning FSU study in summer- May 1 to August 14

Enrolling in the FSU sponsored plan is one way to meet that requirement. Students are encouraged to compare the plan offered against other options in the market, and we are confident you will find the FSU sponsored plan to be a better value. The cheapest plans are rarely the best, as they often trade benefits for high costs, opting for lower premiums. Also, be aware that many offshore-based International Student Insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions, resulting in much higher out-of-pocket costs.

How do I meet these requirements?

  • The Affordable Care Act (ACA) 10 covered benefits that are required:
    • Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital).
    • Emergency Services
    • Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays).
    • Pregnancy and newborn care (both before and after birth)
    • Mental health and substances use disorder service, including behavioral health treatment, counseling, and psychotherapy
    • Prescription drugs
    • Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
    • Laboratory Services
    • Preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management
    • Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
  • State University System of Florida Board of Governor's specifically BOG 6.009 Requirements:
    • Your plan must have a provider network in the Tallahassee (Leon County) area for routine, specialty and emergency care.
    • Your policy must provide Basic Benefits: Room, board, hospital services, physician fees, surgeon fees, ambulance, outpatient services, and outpatient customary fees paid at 80% or more of usual, customary, reasonable 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;
    • Your policy must provide Inpatient Mental Health Care that pays at 80% in-network or 60% out-of-network of the usual and customary fees with a minimum 30-day cap per benefit period;
    • Your policy must provide Outpatient Mental Health Care that pays at 80% in-network or 60% out-of-network of the usual and customary fees for a minimum of 30 (preferably 40) sessions per year;
    • Your policy must provide Maternity Benefits that is 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;
    • Your policy must provide Repatriation: $25,000 (coverage to return the student's remains to his/her native country);
    • Your policy must provide 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);
    • Your policy must provide the following: Deductible: Maximum of $50 per occurrence if treatment or services are rendered at the Student Health Center; maximum of $100 per occurrence if treatment or services are rendered at an off-campus ambulatory care or hospital emergency department facility;
    • Your policy must provide full coverage for covered injuries/illnesses per accident or illness per policy year;
    • Your insurance carrier must have an A rating or above.
    • Your policy must not unreasonably exclude coverage for perils inherent to the student's program of study
    • The policy must pay claims in U.S. dollars payable on a U.S. financial institution;
    • The policy provisions must be available from the insurer in English.

Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation Coverage

Two very specific requirements to be aware of are the following:

  • Repatriation: $25,000 (coverage to return the student's remains to their native country). 
  • Medical Evacuation: $50,000 (to permit the patient to be transported to their home country and to be accompanied by a provider or escort, if directed by the physician in charge).

The FSU Sponsored Insurance Plan includes coverage for Evacuations and Repatriation and no further action is necessary. 

If you have purchased any other insurance plan, you must verify that the plan includes provisions for Evacuations and Repatriation. If it does not you may purchase a stand-alone through American College Student Association at www.acsa-travelsolutions.com. Students can enroll directly through this website for the annual cost of $110. The premium will be paid directly to ACSA, and may not be placed on your FSU Student Account.