Student UnionMedical Health Insurance Requirements

All non-immigrant international students in F and J student visa status are required to purchase and maintain adequate medical health insurance and repatriation and medical evacuation coverage while enrolled at LSU. Coverage must meet LSU’s requirements, which are listed below.

F and J students will be automatically charged for and enrolled in the LSU endorsed plan, Gallagher Student Health/United Healthcare. However, students may choose an alternate plan, which will be considered as long as it meets or exceeds the following requirements:

  • F-1/F-2 Policy minimum: $50,000 per accident or sickness or $100,000 minimum aggregate.
  • J-1/J-2 Policy minimum: $100,000 over the course of your lifetime or per accident or sickness. This amount is required by Department of State regulations.
  • Maximum deductible amount: $500 per accident per illness. For multiple party plans, the maximum is $500 per person per accident per illness, not to exceed $1,000 per policy.
  • U.S. representative: The plan must have a representative physically located and operating in the U.S. with a U.S. telephone number/contact who acts on behalf of the insurance company/plans. The representative must have benefit verification and processing ability.
  • Maternity visits: Must be paid as any other health condition, regardless of gender.
  • Coverage type: Policy must cover visits for colds, flu, etc., and not just/only emergency care.
  • Repatriation of remains means transporting the remains of an insured person back to their home country in case of death. Without this coverage, the person's family members would pay all associated costs, which could be thousands of dollars. The required minimum coverage is $25,000. Pre-existing condition-related deaths must be covered; coverage must remain in force during entire stay in the U.S.
  • Medical evacuation means transferring an insured person to the nearest hospital or to their home country in case of an emergency. Without this coverage, the person's family would pay all associated costs, which could be thousands of dollars. The required minimum coverage is $50,000. Pre-existing condition-related illnesses must be covered; coverage must remain in force during entire stay in the U.S.

J-1 Exchange Visitors: Additional Requirements

J-1 exchange visitors have a few additional insurance requirements (in addition to the requirements listed above). These requirements are defined by federal regulations: 

  • The maximum amount your policy will pay over the course of your lifetime or for each injury or illness cannot be less than $100,000.
  • The insurance plan deductible cannot be more than $500 per accident or illness.
  • The insurance plan must provide a minimum of $50,000 for medical evacuation to your home country.
  • The insurance plan must be underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. best rating of A- or above, an Insurance Solvency International Ltd. (ISI) rating of A- or above, a Standard & Poor’s Claims-Paying Ability rating of A- or above, a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above; or be backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor’s home country. 
  • Co-insurance provisions will be permitted, requiring the exchange visitor to pay up to 25% of covered benefits per accident or illness.

Additional Notes

  • For F and J students and/or dependents with policies lacking the required repatriation/medical evacuation coverage, repatriation and medical evacuation coverage may be assessed separately. The assessment may cost $45 per person + $15.00 processing fee per year. (Fees subject to change.)
  • The insurance policy must not unreasonably exclude any perils inherent to the activities that you will participate in during your exchange visitor program.
  • The School of Veterinary Medicine's students are required to have student health insurance coverage through enrollment in the university-sponsored plan or to provide proof of participation in an equal or higher coverage insurance program.