International students and scholars on F1 / J1 visas are automatically enrolled in the United Health Care (UHC) student insurance plan each Fall and Spring in order to comply with University System of Georgia requirements. Summer coverage is included with Spring semester. Links to plan details are provided below.
Alternate Plans: In order to use an alternate plan, students must request a waiver though the UHC waiver portal within payment and waiver request deadlines each semester. ISAP recommends paying for the UHC plan first. If your waiver plan is approved, UWG will automatically refund the UHC premium. Please see below.
Coverage Periods:
- Fall: August 1 - December 31
- Spring & Summer: January 1 - July 31
Video: U.S. Health Care & Why Insurance is Required
Minimum Insurance Requirements
- Please see this USG link for details:
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The following two question and answers were provided by United Health Care, Nov. 13, 2020:
Q1. I enrolled in an international health insurance plan that met the waiver requirements last year, but it's being denied this year. Why?
USG made changes to its international student waiver requirements for the ‘20/’21 Academic Year. These changes included requiring that waiver plans must be an Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant plan to ensure international students have adequate healthcare coverage in the United States in case they experience a medical emergency or serious health condition. An ACA compliant plan must include coverage for essential benefits with no lifetime or annual benefit maximums and must adhere to the consumer protections built into the ACA. To be considered ACA compliant, the plan must be underwritten by a licensed carrier in the United States.
Q2. Why must international students enroll in ACA compliant plans? International students don’t need this type of coverage, do they?
Many international plans offered in the United States do not provide comprehensive coverage if an international student were to experience a medical condition or a life-threatening accident or illness. In some cases, these plans do not provide basic coverage for doctor’s or specialist’s office visits. In order to ensure international students are enrolled in healthcare coverage that provides adequate benefits in the United States, we made the change this year to require enrollment in SHIP or other ACA compliant coverage.
Q3. My waiver was rejected. Who can I contact?
UWG is not involved in the waiver process or decisions. To appeal, please contact the University System of Georgia directly at: ship@usg.edu. Be sure to include your name, institution any supporting documentation.
Waivers and Alternate Insurance
- Spring 2021 Waiver period ends: Jan. 22, 2021.
- To request a waiver of the UHC plan, please see below. UWG is not involved in the process.
- State employees cannot recommend external vendors or services. It's the student's responsibility to research and select a waiver-eligible plan if they would like.
- Outside the US? If you are outside the U.S. and enrolled in UWG courses full-time in F1 status under Covid pandemic adaptations, you are eligible for a waiver that we can manually process at the campus level. If so, please submit this "Out of Country Waiver Request" form. Email Paul Sargent, psargent@westga.edu if you have questions.