J-1 Health Insurance Requirement

If you are a BU-sponsored J-1 Exchange Visitor, DOS regulations require you to maintain health insurance covering yourself and any J-2 dependents for sickness or accident throughout your J-1 program. Failure to maintain or misrepresent coverage violates your J-1 status.

When choosing your health insurance coverage, consider the following:

• The J-1 minimum requirements only cover emergency medical care. For routine healthcare access during your stay, consider more comprehensive plans available to BU students.
• Check the start and end dates of your coverage. Interim coverage may be needed if your BU J-1 program starts before your BU health insurance begins. Also, J-1 students using Academic Training lose eligibility for BU student coverage and must maintain proper insurance separately. Short-term options are available under “Options for Non-Benefits Eligible Employees Affiliates” in Insurance options for scholars.
• The BU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) meets all J-1 requirements, including medical evacuation and repatriation for students. Students are automatically enrolled in BU’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) each year.

All J-1 Exchange Visitors must complete both the J-1 Insurance Policy Disclosure Form and the J-1 Exchange Visitor J Compliance Statement to confirm proper and continued coverage.