Health Insurance Requirements for J-1 Exchange Visitors

J-1 Exchange Visitors and J-2 dependents must be covered by sickness and accident insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States. Failure to purchase such insurance may lead to loss of legal immigration status and termination from the Exchange Visitor Program. These Department of State (DOS) regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations [22 CFR 62.14].

Minimum health insurance coverage must provide all of the following:

1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
2. In case of death, repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000*;
3. In case of serious illness or injury, payment of expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the Exchange Visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000*;
4. A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

For those who are eligible, most of the UMass Chan employee health plans meet the J-1 requirements. If you are hired on the first day of the month, your coverage effective date is the dame day (once you enroll, it is retroactive back to that day). If you are hired day 2-31 of the month, your coverage will be effective the first of the following month. More information about options for benefits eligible employees and options for non-benefits eligible employees is available.

*UMass Chan provides medical evacuation and repatriation benefits to all UMass Chan sponsored J-1 visa holders and their accompanying dependents effective the date of hire. Therefore, any plan that the J-1 Exchange Visitor chooses (whether or not they are eligible for UMass Chan subsidized benefits) must meet the requirements in items #1 & #4 above.

The regulations continue: "An Exchange Visitor who willfully fails to maintain the insurance coverage set forth above . . . or who makes a material misrepresentation to the sponsor [University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School] concerning such coverage shall be deemed to be in violation of these regulations and shall be subject to termination as a participant." [22 CFR 62.14(h)]

All J-1 Exchange Visitors at UMass Chan must understand and comply with the J Exchange Visitor Program health insurance requirements as outlined above.