In order to waive out of purchasing a health insurance plan under the umbrella of the UPenn J Visa Scholar Benefit Plan, you must provide proof of insurance coverage that meets the University’s requirements.

UPenn’s requirements for minimum levels of health insurance coverage are:

• $100,000 USD per accident & illness in medical coverage
• Deductible cannot exceed $500 per accident or illness
• Coinsurance cannot exceed 25%
• Medical evacuation coverage must be at least $50,000 USD
• Repatriation coverage must be at least $25,000 USD
• Carrier must be at least A- rated or backed by the full faith and credit of the Exchange Visitor's government
  
  
• For scholars residing in the United States for more than 12 months, pre-existing conditions must be a covered benefit, with the waiting period for coverage no more than 12 months. If the insurance policy has the pre-existing conditions benefit as a set amount, benefit coverage must be the same as illness coverage.

All J Visa Scholars: If you have dependents accompanying you to the U.S. (i.e. spouse, domestic partner, child(ren)). You must purchase insurance that meets the U.S. State Department requirements for your dependents.

If you have insurance from your home country or purchased insurance that meets the above requirements, you may submit a waiver request to opt out of the UPenn J Visa Scholar Benefit Plan.

Waiver Request Checklist

For J Visa Scholars: Please review your insurance policy or schedule of benefits to determine if your insurance policy meets UPenn’s Health Insurance Requirements listed below.

Do you have any dependents?

Yes

No

University’s Health Insurance Requirements		Why is this Required?	My Policy Covers this Requirement		My Dependent’s Policy Covers this Requirement
1	$100,000 USD per accident & illness in medical coverage	U.S. Department of State requires that all J-1 Visa holders have at minimum $100,000 USD medical coverage in case of an accident or illness	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
2	Deductible cannot exceed $500 USD per accident or illness	A deductible is a specified amount of money that you must pay before an insurance company will pay a medical claim. U.S. Department of State requires that deductibles be less than $500 USD	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
3	Coinsurance cannot exceed 25%	Coinsurance is a type of insurance in which the insured pays a share of the payment made against a medical claim. If you go to the hospital and receive a bill for $100 USD and the coinsurance is 25%, you are responsible to pay $25 USD of the hospital bill. U.S State Department requires that coinsurance cannot exceed 25%	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
4	Medical evacuation coverage must be at least $50,000 USD	In the event of a medical emergency in which you need to return back to your home country, the U.S. Department of State requires that your insurance policy has coverage for the minimum amount of $50,000 USD	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
5	Repatriation coverage must be at least $25,000 USD	In the event of death, the U.S. Department of State requires that your insurance policy has minimum coverage of $25,000 USD to return your remains back to your home country.	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
6	Carrier must be at least A- rated or backed by the full faith and credit of the Exchange Visitor’s government	U.S Department of State wants to ensure that all insurance policies are legitimate and from a reputable company.	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No
7	For scholars residing in the United States for more than 12 months, pre-existing conditions must be a covered benefit, with the waiting period for coverage no more than 12 months. If the insurance policy has the pre-existing conditions benefit as a set amount, benefit coverage must be the same as illness coverage.	Generally, the U.S. Department of State wants to make sure that everyone coming into the U.S. will have their medical conditions treated and covered by their medical insurance. Regardless whether or not you have a pre-existing medical condition, your insurance policy must include language that all pre-existing conditions will be covered after a reasonable waiting period, as required by the university. Please note: Policy’s with coverage for only “Acute onset of pre-existing conditions” do not meet this requirement.	My Policy Covers This Yes No		My Dependent's Policy Covers This Yes No

Check my waiver eligibility