J1 Visa Health Insurance

'J1 Visa Health Insurance' has been mandated by the US Department of State. Exchange visitors, scholars, au-pairs, trainees, post graduate research students and all other J1 visa insurance holders are required to have valid J1 visa health insurance in order to keep their visas valid. Get a quote online for Insurance for J1 Visa holders.

J1 Visa Insurance

J1 Visa Insurance plans must meet the minimum requirements for Medical coverage, Evacuation and repatriation benefits. If you are visiting the US on a J1 visa make sure you purchase a J1 Visa Insurance that complies with the regulations.

J1 visa health insurance plan benefits include coverage for medical expenses, evacuation, and repatriation. The section titled 'J 1 Visa Insurance Specifications' below provides the minimum coverage specifications that must be met for valid plans.

There are various J1 visa insurance plans from many insurance companies (AIG, Lloyds, Sirius, Nationwide etc.) that meet the J1 visa health insurance requirements. Please answer the questions above and click the 'Get Quote' button to obtain instant quotes and compare plan benefits. If you are enrolled in classes full time please select "Yes" to question 9 to be eligible for additional plans.

Insurance for J1 Visa - Government Regulation

If you are J-1 exchange visitor in the US, you must carry J1 visa insurance for yourself and your J-2 dependents for the full duration of the J program. Government regulations stipulate that if one willfully fails to carry exchange visitor health insurance, then the J-1 sponsor must terminate the exchange visitor program and report the termination to the United States Department of State in Washington D.C.

It is dangerous to be in the US without adequate health insurance. In many countries, the government bears the expense of health care for its citizens and sometimes for visitors. By contrast, individuals and families in the U.S. are responsible for such costs. Since a single day of hospitalization and medical treatment can cost thousands of dollars, many hospitals and doctors refuse to treat uninsured patients, except in life-threatening emergencies.

J 1 Visa Insurance - Specifications

The Department of State has established the following requirements for the type and amounts of insurance for J1 visa holders required to maintain J1 or J2 status:

• J1 Visa Health Insurance (Exchange Visitor Health Insurance) policies must provide "medical benefits of at least $50,000 for each accident or illness." This means that an acceptable policy couldn't set a maximum lower than $50,000 in benefits for each accident or illness.
• If a J visa holder dies in the U.S., then the policy must provide at least $7,500 in repatriation benefits to send the remains to the home country for burial.
• If, because of a serious illness or injury, you must be sent home on the advice of a doctor, the policy must pay up to $10,000 for the expenses of your travel for Medical Evacuation.
• J1 Visa Health Insurance (Exchange Visitor Health Insurance) policies may establish a waiting period before it covers pre-existing conditions (that is, health problems you had before you bought the insurance), as long as the waiting period is reasonable by current standards in the insurance business.
• If you elect to satisfy the insurance requirement through a policy issued in your home country, the policy must be backed by the full faith and credit of your government. Otherwise, the company providing the insurance must meet minimum rating requirements established by Department of State (an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or better, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of "A-1" or better, a Standard & Poor's Claims-Paying Ability rating of "A-" or better, or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of "B+" or better).

J1 Visa Insurance - Purchase

You can get quotes and review details of J1 Visa Insurance plans online. Immediate confirmation and proof of insurance is available after purchase. Most credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) are accepted. Purchase can be done online, over the phone or via fax/mail. Eligible dependants on J2 visas can be covered along with the J1 visa holder. Most Americans rely on insurance, and you should do the same. Insurance for J1 visa holders, gives you access to better and more timely health care and provides the only protection against the enormous costs of health care in the US.