Health Insurance Requirements

Fall 2020 Waiver Deadline: Monday, September 14, 2020

PLEASE NOTE: 

All submitted waiver decision forms will be subject to a waiver verification. The intent of the waiver verification process is to assess whether or not your insurance plan meets the requirements of USD and the Affordable Care Act by providing access to health care providers and comprehensive benefits when you are at the University.

The verification process checks the insurance company information entered on your form to determine access to care and to confirm your coverage is currently active and comparable to the plan offered by USD. Most waivers will be verified within 24-72 hours of submission. You will be notified via email to the email address submitted on your form of the acceptance or denial of your waiver. If your waiver was denied, you will be provided with steps to appeal the denial should you believe the denial was made in error.

Students who choose to waive the USD health insurance requirement must do so at the start of each academic year (or their first semester at USD if starting in the spring or upon arrival if a visiting scholar). Without submitting the online health insurance waiver each year, USD cannot waive the health insurance fee. Therefore, students who fail to submit the waiver by the posted deadline will be automatically enrolled and billed via their USD student account.

Students and visiting scholars may choose to waive the USD health insurance requirement with a comparable insurance plan only if this plan includes ALL of the following features:

• Effective throughout the semester/academic year
• Maximum dollar coverage of at least $100,000 per illness or injury (not the same as $100,000 maximum benefit)
• Include outpatient care (doctor visits, outpatient surgery, etc.)
• Include hospitalization
• Repatriation for at least $25,000
• Medical evacuation for at least $50,000
• Cost of deductible, if any, does not exceed $500 per accident or illness

Services should also include, but aren’t limited to:

• Preventive and non-urgent care
• Emergency care
• Surgical care
• Inpatient and outpatient hospitalization
• Lab work
• Diagnostic x-rays
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Prescription drugs
• Mental health and substance abuse treatment

Non-comparable health plans include:

• Those that only provide emergency services
• International plans (includes plans not filed in the US)
• Travel insurance plans
• Health care sharing plans
• Plans from insurance companies not located within the United States
• Prescription discount plans

Unsure if your health insurance meets these requirements? Use the comparison worksheet for assistance.

For in-depth information please refer to the Student Health Insurance Plan FAQ.

Note for Athletes: Student athletes participating in club or NCAA sports are NOT eligible to waive the USD health insurance requirement and therefore must enroll in the USD Student Health Insurance Plan, which includes special provisions for athletes.

Note for Students with Embassy-Sponsored Plans: Students with embassy/cultural mission-sponsored health insurance plans are not required to complete the online waiver but must provide the OISS a copy of a financial guarantee or embassy insurance card at the time of immigration check-in.

Online Waiver Instructions

Students who have been issued and I-20 or DS-2019 can waive the USD SHIP now.

To access the online waiver, please follow the instructions below:

• Gather all insurance documents - this information is required to fill out the online waiver
• Visit the Gallagher website to create an account (Note: a USD Student ID number is required to create an account)
• Click on "Student Waiver” on the left side panel and fill out personal information to create an account
• Click the “I want to Enroll/Waive” button.
• Follow the instructions to complete the form.
• Save a copy of your reference number. This number only confirms submission, not approval of your form. Your waiver will be reviewed within 24 to 48 hours.
• Student accounts are automatically billed for the USD SHIP each semester. However, once the online waiver is complete and has been approved, the USD International Center receives a report documenting this information, the insurance charges on the account will be reversed. Please note that this process may take up to 2 weeks.

Fall 2020 Waiver Deadline: Monday, September 14, 2020

J-1 students and visiting scholars may choose to waive the USD health insurance requirement with a comparable insurance plan only if this plan includes ALL of the following features and is submitted to the USD Office of International Students and Scholars at least 45 days prior to the student's arrival:

• Effective throughout the semester/academic year
• Maximum dollar coverage of at least $100,000 per illness or injury (not the same as $100,000 maximum benefit)
• Include outpatient care (doctor visits, outpatient surgery, etc.)
• Include hospitalization
• Repatriation for at least $25,000
• Medical evacuation for at least $50,000
• Cost of deductible, if any, does not exceed $500 per accident or illness

J-1 students and visiting scholars who wish to waive must also submit a copy of their health insurance certificate in English, which demonstrates the aforementioned features.  A letter from the insurance company would also be acceptable (please refer to this sample). Individuals who fail to do so at least 30 days before the date of their arrival to USD will automatically be enrolled in the USD SHIP. J-1 scholars are not subject to the online waiver form but still must submit a copy of their insurance certificate.

Foreign Insurance Plans: Please review this list of insurance companies that have been used by former USD international students to waive the USD SHIP. Since we are not affiliated with any of these companies, we make no guarantee for their services. This list was assembled solely for the consideration of students who wish to waive the USD SHIP.

Students enrolled in the USD SHIP will remain enrolled during their study abroad program to maintain continuous coverage unless a waiver is completed by the semester’s waiver deadline.

If in the past you waived the USD health insurance with your own coverage, you are responsible for submitting the online waiver form for the current academic year.

As per current policy, having health insurance on OPT is highly recommended, however, it is optional based on federal regulations. Students may choose to enroll in the USD OPT plans coordinated through Gallagher Student Health during their OPT year only. All students on OPT can choose to enroll in one of these plans. Please note that these plans are not identical to the USD SHIP for active students.

What plans are available through Gallagher Student Health? 

You have the option to enroll in one of three plans (called ISS Gold, Silver and Bronze). These plans differ in price and benefits. The biggest difference in comparing the plans is monthly price and amount of deductible and co-payment (what you pay for each service on top of monthly charge). 

Search here under USD with the Student Category “International Student”. The advantage of these plans is that students can pay for months at a time and can extend through the end of their OPT period. Note that none of these plans covers 100% of medical expenses but you will also pay significantly less for individual coverage compared with the USD international plan. 

For those with families, please be aware that the costs for adding children and spouses is higher with these plans. With this in mind, you may want to consider enrolling your family members in a different plan if you wish.

How To Enroll: You will directly enroll in one of these plans online and pay directly as well - you can even use a credit card! Details and enrollment information is here.

If you have questions regarding a specific plan or payment, please contact Gallagher Student Health directly.

What other plans are available?

We have included additional health insurance plans (see below) as an option for you to consider during your OPT period. We cannot formally recommend or vouch for any health insurance plan once you are on OPT. Therefore, please be careful to read all policy details as, often, a low price might mean fewer benefits, a smaller network of providers, more exclusions and high deductibles or co-payments.

International Student Insurance

PGH Global

ISO

Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions or concerns and make sure to plan ahead so that there is no interruption to your coverage.