Mandatory Health Insurance
UM-St.
Louis Policy
Insurance Costs
General Procedure & Deadline Information
Additional Procedure, Deadline & Policy Information
Coverage Information
What to Do if You Get Sick
Contact Information
ISSS
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Health Insurance & the UM - St. Louis Policy
Due to the high costs and complexity of the American health care system,
it is very important that international students and scholars have comprehensive health
insurance coverage during their studies in the United States. Additionally,
UM-St. Louis mandates that all students in F-1 or J-1 immigration
status have health insurance meeting the requirements established by the
United States Department of State. J-1 students and scholars and dependents of J-1 students and scholars are also required to have this health insurance policy. F-1 students on post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) and dependents of F-1 students may purchase this health insurance coverage if they choose.
2008-2009 Health Insurance Costs
Student/Scholar Cost
$983 for annual coverage 08/01/2008-07/31/2009
(Fall Semester 2008 = $410; Winter/Summer Semester 2009 = $573)
Please note, costs can be expected to rise by approximately 5-10% per year.
Dependent Costs
$4431 for annual coverage for spouse
$1661 for annual coverage for child(ren)
Please note, costs can be expected to rise by approximately 5-10% per year.
General Payment Procedures & Deadlines
For F-1 & J-1 Students
1) Make insurance payment at cashier’s office in MSC.
2) Pay your insurance separately from other fees on your student
account. In other words, make an insurance payment in the exact amount of $410
for the Fall 2008 semester.
3) Get a receipt for payment from Cashier’s Office and drop it off
to 261 MSC by Friday, September 12, 2008.
For J-1 Scholars
Scholars must
fill out an enrollment form and pay directly to the insurance company.
Scholars may pick up an enrollment form in our office. Please note: the health insurance will not come into effect until after Chickering has received your enrollment form; plan accordingly.
For Dependents
J-2 dependents must and F-2 dependents may fill out an enrollment form and make payment directly to the health insurance company. The enrollment forms are available in our office. Please note: the health insurance will not come into effect until after Chickering has received your enrollment form; plan accordingly.
For F-1 Students on post-completion OPT
You may purchase health insurance if you so choose. You are responsible for completing an enrollment form and mailing the form along with payment to the health insurance company. OPT students may pick up the enrollment form
at our office in 261 MSC. Please note: the health insurance will not come into effect until after Chickering has received your enrollment form; plan accordingly.
Additional Procedures, Deadlines, & Policies
Note: the information in this section is available in brochure format here.
In some situations, unique circumstances regarding insurance policies and procedures come up. Please read through this section so that you have an idea of some of the policies the Office of International Student and Scholar Services has adopted regarding the health insurance program. (These rules apply to all students in both F-1 and J-1 status.)
Requirements
Due to significant differences between healthcare in the United States and other countries as well as federal regulations, the University of Missouri – St. Louis requires that all student in F-1 o J-1 visa status purchase health insurance through the university. This inexpensive policy covers students worldwide for accidents and illnesses while they are in classes at UMSL.
Automatic Enrollment
The appropriate insurance charges are automatically added each semester that a student in F-1 or J-1 status enrolls in classes. Charges are added to student accounts after registration.
Exception to Automatic Enrollment
The following students will not automatically be charged for health insurance: students whose I-20 or DS-2019 was issued by an institution other than the University of Missouri – St. Louis and students not in F-1 or J-1 status.
Manual Enrollment
Students with a non-UMSL I-20 or DS-2019 as well as students in immigration statuses other than F-1 or J-1 can purchase the health insurance offered through the university if they so choose. Such request must be made in writing by the end of the fourth week of classes. For Fall 2008, this is: Friday, September 12, 2008.
Waivers
In limited situations, waivers may be granted to non-degree seeking students or students with government-sponsored health insurance. All waiver requests must be completed by the end of the second week of classes. For Fall 2008, this is: Friday, August 29, 2008. Please note: completion of a waiver application does not guarantee that a waiver will be granted.
Withdrawal
Withdrawing from classes with not also automatically cancel your insurance charges. You will need to make a request, in writing, to have the insurance charges reversed. The last date to request reversal of insurance charges is also the last date students can withdraw from the university and receive a partial refund of tuition. For Fall 2008, this is: Monday, September 15, 2008.
Payment Deadlines
To ensure that health insurance premium payments are received in a timely manner, a separate payment deadline exists for the health insurance premium. The deadline for payment is the end of fourth week of classes. For Fall 2008, this is: Friday, September 12, 2008.
Health insurance payments must be made separately from other payments to the university. For Fall 2008, the premium amount is: $410. This exact amount must be paid in the cashier’s office by the deadline noted above. Once payment has been made, a receipt of payment must be brought to the Office of International student and Scholar Services for verification.
Exclusions
Please note: this health insurance policy does not cover optical, dental, or preventative healthcare. The policy also does offer any travel insurance benefits.
Insurance Coverage
If it is an emergency you should call the Police at 516-5515 or 911
Health insurance varies a lot from country to country. It is very important for students to understand what their student insurance will and will not pay for. We strongly recommend that you read through your Chickering Health Insurance Policy (highlights or in detail). If you are unsure if your health insurance will cover something you can call Chickering at (877) 375-7905 or visit their website www.chickering.com . From this website, you can login using our school code (890440) or you can go directly to the customized UM - St. Louis version of the Chickering website.
What should you do if you are sick and need to see a doctor?
If it is an emergency you should call the Police at 516-5515 or 911
- Go to University Health Services, located in 125 MSC, to see a nurse. The visit to Health Services is free. They will give you a referral form if you need to see a doctor or go to the hospital.
- If you are referred to see a doctor, this policy does have a list of preferred health care providers. Use the Aetna network website website to look for a doctor or health care facility that is on the Aetna network (Aetna underwrites Chickering).
- Take your insurance card and policy brochure to the doctor visit.
If you use an Aetna network doctor, s/he should submit your claim directly to Chickering. But if the doctor does not, you will need to complete and submit to Chickering a claim form (.pdf).
For additional information about health care and staying healthy during your studies at UMSL, visit the Staying Healthy section of the UMSL International Visitor's Handbook.
Contact Information
Any questions about the
insurance can be addressed to:
Office of International Student and Scholasr Services
261 Millennium Student Center (MC 221)
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63121
+1 (314) 516.5229 (phone)
+1 (314) 516.5636 (fax)
iss@umsl.edu (email)
To read Acrobat (.pdf) files, you will need to download Adobe Reader at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html.