Health Insurance for International Students

• The plan must be U.S.-based.  
• The plan must start on or before the first day of classes. It must extend through the entire semester (or through your Exchange Visitor program, if that’s longer).  
• The plan must offer equal or better coverage than UNC’s plan. That means your insurance should be comparable to a Gold or Platinum plan under the US Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Specific requirements include: 
  • The plan must include both accident and sickness coverage and offer an unlimited annual benefit–it must have no cap on how much it pays per year.  
  • The plan must have a maximum out-of-pocket limit of $8,550 or less per benefit year. This includes deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.  
  • The plan deductible must be $500 or less per individual, per accident/illness per year. 
  • The plan must include medical evacuation coverage of at least $50,000. 
  • The plan must include repatriation coverage of at least $25,000. 
  • The plan must cover in-network services at 80% or more. 
  • The plan must include preventative services with no deductible or copay. 

• The plan must provide coverage for all services that are covered by UNC’s Student Health Insurance Plan. (See the 2025/2026 Student Health Insurance Program Brochure for complete information on services covered by the UNC plan). The plan must specifically include these specific services:  
  • Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital) 
  • Emergency services 
  • Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays) 
  • Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care (both before and after birth) 
  • Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (this includes counseling and psychotherapy) 
  • Prescription drugs 
  • Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices (services and devices to help people with injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions gain or recover mental and physical skills) 
  • Laboratory services 
  • Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management 
  • Pediatric services, including oral and vision care (but adult dental and vision coverage aren’t essential health benefits) 
  • Birth control coverage 
  • Breastfeeding coverage 
  • Testing and treatment in epidemic and pandemic situations. 

Plans for J-1/J-2 Exchange Visitors “must be underwritten by an insurance corporation with an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of “A-I” or above, a Standard and Poor’s Claims Paying Ability rating of “A-” or above, or a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above. Alternatively, the sponsor may ascertain that the participant’s policy is backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor’s home country (22 CFR 62.14).”