A male student gets his heart beat checked at Student Health Services.

ALL J-1 Scholars must maintain the following level of health insurance coverage for themselves and their J-2 dependents.

The Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) often requests to see proof that J-1 visitors are maintaining status by fulfilling the J-1 health insurance requirement for themselves and their J-2 dependents. Any J-1 scholar found to be in violation of this requirement will be in violation of their legal J-1 status in the U.S.


Scholar health insurance plans must cover:

  1. At least $50,000 for Medical Evacuation to the home country
  2. At least $25,000 for Repatriation of Remains
  3. $100,000 per accident or illness
  4. A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

If your J-1 program requires you to engage in employment as a full-time, benefitted employee, please note that health insurance coverage through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) will not take effect until the first of the month following your date of hire. You must purchase a separate insurance plan to cover yourself, and any J-2 dependents for the 60-day period before University-sponsored health insurance begins. Please find some suggested health insurance providers below, though any provider who can offer the aforementioned coverage will be compliant.

If you a J-1 in a non-benefitted role, it is your responsibility to purchase coverage independent of University-sponsored health insurance to remain compliant.

This insurance provider list is simply informational, and the University does not endorse any particular plan or provider

Please note that if purchasing health insurance independent of the Group Insurance Commission (GIC), and if you are a resident of Massachusetts, you will want to be sure your plan satisfies the Commonwealth of Massachusetts minimums to avoid potential tax penalties. Please review the Mass.gov website outlining Massachusetts Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) for more information.