Mandatory Student Health Insurance in the US: What ASEAN Students Pay and What It Covers

Why enrollment is automatic

Most US universities require every international student on an F-1 or J-1 visa to carry health insurance that meets a minimum coverage standard the school sets, and they automatically enroll you in their own Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to guarantee compliance. The charge appears on your student account alongside tuition and fees, whether or not you asked for it.

Schools do this because the US has no national health system covering visiting students, and a single hospital stay without insurance can run into tens of thousands of dollars. Requiring SHIP by default protects both you and the university from unpaid medical bills.

What SHIP typically costs

Premiums differ by school, plan year, and whether you cover only yourself or add a spouse or child. The University of Oregon's Student Health Benefits Plan costs USD 3,804 for the 2025-26 plan year, according to the university's own International Student Plan page . Across US universities generally, published SHIP rates range roughly from USD 1,700 to 8,000+ a year (from Purdue's basic tier at about $1,678 for 2025-26 up to Stanford's Cardinal Care at about $8,232 for 2025), depending on the institution and coverage tier, per comparisons summarized by independent insurance guides that track multiple schools.

Graduate students, research assistants, and students with dependants often pay more, since some schools price family or dependant add-ons separately from the individual student rate. Check your specific school's student health services page rather than assuming a number from another university applies to you.

What SHIP covers

• Visits to the student health center, often at reduced or no extra charge beyond the annual premium

• Hospitalization and surgery, subject to a deductible and coinsurance

• Mental health counseling and psychiatric visits, increasingly bundled with a set number of free sessions

• Prescription medication, usually with a copay per prescription

• Preventive care such as vaccinations and annual physicals

Coverage networks are usually built around the campus health center and a regional hospital system. Care outside that network costs more or is not covered at all, so check your plan's network before you see an outside specialist.

When you can waive it

You can usually waive the university SHIP if you already carry an alternative health plan, often a parent's international policy or a private US plan, that meets the school's minimum benefit levels. Universities typically require your alternative plan to include a minimum coverage amount per illness or injury, medical evacuation and repatriation benefits, and coverage that runs for your full enrollment period without gaps.

You submit the waiver request online through your student health portal, uploading your policy details for the school to review. Waiver windows are short, commonly the first two to four weeks of each semester, and missing the deadline usually means you are billed for SHIP regardless of what other coverage you hold. Reapply each academic year, since most waivers do not carry over automatically.

Recent trend: more students are waiving SHIP

The share of international students who stayed on their university's default SHIP dropped to about 24 percent in 2024, down from 29 percent in 2023, according to industry tracking summarized by insurance comparison guides . More students are shopping for private plans priced between roughly USD 50 and 350 a month that still meet waiver requirements, which can cost meaningfully less than a bundled university plan, especially for students who rarely use campus health services.

Compare the true cost of waiving against staying on SHIP carefully. A cheaper private plan sometimes carries a higher deductible or a smaller network, so weigh your likely healthcare use, not just the sticker price, before you decide.

What to do before you enroll

Ask your international student office for the school's minimum insurance requirements before you shop for a plan back home, since a policy that satisfies immigration rules in your home country will not automatically satisfy a US university's waiver criteria. Confirm the annual premium, the waiver deadline, and whether dependants are covered separately before your first semester starts, so the charge does not surprise you on your first tuition bill.

Coverage after graduation or during OPT

Your university SHIP eligibility usually ends when you graduate or drop below full-time enrollment, even if you stay in the US on Optional Practical Training (OPT). Check your school's specific cutoff date, since some plans cover you through the end of the semester you graduate in, while others end coverage the day your degree is conferred.

Once SHIP ends, you need a private individual health plan to stay covered during OPT, since a US employer is not required to offer health insurance immediately and some do not offer it to short-term OPT hires at all. Shop for a plan before your SHIP coverage lapses, so you are not left without coverage during the transition from student to OPT status.

Dependant coverage

If you bring a spouse or child on an F-2 or J-2 visa, most universities let you add them to your SHIP for an extra premium, billed separately from your own individual rate. Confirm the added cost and what it covers before you commit, since dependant premiums can be a significant addition to your annual budget and some schools price a family add-on far higher than the individual student rate.