UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance Requirement and Enrollment Process

If you are an F-1 or J-1 student or J-1 scholar and your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 was issued by the University of Michigan-Flint, you must have health insurance that meets UM-Flint requirements for yourself and any accompanying F-2 or J-2 dependents during the entire time you are an F-1 or J-1 student or scholar at the University of Michigan-Flint. In order to meet UM-Flint requirements, your health insurance must, in the judgment of the University, provide coverage that is at least comparable to the coverage described in the Blue Care Network of Michigan — Member Guide. In order to be considered “comparable coverage”, an insurance plan must, at a minimum, meet all of the University of Michigan-Flint Health Insurance Standards.

Enrollment Process

If your Form I-20 or DS-2019 was issued by the University of Michigan-Flint , you will attend a Mandatory Orientation for Students or for Scholars when you arrive in Flint. As soon as you have completed the mandatory check-in process, you and your accompanying F-2 or J-2 dependents will be automatically enrolled in the UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance Plan through the end date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019, so that you can be certain that you are covered by adequate health insurance. Your International Student/Scholar Health Insurance Plan coverage will become effective on your program start date (Form I-20, Item 5 or Form DS-2019, Item 3).

Your Responsibilities as a Policy Holder

To comply with University of Michigan-Flint insurance requirements, you must ensure that you are enrolled in UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance (IHI) for the entire time you are a student or scholar at the University. At times, however, you may need to make changes to your plan. For example:

Adding Dependents to Your Plan

If you removed your F-2 or J-2 dependents because they were going to join you later, you need to add them to your IHI plan as soon as they arrive in the U.S. Remember that they must have health insurance too. Just email copies of their plane tickets or I-94s to globalflint@umich.edu.

If your dependents are not F-2 or J-2 they are not required to have health insurance, but you can add them if you want. If you choose to add them, visit the Center for Global Engagement. You will need to bring copies of your marriage license or certificate and the birth certificates of your children.

Removing Dependents

If your dependents leave the U.S. before you do, you can remove them from your plan by emailing globalflint@umich.edu. You must include a copy of your F-2 or J-2 spouse and dependents' flight ticket or confirmation as documentation of their departure date.

Leaving U-M Early

If you leave U-M permanently before the end date of your I-20 or DS-2019, or leave the U. S. because you have decided not to complete your post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), it is your responsibility to submit a departure form. Leaving UM-Flint or not enrolling in classes does not automatically cancel your IHI plan.

If you do not do submit an departure form, the Center for Global Engagement will not know that you have ended your F-1 or J-1 stay and you will be billed for your IHI plan through SIS until the end date on your I-20, DS-2019, or post-completion OPT.

Temporary Absence from the U.S.

If you will be out of the U.S. for at least two calendar months, you may apply for a waiver of your required health insurance. In order to apply for this waiver, you must complete and submit your Health Insurance cancellation/suspension form in iService within 30 days of your departure from the U.S., along with evidence that you have purchased tickets and have confirmed reservations for your departure and return dates. An example of a person absent from the U.S. for two calendar months would be someone who left the U.S. on May 15 and returned on August 2, since they would be absent from the U.S. for all of June, July as well as half of May. However, if you are leaving the United States in order to participate in a UM-Flint sponsored educational activity, such as a study abroad program, you are not eligible to cancel your international health insurance.

Please read the information on the form carefully before you submit it. Once you have submitted your request in iService, your request has only been approved if you receive an email reply confirming approval.

This procedure is effective through the end of the current insurance contract year, August 31, 2022. It may change when the new insurance contract year begins on September 1, 2022.

Do not allow your insurance coverage to lapse. Without health insurance, you are in violation of University of Michigan-Flint regulations, and you are at great financial risk if you have an accident or get sick.