Confused about the legality of Choosing BeWellNM and the $2200 Burden of Switching to GeoBlue for International Students? You are not alone!

Dear International Students and Community Supporters,

We are reaching out regarding conflicting information from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) about health insurance through BeWellNM. ISSS claims that international students are ineligible for the Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC), which reduces insurance costs to zero dollars per year, and warns that claiming it may create legal issues when applying for a Green Card. However, many international students have used—and continue to use—BeWellNM with APTC. Without it, students must pay over $2,200 per year for GeoBlue Insurance Plan.  Int'l grad workers with families pay much more, crushing working families' budgets for a limited health insurance plan with measly benefits.

Research conducted by union members, based on official sources including the Federal and State Departments of Health, USCIS, and the IRS, confirms that obtaining marketplace insurance and accepting APTC is completely legal. Despite this, ISSS has not provided any legal documentation to support its claim and declined to do so when approached, leaving students uncertain about their options.

To address this, we are bringing this issue to the administration and demanding clear, accurate information about all health insurance options. Sign Graduate Workers United petition to demand NMSU communicates with international workers on this problem! Graduate workers deserve answers and the University has refused to provide any insight or help with this situation. 

If you are an international worker, please let us know how this has affected you personally.

The only information we will share is the names of the people in support, and nothing else.

Thank you for your support!

Email us: nmsugwu@nmsu.edu for questions and follow our instagram: @nmsugradworkers