Health Insurance for F-1 International Students

All F-1 international students are required to hold health insurance during identified terms while completing their studies at Elmhurst University. Students are automatically enrolled in the school sponsored plan offered by ISO* when enrolled in courses or living on-campus for the duration of their academic program in the U.S.

The insurance requirement is in place for all international students in the Fall and Spring semesters, as well as required for any student that is either enrolled in courses or living on-campus during Summer semesters.

Why is continuous coverage important?

The high cost of healthcare in the U.S. puts international students at financial risk in the event of injury or sickness. Requiring all international students to enroll in the school sponsored plan offered by ISO helps insure you against incurring high costs of medical expenses and unnecessary interruptions in your academic program due to unexpected costs. Elmhurst University is committed to ensuring our students are best set-up for success, both academically and in overall health and wellness.

ISO Plan Access & Use

ISO will send you an email with a copy of your health insurance card and access to their insurance portal when you are enrolled. You will be assigned a Member ID and set your own password (your eNumber is your original password). You can use the ISO portal to check for in-network coverage, plan benefits, file claims, etc.. In addition, you can easily locate nearby doctors and hospitals by viewing the school sponsored plan page and clicking “Find doctors and hospitals” on the right side of the page under the plan brochure.

ISO Student Health Insurance Contact

If you have any questions, you can contact ISO Student Health Insurance at (800) 244-1180 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CST) or email [email protected].

Helpful Resources

• Why Continuous Coverage is Important Video
• Insurance Terminology Definitions Site
• Common Insurance Terms Video
• School Sponsored ISO Plan Site & Brochure
  • Hover over terms for definitions
  • Click PDF icon on site for PDF Brochure
• Find Doctors & Hospitals Site
• ISO videos Site
• ISO Account Password Reset Site

Coverage Periods Information and Costs

FALL

• Period: August 1st through December 31st
• Cost: $600
• Required: All international students

SPRING

• Period: January 1st through May 31st
• Cost: $600
• Required: All international students

SUMMER

• Period: June 1st through July 31st
• Cost: $240
• Required: All international students that are enrolled in in-person Summer courses (including Internship courses for CPT) or living on-campus. Students that meet this circumstances will be automatically enrolled. Students that are required to hold health insurance based on the prior requirements but have alternate coverage can seek a Waiver through the first week of classes via the Waiver Request Form.
• Students that are not enrolled in in-person Summer courses or living on-campus are able to enroll (through the first week of classes) via the Elmhurst University ISO Enrollment Page. Students that enroll directly with ISO will be responsible for paying ISO directly for their insurance cost.

Billing and Payments

Students will be automatically enrolled during the Fall and Spring semesters; any student that is enrolled in any coursework or living on-campus during a Summer semester will also be automatically enrolled. The cost of the medical insurance will be billed to your student account and payment will be required by University set due dates.

For more information about billing and payments please reach out to the Office of Student Financial Services ([email protected] or 630-617-3015).

Students can also find information find information about Payment Options online. 

*Waiver/Opt-Out Exceptions

Waiver Request Form

CLICK HERE

• Fall Semester
  • Fall Waiver Opens: 08/01/2024
  • Fall Waiver Deadline: 09/04/2024
• Spring Semester
  • Spring Waiver Opens: 01/02/2025
  • Spring Waiver Deadline: 02/12/2025

While all international students must be enrolled in health insurance during their academic career at Elmhurst University, students that meet the below waiver eligibility requirements may be eligible for a waiver to hold a plan other than the school sponsored plan offered by ISO.

To qualify for a waiver, your health insurance plan must provide coverage throughout the entire length of your enrollment at Elmhurst University and meet the following requirements:

• Unlimited annual and per injury/sickness maximum
• Pre-existing conditions should be covered up to plan maximum, without a waiting period
• Deductible not to exceed $150 annually
• Maximum out-of-pocket expenses $6,350 annually
• 100% coverage for preventative services
• In-network co-insurance of at least 90%
• Coverage for inpatient/outpatient treatment including mental health, lab Tests & x-rays, hospitalization, emergency room care and prescriptions drugs
• Repatriation coverage at least $50,000
• Medical evacuation coverage to home at least $100,000
• Insurance company must be operating in the US with a US claims address and accessible customer service telephone number
• A U.S. Insurance Carrier having an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above; a McGraw Hill Financial/Standard & Poor Claims-paying ability rating of “A-” or above; a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of “B+” or above; a Fitch Ratings, Inc. rating of “A-” or above; a Moody Investor Services rating of “A3” or above; or such other rating as the U.S. Department of State may from time to time specify.

Students that meet the criteria listed above should apply for a waiver here before the semester deadline.

Waiver requests will be received, reviewed, and decided by ISO. You should also submit all relevant documents requested by ISO to decide your waiver. Any approved waiver will stay on file for the full academic year. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain active insurance coverage during the academic year if Elmhurst University ISO insurance is waived.

Students enrolled in and taking courses abroad (not in the US during the coverage period) are not required to enroll in the medical insurance plan. This applies to students that take a leave of absence (LOA) and depart the US.

Optional Dental & Vision Insurance (not through ISO)

Interested in optional Dental and/or Vision insurance? While dental and vision coverage is not required by Elmhurst University, students can enroll and pay for dental and vision coverage directly through HUB International. Please note: ISS does not endorse nor facilitate any specific dental or vision coverage, only the health insurance plan offered by ISO.

OPT (Optional Practical Training) Coverage

Once a student has graduated and been authorized by USCIS to engage in post-completion Optional Practical Training, they can view and enroll in dedicated plans to cover them during their OPT experience. Plans start on the 1^st and 16^th of the month.