Medical Insurance Requirements

Medical Insurance

At UC San Diego Extended Studies International Programs, we prioritize our students, scholars, and dependents' health, safety, and well-being. We want our students and scholars to take the fullest advantage of their study abroad and cultural exchange experience while having peace of mind about their healthcare access and services. 

Healthcare can be expensive in the United States. This is particularly true for international students, scholars and their dependents have access to high quality healthcare while avoiding co-pays, deductibles, and other catastrophic expenses. The UC San Diego Extended Studies medical insurance plan meets or exceeds the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and J visa standards.

Medical Insurance Requirements

All students and J-2 dependents are required to purchase the UC San Diego Extended Studies medical insurance. (This insurance is also available for F-2 and other dependents but is not required.) Students must meet the medical insurance requirements in order to complete program registration and attend classes.

Please note, US citizens and permanent residents who list a permanent US address on their application do not qualify for the medical insurance plan offered through the program.  These students will be required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage in order to complete program registration and attend classes.  

UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Medical Insurance

The cost for UC San Diego Medical Insurance will be:

2025

• 4-week programs: $240
• 8-week ELI: $600
• UPS and Certificate Programs - 1 quarter: $780
• UPS and Certificate Programs - 2 quarters: $1,560
• UPS and Certificate Programs - 3 quarters: $2,340

UC San Diego Medical Insurance Coverage

1. Unlimited coverage for medically necessary health care, including pre-existing conditions and mental health care
2. Unlimited coverage for medical evacuation
3. Unlimited coverage for repatriation of remains
4. 100% coverage for all medical care after the $100 USD deductible per person, per policy year
5. 100% coverage for prescription drugs after payment of the required co-payments for each prescription. Co-payments are from $10 to $50 per prescription.

The UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies medical insurance policy for international students covers hospitalization and other medical expenses, with some exceptions, but not dental or eye care. Medical insurance is non-refundable. For information on this requirement, contact our staff at deshealthandsafety@ucsd.edu.

NOTE: It is mandatory to have continuous insurance coverage. If you are a student continuing from Fall to Winter quarter, you must purchase extra UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies medical insurance for the gap weeks between your Fall and Winter programs. There are a few other situations in which there may be a gap in insurance coverage between programs. You must purchase coverage during all gaps in insurance. The additional UC San Diego medical insurance will cost $55 per week. You must pay for this insurance during the scheduled continuing registration times at the end of the quarter.  

Criteria for Waiver of Medical Insurance
Under limited circumstances, students and scholars may qualify for a medical insurance waiver:

• Sponsored students or scholars who have a government sponsored plan that has been pre-approved by UC San Diego Extended Studies. 
• Other students may request a waiver if they can prove their insurance plan meets the minimum requirements of the UC San Diego Extended Studies Insurance Plan. (This means the insurance is also ACA and J visa compliant.) Please see the Requesting a Medical Insurance Waiver section below. 

Requesting a Medical Insurance Waiver

To request a Medical Insurance Waiver, students without a pre-approved government-sponsored plan must submit their medical insurance plan documents via the Gallagher Student Health waiver portal.

Before submitting a medical insurance waiver request, students must:    

• Carefully review the waiver criteria listed on the Medical Insurance Waiver Portal Guide
• Gather their medical insurance plan documents.  Full medical insurance plan summary of benefits in English is required.

Please see the Medical Insurance Waiver Portal Guide (linked here) to view the complete list of waiver criteria and steps to submit a request.  

*Please note, submission of a medical insurance waiver request does not guarantee approval of a waiver.

Tuberculosis (TB) Screening and Assessment

UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs requires students studying in programs more than 4 weeks in length, and recommends all students complete the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening in MyStudentChart at least 30 days before their program start date. In addition to completing the screening, students may be required to submit a TB Health Assessment Form with results, with very few exceptions (depending on individual risk factors).

To complete the TB screening and upload TB forms, students must log in to MyStudentChart with their unique AD username and password to complete the TB screening and upload TB Forms.  Students will receive AD account information via email approximately 7 weeks before their program begins.   

TB testing results must be obtained within a year before the program start date, and the TB Form must be signed by a licensed medical provider. 

 Students studying in programs more than 4 weeks in length cannot complete registration or start classes without satisfying the TB requirement. 

 Questions? Please email deshealthandsafety@ucsd.edu.

Immunization Requirements 

UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs requires students studying in programs more than 4 weeks in length, and recommends all students adhere to campus immunization requirements.  

Required vaccines include: 

• Tdap 
• MMR 
• Varicella 
• Meningococcal (if under 23) 
• Flu Vaccine (seasonal)
• COVID-19

It is possible to obtain a medical exemption for vaccines, or to decline the COVID-19 and Flu vaccines, if necessary.  Contact the Health and Welfare Advisors at deshealthandsafety@ucsd.edu if you have any questions.

Immunization records should be submitted in MyStudentChart using the Immunization Form. If students are not able to access immunization records, blood titer test results can be submitted as proof of immunity for most required vaccines.