Insurance Requirements

Please note: International students attending the University of Montana through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) are covered under a sponsored health plan and are not charged student insurance and are therefore not required to provide proof of other coverage.

Otherwise, all students taking 7 or more credits at the University of Montana are required to have and maintain major medical insurance coverage. International students on non-immigrant visas are automatically charged the premium ($2,350.00 per semester) for the student health insurance plan as part of their tuition. This insurance fee, alongside the student Curry Health Center services fee ($278 per semester for on-campus medical needs), will be paid via CyberBear once you have your account finalized.

The BCBSMT academic plan is negotiated yearly, therefore, the cost varies. For the current cost, as well as plan coverage details, please, visit the INSURANCE section of the Curry Health Center website.

Students who elect to purchase the BCBSMT student insurance plan need only to finalize/pay their registration bill in order to activate coverage.

Waiving Student Insurance

If you will be using an insurance policy from your home country while studying in the U.S., you have the option to waive the UM student insurance policy if it meets the J-1 and F-1 visa standards.

You will not have the option to waive the Curry Health Center service fee. The service fee allows you as a student to utilize Curry's counseling, dental, medical, pharmacy and wellness services at reasonable costs.

 For students wanting to waive the BCBSMT option and utilize their own coverage:

• the charge for student health insurance plan will be credited back to the student account ONLY when written proof of another insurance coverage that meets F1/J1 visa requirements found above in the J-1 and F-1 Visa Requirements section is provided to the Student Insurance Office.
• The information must be provided BEFORE the 15^th class day each semester (Late registrants are exempt from the 15^th class day deadline). Forms with instructions are included below.

"In order to refuse the mandatory student insurance and health service fee charges, you must complete and turn in the Refuse Insurance Form_INTERNATIONAL_ISEP & Partner.docx (click the hyperlink to access the form) and have it turned in with the necessary supplemental documentation no later than two weeks before the start of International Student Orientation. Follow the instructions on the form for more information.

Important: if you're an ISEP participant, you will not need to submit any additional documentation about your insurance coverage, as outlined on the form. Therefore, please fill out the form completely, but know that you will not be required to submit any additional documentation."

Below are the minimum benefit requirements for a J-1 visa in order to waive the UM student insurance fee. Please make sure that your insurance provides at least the following coverage, as outlined by the Curry Health Center's guidelines for incoming International Students:

• Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness. 
• Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000.
• Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000.
• A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

Then, in order to actually waive the premium, you MUST provide additional documentation of your home medical insurance coverage in English that proves the minimum coverage outlined above. Your insurance should have a Certificate of Coverage, or something similar, that details the required information below. If you do not, you should be able to obtain one from your insurance carrier by contacting them directly.

The following is what the student must provide to have the insurance fee waived:

• a hard-copy document confirming coverage (not a screenshot of an email saying you have coverage)
• Documentation must be in English and must contain:
  • Carrier information (the insurance company)
  • Student's full name
  • Coverage details (what is covered / how much is covered)
  • Coverage period dates (you must be covered for the entire duration of your stay in the U.S.)

Finally, you will need to provide these materials along a completed Refuse Insurance Form_INTERNATIONAL.doc to the Curry Health Center no later than two weeks before the start of International Student Orientation. Because the University of Montana only has one Student Insurance Advocate who can accept waiver applications, we request that you do not follow up sooner than ten-to-fifteen days after submitting the waiver application, as this will minimize further unnecessary delays. If you have concerns that you'd like to address sooner, please contact the Global Engagement Office.

Please note: Changes to the initial insurance selection to enroll into the plan cannot be made on CyberBear. You must contact the Student Insurance Advocate BEFORE the 15th day of instruction in the semester for a change to your insurance selection. You may email your request to the Student Insurance Advocate at the email below. Be sure to include your name and your University of Montana 790#. 

For questions, please, contact Dawn Camara-Clark; Student Insurance Advocate, at 406-243-2844, studentinsurance@mso.umt.edu, or by visiting the Student Insurance Office in the Curry Health Center on campus.

Please visit the Student Health Insurance FAQ.

For further questions, please contact Dawn Camara-Clark; Student Insurance Advocate, at 406-243-2844, studentinsurance@mso.umt.edu, or by visiting the Student Insurance Office in the Curry Health Center.