The U.S. Department of State requires that the exchange visitor obtain health, accident, medical evacuation and repatriation of remains insurance. The insurance policies must cover the exchange visitor and all accompanying dependents for the EV’s entire program duration as indicated on the DS-2019. Any exchange visitor who willfully refuses to comply with this requirement shall be considered to be in violation of his/her exchange visitor status. The program sponsor is obligated to inform the United States Department of State of the exchange visitor's noncompliance.
J-1 Exchange Visitors at UCLA are required to follow procedures for 1 of the 3 health insurance options listed below depending on their UCLA appointment title. If you are not sure of which category you fall into, please contact your department for clarification.
Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plan (PSBP)
Postdoctoral Scholars are required to enroll in the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan (PSBP). Information regarding eligibility, requirements, and enrollment process can be found on the Gallagher site at https://clients.garnett-powers.com/pd/uc/ . Your UCLA academic department will assist you with enrollment when you arrive as part of the hiring process.
UCLA Employee Medical Benefits
If you are a UCLA employee, you may be eligible for medical benefits. Your UCLA academic department will assist you with enrollment when you arrive as part of the hiring process. Medical benefits coverage for UCLA employees does not include the following:
- 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
Medical evacuation and repatriation of remains coverage may be purchased separately through BETiNS to fulfill the J-1 visa requirements.
The UC CORE plan does not meet the J-1 visa requirements due to the deductible amount.
Visiting Scholar Insurance Plans
All other J-1 scholars that do not fall under the above 2 categories are required to enroll in one of the following insurance plans:
All the plans offered meet the J-1 visa coverage requirements. A waiver is possible if you already have an insurance plan that meets J-1 visa requirements. Waivers are reviewed by the insurance agencies only. Waiver requirements are the same for each agency and you only need to obtain a waiver from one of them. Refer to their websites for enrollment and waiver instructions.
The earliest you can begin the enrollment or waiver process is 31 days prior to your program start date.
Postdocs and employees receiving medical benefits through UCLA do not qualify for these plans.