Affordable Care Act

If you have any questions regarding enrollment in an insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act, please visit healthcare.gov or contact 1-800-318-2596 for more information.

Insurance information

The student health fee is independent of the Affordable Care Act. The student health fee is not an insurance policy and only covers some on-campus clinical and mental health services provided by FIU's Student Health Clinics and Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) during the semester(s) that student health fee is paid. To purchase a health insurance plan, visit the health insurance marketplace or view the FIU-sponsored plan.

College students have several choices for health coverage. Students are not exempt from the penalty that people without coverage must pay.

If you have a student health plan

If you are covered by FIU’s student health plan, in most cases, you are considered covered under the health care law. You will not have to pay the penalty that people without coverage generally must pay. Check your student health plan to see if it qualifies as coverage under the health law.
Even if you have access to a student health plan, you can choose to buy a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace instead. You may qualify for lower costs based on your income. Fill out a Marketplace application to identify if you are eligible for lower fees or use the plan and cost preview tool first.

When filling out the marketplace application, choose “No” when answering whether you currently have health coverage. Choose “No” even if you have a student health plan now and plan to drop it to enroll in a marketplace plan.

Filing a tax return

If your income is low and you do not have to file a federal tax return, then you will not have to pay the penalty, even if you don’t have coverage (the filing limit in 2021 was about $12,550 gross income per year for an individual).
If you want to qualify for lower costs on an insurance plan based on your income, you must file a tax return for the year of the coverage.

Catastrophic health plans

If you are under 30, you can buy a catastrophic health plan. These plans usually have lower monthly premiums and higher deductibles, meaning that you pay for most of the care yourself. After that, the insurance company pays its share for covered services.

Catastrophic plans are an affordable way to protect yourself from the high costs of worst-case scenarios, like an accident or serious illness. Catastrophic plans also cover three primary care visits per year before you meet your deductible, as well as certain preventive care benefits.

Coverage on a parent’s plan

You may be able to be covered under a parent’s health insurance plan until you turn 26.

Medicaid coverage

When you fill out a Marketplace application, you will also find out whether you qualify for coverage through Medicaid, a combined state and federal program that provides coverage to people with limited income.

Some states are expanding Medicaid to cover all adults below a certain income level. Find out whether your state is expanding Medicaid and what your options are.

You can also apply for Medicaid directly to your state agency. Get the contact information for your state’s Medicaid agency to see if you are eligible.

Source: Healthcare.gov

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