Frequently Asked Questions

Health insurance provides protection for unexpected illnesses and injuries that can interrupt your education and takes care of the expenses for preventative and routine health care. Students without health insurance often neglect their health or defer their health care because of the expense. No student should have to decide between continuing his or her education or paying a medical bill.

Insurance is only required for F1/J1 visa students. F1/J1 visa student Summer class enrollment is optional, but insurance coverage is MANDATORY, regardless of overseas, in-person or online status.

New Students studying online or overseas for their first semester must request a visa status update from FIU Admissions by sending an email to admiss@fiu.edu (undergraduate students) or gradadm@fiu.edu (graduate students).

Returning students who no longer qualify for F1/ J1 visa status that have an insurance hold need to submit a “Adjustment of Status” request to the FIU ISSS Portal. Your insurance hold will be removed if your FIU profile no longer reflects F1/J1 visa status.

Please note: Status updates take 5-7 business days, so plan ahead regarding registration!

Your insurance company is requesting verification that you are enrolled for the current semester to confirm your student status. Please email the form you received to FIU Enrollment Services to  fiuverify@fiu.edu.

Important: Enrollment verification can only be issued after the end of the add/drop period for the semester.

There is no specific deadline for submitting insurance for the semester. However, as insurance holds prevent class registration, the suggested deadline is the last day to add/drop classes for the term, which is the end of the first week of classes.

You can clear your insurance hold in one of the following two ways: 

Option 1: FIU Student Sponsored Health Insurance Plan 

Enroll in the FIU-Sponsored Health Insurance Plan (Aetna), administered by Academic HealthPlans (AHP). This plan automatically meets all Florida Board of Governors (BOG) requirements for international students.  

Option 2: Alternative Health Insurance 

Submit proof of alternative health insurance that is fully compliant with Florida Board of Governors (BOG) requirements. 

• Pre-Approved Alternative Health Insurance Plans 
  • FIU Health Compliance has identified several pre-approved plans that meet the minimum BOG requirements. These plans may have reduced benefits or additional exclusions compared to the FIU-sponsored plan. FIU does not endorse alternative insurance plans. 

• Employer, Family, and Other Plans NOT Pre-Approved 
  • If your plan is not pre-approved, you must complete the FIU Health Compliance Insurance Checklist and submit all required documentation for review and approval. 
    • International Student Alternative Health Insurance Compliance Form 
    • FIU Health Compliance Insurance Checklist 
    • Certificate of Coverage (Policy Details) 
    • Insurance Card (Front and Back) 
    • Proof of Pre-Payment 

For additional details, please review the information available on our website at go.fiu.edu/insurance 

Insurance holds are automatically applied to all international student Panther accounts every term just before registration begins.  International student accounts remain active in the FIU system for up to one year ( 3 semesters) after a student’s last enrollment.  As holds only affect the student’s ability to register for next semester classes, graduated students do not need to remove it. Insurance holds do NOT prevent students from graduating or ordering transcripts.

If you choose an alternative insurance plan that is not on the Pre-Approved list, your insurance company must complete and submit the FIU Alternative Health Insurance Compliance Form. A summary of policy benefits must be submitted along with the form to ensure compliance with the minimum benefit criteria. Any policy must be approved by the Health Compliance Office before the registration hold can be removed. All insurance documentation must be submitted directly from your insurance company via email to insure@fiu.edu.

***Proof of medical evacuation and repatriation benefits is required for approval (see items #6 and #7 on the Alternative Insurance Compliance Form). If your policy lacks these benefits, you must purchase an add-on package. Our insurance broker, AHP, offers the AES plan on a semester basis at fiu.mycare26.com. Missing documents will result in policy denial. ***

(This form is valid for ONE semester only. Your insurance company must complete the form every semester to maintain enrollment at FIU.) Processing may take up to 72 hours.

Marketplace plans are NOT recommended for international students, as they do not routinely cover all minimum required benefits for international students and may not be willing to complete required international insurance compliance forms for school. International students are encouraged to confirm that their proposed policy satisfies benefits required and completes school forms prior to purchasing.

Compliance forms are no longer required for the suggested policies purchased from ISO(International Student Organization), PSI( Professional Student Organization), ISI (International Student Insurance) and ISP( International Student Protection), as those companies send reports of new student enrollments to FIU Health Compliance every 24-72 hours. If a student does not have their hold removed after the allotted time, please check your student email for any correspondence from our office or send your insurance receipt of payment to insure@fiu.edu. Holds cannot be removed until the enrollment report is received from your alternative insurance company. A Compliance Form is still required to approve policies purchased from IFS ( Insurance for Students) company.

Unfortunately, FIU Health Compliance cannot approve any outside insurance policies without a complete and signed Alternative Insurance Compliance Form. It is recommended that you confirm that your insurance provider can complete school-required forms before purchasing the policy. If your insurance policy is provided by an employer, you can have the insurance section of the form completed by a Human Resources representative of the employer in place of an insurance agent. If that is not possible, you may need to obtain other insurance coverage.

A summary of policy benefits must be provided with the submission of the Alternative Insurance Compliance Form for all outside insurance policies.

Suggested alternative insurance options are listed on our Pre-Approved Alternative Health Insurance page.

Currently, the only insurance accepted at the Student Health Center is the FIU-Sponsored Insurance Plan. Fees incurred by students not enrolled in the plan will be paid out-of-pocket.

Most services provided at the Student Health Center are provided free or low-cost due to the Health Fee paid with tuition. Currently enrolled students can be seen at the Student Health Center regardless of coverage status.

Pease visit the website of your insurance provider to download, complete and submit a claim form. You can also contact the Customer Service team for additional information and assistance using the contact information on your insurance card.

Enrollment reports are received from all but one of the FIU Approved Alternative Insurance plan providers every 24-72 business hours.  Students enrolled in Insurance for Students policies must submit a compliance form every semester. Insurance holds cannot be removed until enrollment confirmation reports are received from the insurance provider confirming payment and active coverage.

A supplemental insurance package called Academic Emergency Services, which is offered by the FIU insurance broker, Academic Health Plans covers medical evacuation and repatriation benefits. Please call the Health Compliance Office at 305-348-2688 to enroll.

Temporary hold removals are not granted by our office, as insurance coverage is a mandatory condition of your visa status per the Florida Board of Governors state regulations. There are NO exceptions to this rule. Students are expected to plan ahead regarding required payments and documents before class registration every semester.

Current G1Y students are automatically enrolled into the G1Y policy with insurance provider, Wellfleet Student. Insurance holds are removed after Health Compliance receives the complete list of enrolled students prior to the end of the registration period. Former G1Y students can renew their insurance plan by completing the FIU Global First Year Insurance Re-Enrollment Form or purchase one of the other insurance options.

Please note: Progressed students become ineligible for the Wellfleet Student Insurance if their coverage lapses for more than one semester.

Please complete the student information section of the Alternative Insurance Compliance Form and send it to the designated Student Health Advisor with your embassy with your Embassy ID number. Holds will be removed when the completed form is received from your embassy official

Please note: Financial Guarantees, FSL letters, or insurance cards are NOT considered sufficient for the insurance requirement.

Please send a copy of your Fulbright Award letter to insure@fiu.edu with your Panther ID number. We will forward the letter to our insurance broker to create an invoice for the cost of your insurance coverage. Your insurance hold will be removed when confirmation of invoice creation is received from our insurance broker.

Please note: It may take several weeks for payment of the invoice to be received and your coverage to be active.