The health care system in the United States is complex, and as a student or scholar at MSU, you are required to have health insurance. Learn how to use your health insurance so you can get the medical care you need.
We can help you:
1. Understand your health insurance plan
2. Find where to get medical treatment
3. Understand your medical bills
4. Get health insurance coverage for your spouse or children (dependents in F-2 or J-2 status)
Health insurance coverage for the Fall 2024 semester begins on August 16, 2024. MSU students entering the United States before August 16 should buy early arrival health insurance coverage to ensure they have access to health care the entire time they are inside the country. Early arrival coverage costs $7 per day and can be purchased for any number of days.
To apply for the early arrival coverage, please use this application form: Early Arrival Health Insurance – Fall 2024
When the application form is complete, you should send it to MSU Human Resources - SolutionsCenter(at)hr.msu.edu using the encryption technique described below.
IMPORTANT: You must send in your health insurance application from your @msu.eduemail address and use the following subject line for the email: IS Early Arrival Application #encrypt
Using “#encrypt” in the subject line will protect the email message and the attached application form, which is very important since it will contain credit/debit card information.
Please contact ihealth(at)msu.edu with any questions or concerns.
Health Insurance Requirement:
International students at Michigan State University have long been required to carry health insurance and have been automatically enrolled in MSU’s Student Health Insurance Plan, or SHIP. Students have previously had the option to waive out of the required MSU SHIP, with privately obtained health insurance coverage. Starting Fall 2020, international students will be required to keep the MSU SHIP, without a waiver option for most students.
Privately obtained health insurance plans often cover less than the MSU SHIP and exclude coverage for common health events experienced by college students.
In recent years, international students with private coverage have experienced financial hardship and barriers to health care access, resulting in threats to academic success and student wellbeing.
The MSU SHIP is comprehensive and compliant with the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that international Spartans are fully protected in the event of a health care emergency.
The current health insurance provider for MSU international students is the Aetna Academic Health Plan, often called simply "AHP". You can learn more about the AHP plan on the MSU Human Resources website.
MSU international students who will be studying from outside the United States during Fall 2024 are eligible for an exemption from the mandatory international student health insurance.
International students are enrolled automatically in the required MSU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
If you are studying outside the United States for the Fall 2024 semester, you are eligible to apply for an exemption from SHIP.
If you are studying inside the United States for the Fall 2024 semester and have an alternative insurance plan, you may qualify for a waiver of SHIP, which is different than an exemption. There are very limited criteria in which an international student can apply for a health insurance waiver – you can read more about the waiver criteria on the HR website HR website .
Fall 2024 Exemptions
You are only eligible for an international student health insurance exemption for Fall 2024 if you will remain outside the United States until December 31, 2024 or later.
If you will enter the United States before December 31, 2024, you are ineligible for an exemption.
If you are approved for an exemption for the Fall 2024 semester and then enroll in classes taking place in person on the MSU campus for the Spring 2025 semester, your health insurance coverage dates will be as follows:
Fall 2024 Semester: EXEMPTION from August 16, 2024 - December 31, 2024Spring 2025 Semester: COVERAGE EFFECTIVE February 16, 2025 - August 15, 2025
If you obtain an exemption and must unexpectedly travel to the United States at any time between August 16, 2024, and December 31, 2024, you will need to purchase Early Arrival Insurance. More information and a link to the form may be found in the “New Student Early Arrival Health Insurance” tab above
Please check this page for future updates on exemptions for upcoming semesters.
Most international students will no longer have the option to use health insurance other than MSU’s SHIP. A limited number of international students will still have access to apply for a waiver. Those groups are as follows:
More details about the Health Insurance Waiver process can be found at https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/students/health/waiver.html .
Aetna is NOT mailing plastic cards to anyone! Everything is digital. Here’s how students can get a card:
From a computer:
MSU Student Health Services offers a wide range of medical services on campus at the Olin Health Center.
Your health care costs will be lowest at Olin, so it should be your first stop whenever possible. For emergencies, please go to the nearest Emergency Room. For information on what is an emergency, see the “Is this an Emergency?” section of the Local Health Facilities Map.
Local area students who are sick or hurt when the Olin Health Center is closed can seek medical care close to campus. Please refer to this map of local health care resources.
Students who are studying outside of Michigan but are still located inside the United States can use this resource to find health care providers that are in-network for MSU's student insurance through the Academic Health Plan.
There are three types of resources students in this situation should use:
In the United States, it is best to visit a facility called an Urgent Care Center for most common illnesses or injuries. At an Urgent Care Center, no appointments are needed and students can usually see a doctor quickly (within one hour). The cost for treatment is much lower than an Emergency Room (“ER”). You can find the locations of Urgent Care Centers located close to MSU's campus on our Local Health Facilities Map (PDF).
Students should only use a hospital emergency room when facing a serious illness or injury. In most countries around the world, people can visit hospitals for any kind of illness or injury, even if it is a minor condition. In the United States, students should only use the ER when the condition is a serious emergency. It is a common mistake for international students to go to the ER when experiencing a minor illness or injury. Students who make this mistake often wait for several hours to see a doctor and end up paying a high price for their medical care. However, when the injury or illness is severe or if an illness or injury is not improving with medical care from another doctor, the ER is the right place to go.
Below are examples of appropriate conditions for ER treatment:
If you or someone near you is in a life-threatening situation, always dial 911 from any phone. An ambulance, police officers, or fire engine will be sent to your location.
Pharmacies in the United States can offer two types of medicine: prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Pharmacies also always have a professional pharmacist available whenever they are open. Pharmacists can answer questions you may have about the medicines available at the pharmacy.
If a doctor wants you to take medicine for your medical condition, they will write a prescription for a certain drug. The prescription may be given to you on a piece of paper or may be sent electronically to a pharmacy that you choose. If your prescription is on a piece of paper you can take it to any pharmacy to get the prescription filled and to pick up your medicine. If your prescription is sent electronically, you should go directly to the pharmacy that received your electronic prescription. Your health insurance will usually cover most of the cost of prescription drugs.
There are many common medications that are available to purchase without a prescription at pharmacies. Common OTC medications include: mild pain relievers, cold & cough medicines, and digestive remedies. These medications will be on store shelves instead of behind the pharmacy counter. If you are not sure which OTC drug to choose, you can ask the pharmacist for advice.
If you want to get work experience in the United States after graduation, you will use work authorization called either Optional Practical Training (F-1) or Academic Training (J-1). Learn more about work authorization in the U.S.
After you graduate from MSU, there is no requirement for you to continue to carry health insurance. However, the cost of medical care in the United States is so high that it is very risky to be inside the country without health insurance coverage. We highly recommend that you obtain coverage for your entire OPT time period.
After you graduate from MSU, the university will no longer enforce a health insurance requirement.
However, the J-1 visa status does require that you maintain sufficient health insurance coverage at all times.
All J-1 and J-2 visas holders are required to maintain health insurance that meets the following minimum requirements:
You are responsible for maintaining your status and that of any J-2 dependents while in the United States. Failure to maintain health insurance that meets the above criteria will result in a violation of your visa status.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
If you have questions regarding your bills or EOBs, please contact ihealth(at)msu.edu .
Learn More
Click Understanding the EOB for more information.