See the MIT Student Health Plans web site for more information.
Remember to return the Medical Report forms to the MIT Health Department six weeks prior to course registration. Questions should be directed to MIT Health at 617-253-1777 or medrpt@med.mit.edu. The MIT Health Department is required by Massachusetts law to have students’ medical records on file. Failure to provide the forms will result in a penalty of at least $80.00 and may result in a delay in your course registration.
It is especially important that all international students have adequate health insurance. Hospitalization is very expensive in the United States. If you are injured or become seriously ill you will incur major medical expenses, and international students are not eligible for assistance from the U.S. government. Furthermore, Massachusetts law requires all full-time students to have hospital insurance that meets specified minimum standards. Since MIT offers a Student Health Insurance Plan with coverage that exceeds these standards, all regular and special students registered with 27 or more units will be automatically enrolled in and billed for individual membership in the MIT Student Health Insurance Plan. Students who have comparable health and hospital insurance may be able to waive the MIT insurance if the insurance meets two important requirements: 1) coverage must meet the Massachusetts minimum standards, and 2) the insurance must cover you while you are in the U.S. Please contact the Student Insurance Office to obtain more information about the Massachusetts minimum standards.
If you want to waive the mandatory MIT insurance, you need to complete the Waiver Request Form and return it to the Student Insurance Office. The request should be received by the Student Insurance Office by August 1 for the Fall term and by January 2 for the Spring term. It is important to submit your Waiver Request Form on time. If a Waiver Request Form is submitted late, you will be billed for the time during which you were enrolled in the MIT insurance.
Federal regulations require J-1 visa holders to purchase hospital insurance for their dependents. Therefore, if you are a J-1 student and your dependents will accompany you to the U.S., it is extremely important that you purchase the MIT student insurance for your family. The minimum coverage period for each family member is three months. There are strict rules for adding or deleting family members from your family insurance plan. Please contact the MIT Student Insurance Office to learn more about purchasing family insurance.
Health insurance in the U.S. is a very complex and important issue. For this reason, you are encouraged to contact the Student Insurance Office with questions and concerns. All requests for information and forms should be addressed to:
MIT Student Insurance Office
Tel: (617) 253-1322
Email: Student Insurance Office
IMPORTANT: Before you arrive to MIT, we recommend that you obtain outside insurance to cover the time when you and your family first arrive. If your home country does not offer any, you could look into the below insurance companies.
Please note: you should also have short-term insurance in between the time when you graduate and start working while you are on post-OPT or post-AT.
Private Insurance Plans
*These plans are not endorsed by ISO
Compass Student Insurance
