Health Issues
The United States system of medical care is quite different from that of many other countries. You must pay for medical services in the US yourself; there is no national health insurance. Hospital costs alone can be $1000 a day and physicians' fees are also high. One cannot afford to be without medical insurance. For this reason the University requires all full-time students - and strongly urges all dependents - to either subscribe to the SUNY Student Health Insurance or have proof of comparable medical coverage. As a full-time international student, you will be required to have adequate medical insurance. If you feel that you have adequate or comparable medical coverage, you may submit a Health Insurance Waiver Request Form * for consideration. Along with this form, you must also submit the Insurance Checklist * and a photocopy of your insurance card and policy in English. Your waiver will be reviewed and you will be notified of our decision.
Student Health Insurance
All international students are required to purchase the University health insurance or show comparable coverage. Most insurance policies purchased abroad are not comparable to the SUNY New Paltz insurance policy. In order to be considered comparable, it must cover such items as preexisting conditions, medical evacuation and repatriation, emergency care and medical tests. The State University of New York Health Insurance Policy provides a comprehensive range of medical services including emergency care, diagnostic tests, and hospitalization. If you believe that your medical insurance is comparable, you must provide documentation in English verifying that you are covered for the entire time that you will be in the United States and that the coverage you have is adequate. Supporting documentation should be provided verifying the period of time covered by the policy and complete information about all medical benefits.
The Student Health Center provides for the general health care needs of registered students while the college is in regular session. All students must pay the Health Service fee, even if they have private health insurance. The Health Center promotes all aspects of maintaining good health, including prevention, immunization, mental health, and education. It is open weekdays while the University is in session. When the Health Center is closed there are on-call physicians who can be accessed through Campus Police or the Resident Director on duty.
Health Report and Immunization Record
Prior to the beginning of the semester all students must mail their completed Health Report and Physician's Certificate form to the Center for International Programs. We will forward this to the Health Center. This form must be on file at the Health Center before the start of the academic term. Note that Health Center records are confidential and information from a student's chart will not be released without proper authorization.
Spouse/Family Health Care
It is extremely important to have health insurance for your spouse and children. Health insurance for your dependents may be purchased through the University at additional cost, or, alternatively, through private insurance companies which provide coverage for international students and their dependents. If you and your dependents are in J-1/J-2 immigration status, you are all required to have a comprehensive health insurance policy in order to maintain your immigration status. Because of the high cost of family health insurance, you are advised to figure the cost of health insurance for your family into your overall budget.
