Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

All non-immigrant international students in F and J student visa status are required to purchase and maintain adequate medical health insurance and repatriation/medical evacuation coverage while they’re enrolled at LSU. F and J visa students will be automatically charged for and enrolled in the LSU SHIP.

Students may choose an alternate plan and request to be considered for a waiver of the LSU SHIP. The alternate plan must meet LSU’s requirements, and the waiver request must be submitted by the semester deadline date. Waivers must be submitted each term.

To request the waiver, follow the steps listed below.

1. Go to www.gallagherstudent.com/lsu-batonrouge.
2. Follow the login Instructions.
3. Click “Waive” under ‘Plan Summary’.
4. You will need your health insurance information.
5. Follow the instructions to complete the form.

 

Repatriation of Remains and Medical Evacuation Coverage

All non-immigrant international students in F and J student visa status are required to maintain these coverages while they are enrolled at LSU. These benefits are included in the LSU Student Plan (SHIP). If you are waiving LSU SHIP, please see important information below on what coverage you will need to purchase. 

• Repatriation of Remains means transporting the remains of an insured person back to their home country in case of death. Without this coverage, the person's family members would pay to have the person's remains transported back to their home country; the cost is thousands of dollars. The required minimum amount of coverage for repatriation of remains to home country is $25,000. Pre-existing condition-related deaths must be covered; coverage must remain in force during entire stay in the U.S.
• Medical Evacuation means transferring an insured person to the nearest hospital or to their home country in case of an emergency injury or sickness. Without this coverage, the person's family members would have to pay all costs related to the medical evacuation; the costs are thousands of dollars. The required minimum amount of coverage for medical evacuation to home country is $50,000. Pre-existing condition-related illnesses must be covered; coverage must remain in force during entire stay in the U.S.

If you are an F visa status holder, and your private medical health insurance policy does not include these required benefits, you must purchase these benefits separately. One option is to purchase the Emergency Travel Assistance Plan through Gallagher by following the instructions below. The policy is effective for one full year. 

1. Go to Emergency Travel Assistance Plan website.
2. Create an account.
3. Select Return Home on the left-hand toolbar.
4. Scroll down and click on Enroll Now.
5. Complete the form with your information and payment.

Insurance for J visa status holders is monitored by International Services. The International Services Office will notify you by email if your private plan does not include these benefits.

More information on the F and J visa student requirements can be found here.

All full-time, minimum 50% effort, Graduate Assistants are required to purchase and maintain the SHIP provided by LSU. The Graduate School subsidizes 75% of this with the Insurance Benefit Exemption. The GA will then be responsible for the remaining 25%.  

Students may choose an alternate plan and request to be considered for a waiver of the LSU SHIP. The alternate plan must meet LSU’s requirements, and the waiver request must be submitted by the semester deadline date. Waivers must be submitted each term.

To request the waiver, follow the steps listed below.

1. Go to www.gallagherstudent.com/lsu-batonrouge.
2. Follow the login Instructions.
3. Click “Waive” under ‘Plan Summary’.
4. You will need your health insurance information.
5. Follow the instructions to complete the form.

More information on the Graduate Assistant insurance requirements can be found here.

Students on a fellowship that are eligible are not automatically charged insurance but may “opt-in” to the insurance with the same rates as the Graduate Assistants and the same 75% exemption. Correspondence will be sent to the eligible students by the Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School at the beginning of each semester.

All LSU and LSU Law Center students who are not automatically charged insurance through the above processes and registered for resident study, excluding Continuing Education participants, are eligible to purchase the voluntary plan for themselves and their dependents. Students can enroll themselves on myLSU > Registration Services > Additional Services or directly online with Gallagher Student Insurance. Students can enroll from class registration through the 14th class day of each semester.

If students wish to enroll with Gallagher directly, or add a dependent, it can be done here.

For additional resources and Gallagher contacts, please click here.