International students and scholars, including J-2 or F-2 family members, are required to have health insurance while at Willamette. Good health insurance helps protect your ability to continue your study by managing healthcare costs.
Willamette University (WU) provides a mandatory health insurance plan throughPacificSource Health Plans.
You and your dependents are automatically enrolled.
Note, this a medical plan only. Dental is NOT included for adults (over age 18).
It is reasonably priced for the high level of coverage it provides.
Meets U.S. Affordable Care Act requirements.
Meets "J" visa health insurance requirements, including medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.
Enrollment & billing to your WU student account are done via the Office of International Education.
Enrollment is on an annual period. Cost is billed to you in two pieces: once at the beginning of each semester. See the Cost table below for details.
One semester exchange students: You are billed only for the term you attend Willamette.
Note: Insurance does not cover 100% of healthcare costs. You pay the cost of the insurance (table below) plus you pay the healthcare provider for costs/balances that insurance does not cover. These costs are called: co-pay, deductible, coinsurance, non-covered or excluded costs, out-of-network costs, etc. Purchasing insurance is a cost in addition to any of these balances.
Cost
2026-2027 PacificSource Student Health Plan
(mm/dd/yy)
Annual 8/1/26-7/31/27
Fall 8/1/26-1/5/27
Spring 1/6/27-7/31/27
Student
$ 4,818*
$ 2,093*
$ 2,725*
Spouse**
$ 4,718
$ 2,043
$ 2,675
each Child**
$ 4,718
$ 2,043
$ 2,675
*Includes $50 per semester administrative fee. No administrative fee for Dependents. ** Dependents can only enroll if student/scholar is also enrolled. Costs will be reversed if a waiver request is approved.
Waiver Request Deadlines
Fall Deadline: Friday, September 4, 2026
Academic year or Fall only students
Spring Deadline: Friday, January 22, 2027
Spring waiver applies only if your first term at Willamette is spring 2027. Thereafter your deadline will be in fall.
International Student Health Insurance Requirement Toolkit
This is a checklist of items that your personal insurance must provide coverage for while you are in the United States. Please review the following items and assess your own current insurance to see if it meets the insurance requirements. If you are completely covered by your current insurance, proceed to Steps 2 and 3 to request a waiver. If you are not covered enough by your current insurance, Willamette University will enroll you in PacificSource.
$500 Deductible
Your insurance must have an annual deductible of $500 or less per policy year. A deductible is the amount you must pay before your health insurance begins to help pay for the cost of medical treatment.
Example: You receive a $1000 bill for a medical emergency. You must pay $500 and split the rest with your insurance.
$5000 Out-Of-Pocket
Your insurance must have an out-of-pocket limit of $5000 or less per policy year. An out-of-pocket limit is the maximum amount you would have to pay in a policy year for medical bills.
Example: You have paid $5000 dollars for medical bills and have a medical emergency. Your insurance will cover all costs and future costs until the end of the coverage period.
25% Coinsurance
Your insurance must have a coinsurance amount of 25% or less. Coinsurance is your share of the cost of a covered service calculated as a percentage of the service cost.
Example: You receive a treatment for a medical treatment that is covered by your insurance. You have already spent $500 (your deductible) on a separate medical treatment and are charged $100 dollars. You will be required to pay $25 dollars (25%) and your insurance will cover the rest.
General Coverage
Your insurance must cover the following services:
Inpatient care and expenses- treatment provided for individuals who are admitted into a hospital overnight and for an extended period of time
Outpatient care- treatment and services for individuals who arrive and leave a hospital or clinic on the same day
Physician expenses- visits to a doctor’s office or for a doctor’s visit to a hospital
Ambulance Services- emergency transportation to a hospital
Emergency services- immediate care and services provided to an individual who needs medical attention by a hospital’s emergency department or an urgent care facility
Labs, diagnostic tests, and X-rays-procedures used to check for or identify a health issue
Prescription drugs- drugs prescribed by a medical professional for the treatment of a medical condition
Mental Health Coverage
Your insurance must cover inpatient and outpatient mental health services the same as any other illness. Mental health coverage must be clearly listed as a covered item.
Extended Coverage
Your insurance must cover the following items and these must be treated the same as any other covered condition: intramural sports injuries, alcohol and illegal drug use related illness and injury; substance abuse treatment; pregnancy; and prescription contraceptives the same as other prescription drugs.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Your insurance must cover pre-existing conditions the same as any new medical condition and not require a waiting or qualifying period. A pre-existing condition is a physical or mental condition of an insured person that existed before enrollment in a health plan.
Oregon
Your insurance must provide coverage in the state of Oregon. Coverage can sometimes be limited to specific regions and states even when a provider states that they offer coverage in the United States.
Payment
Your insurance must be able to pay you for your insurance claims while in the United States. As explained above, you will often need to pay for medical treatments first before your insurance can provide coverage. Typically you are required to either submit a receipt of payment and your bill to your provider who will then reimburse you for what is covered.
Degree-Seeking Students
If you are a degree-seeking student (someone who plans to earn a degree from Willamette), your insurance must include unlimited lifetime medical benefits for covered medical expenses, including illness, injury, and accident.
Exchange Students
If you are an exchange student (someone who is not seeking a degree from Willamette and is only attending for one or two semesters), your insurance must include a benefit of at least $500,000 per policy period for covered medical expenses that include illness, injury, and accident.
Additional Coverage
While studying at Willamette University you are required to have coverage for:
$50,000 Medical Evacuation- coverage that will pay at least $50,000 of expenses for transporting you back to your home country in the case of medical emergency
$25,000 Repatriation- coverage that will pay at least $25,000 of expenses for returning your remains (in the case of death) to your home country
If these two items are not covered by your insurance, you can purchase additional insurance that will provide coverage. These are the only exceptions to the list above.
If you determine that you have sufficient coverage, please provide us with a PDF copy of your current plan and benefits. You must highlight or make note of where it lists the items we have required. Please email this copy to oieadvising@willamette.edu.
Our office will make a decision based on what you have submitted. If your waiver is not approved, you will be required to enroll in the insurance that we provide. If you are approved, it is critical that you speak with your provider to confirm our required items and discuss the details of your coverage.
Supplemental Travel Insurance Companies
If your current insurance policy covers you for all necessary health insurance requirements except for medical evacuation and repatriation, you can sign up for a supplemental travel insurance policy that covers these items.
Here is what you need:
You must have coverage for medical evacuation to your home country of at least $50,000.
You must have coverage for repatriation of remains (in the case of death) of at least $25,000.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you are adequately covered. Here are some companies that Willamette students have used in the past: