Rice University offers an insurance plan specific to international students, administered by Wellfleet. Eligible students and scholars must be engaged in full-time international education or educational activities, temporarily living outside their home country or country of regular domicile as a non-resident alien in the United States, and possess a current passport or student visa.
All students at Rice University are required to have health insurance coverage and show proof of coverage. Additionally, all non-immigrant visa holders and their dependents are required to carry insurance for the duration of their program.
All Rice-sponsored F-1 and J-1 international students must enroll in either plan:
OR
Exceptions to enrolling in one of the two approved plans are made only if supporting documentation provided falls into one of these 3 specific categories:
- The student is no longer on a Rice-sponsored F-1 or J-1 student visa
- The student is a government-sponsored student with insurance benefit
- The student is currently residing abroad engaging in approved research/study abroad OISS will make final decision. Students’ outside insurance must meet waiver requirements. No other exceptions will be made!
To enroll for Wellfleet, follow the steps below:
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Visit https://oiss.rice.edu/studenthealth/ to enroll in the Wellfleet plan.
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Submit your premium payment online through SAS by credit card (a mail-in version is also available for payment by check). SAS manages the enrollment but the plan is administered by Wellfleet.
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Upon successful submission, you will see a confirmation page to print out for your records
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Students who enroll in the Wellfleet plan are NO LONGER REQUIRED to apply for a waiver. OISS receives the enrollment confirmation directly from Wellfleet in about a week after your enrollment. Students do not need to provide confirmation of enrollment unless requested by OISS or Student Health. Your Rice student account will be updated within 5 business days of receiving confirmation from Wellfleet.
IMPORTANT: The Rice University Medical Insurance Subsidy for Graduate Students is only available to those students enrolled in the Aetna Insurance plan. If you are enrolled in the Wellfleet plan you are not eligible for the insurance subsidy.
Resources for students enrolled in the Wellfleet Plan:
- File a Claim
- Request and Print your ID Card
- FAQ's
- Rice University International Student Health Insurance Policy
- Find a Preferred Provider
Who to contact:
- Enrollment Issues: SAS
- Benefits and Claims Issues: Consolidated Health Plans.
Important Contacts:
- Office of International Students and Scholars:
Email - oiss@rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-6095 - SAS Website: http://www.sas-mn.com/
SAS Customer Service Phone: 1-800-328-2739
Direct Contact for Rice University: Paul Fisher - 877-626-0360
email: paul@psihealthplans.com - Consolidated Health Plan: www.chpstudent.com
2077 Roosevelt Ave. Springfield, MA 01104
Phone: 800-633-7867 (8am - 5pm)
For more information, please visit: http://oiss.rice.edu/studenthealth/
Frequently Asked Questions
- Am I exempt from the Rice University International Student Health Insurance Policy?
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Exempt Students: Currently a Domestic student OR an International student without an F-1 or J-1 visa OR an international student that has been granted an exception from the Rice University International Student Health Insurance Policy.
Non-Exempt Students: Currently an International student that has a Rice-Sponsored F-1 or J-1 visa.
Click HERE to see if you are EXEMPT or NON-EXEMPT
- What does it mean if I am exempt?
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Being exempt ONLY means you are exempt from the Rice University International Student Health Insurance Plan. You may submit a waiver using your private insurance coverage, but please note, this does not guarantee that your waiver will be approved (see next question).
- If I am exempt, does that mean my waiver will be automatically approved?
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No, your waiver will ONLY be accepted if it meets the Rice University Waiver Requirements.