The following minimum standards for health insurance have been created to ensure appropriate and adequate health insurance coverage for the students of Bowling Green State University and to educate our campus community on issues about health insurance.

It is anticipated that the vast majority of employer-sponsored health care plans (family plans) will most likely meet these minimum standards. If you have any questions, the Student Insurance Office will be able to assist you. Please contact the Student Insurance Office in room 134 Health Center Building, call 419-372-7495 or email studentins@bgsu.edu. 

Both the Student Insurance Office and the Health Service Advisory Committee caution students who might consider purchasing stand-alone internet-based plans. It has been our experience that these plans may not provide sufficient levels of coverage to students in need of medical services and many do not meet the minimum standards.

To be waived from the BGSU-offered student insurance plan, students must be enrolled in an alternative health insurance plan which meets the following minimum standards as required by BGSU and/or U.S. Federal regulations developed for some international students.

The policy must:

• have a deductible per illness or injury of U.S.  $1,000 or less.

This is from a Federal regulation and minimizes your up-front out of pocket expenses.  A deductible is the amount of money you must pay per illness or injury before the insurance coverage “kicks in”.  Therefore, the lower this number, the better the coverage.  If your plan is a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), with a Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) or Healthcare Reimbursement Account (HRA), please contact the Insurance Office at (419)372-7495.

• have an out-of-pocket maximum of U.S. $10,000 or less.

This means that the insurance plan will stop your out of pocket expenses at $10,000. Once you have spent this much, the insurance plan starts paying for 100% of your covered medical expenses. The lower this number, the better the coverage.

• provide at least U.S. $50,000 per covered illness or injury

This is from a Federal regulation and ensures that insurance will pay at least $50,000 towards each illness or injury. The higher this number, the better the coverage.

• provide at least U.S. $2,000 towards prescription medications

The benefit for prescription medications is the most used element of a student insurance plan. This level of coverage will ensure that insurance will pay at least $2,000 towards these expenses. The higher this number, the better the coverage.

• provide at least U.S. $10,000 coverage for inpatient and outpatient treatment of mental and nervous disorders including drug and alcohol-related conditions (Policies that treat mental and nervous disorders as any other illness are acceptable.)

This is a long-standing BGSU requirement. It ensures that students who sustain medical expenses due to mental and nervous disorders including drug and alcohol-related conditions (unfortunately one of the more common reasons that university students are seen in hospital emergency rooms) have insurance coverage. This coverage is omitted in many internet-based student insurance plans . Many family plans treat mental and nervous disorders like any other illness, so a dollar value may not be specified. If this is the case, it usually ensures very good coverage. The higher this number, the better the coverage.

• treat pregnancy/maternity as any other illness

This is a long-standing BGSU requirement regardless of gender or sexual orientation.  It helps our pregnant students remain enrolled and in class.

• provide at least U.S. $7,500 for repatriation and U.S. $10,000 for medical evacuation for international students

This is from a Federal regulation and only applies to international students. If you are an international student and you have questions, please contact the Student Insurance Office, located in Room 134 of the Health Center Building  or by calling (419)372-7495.

• be underwritten by a U.S.-based insurance company having a rating of “A-” or
“ A-1” or better (Canadian provincial insurance will be considered acceptable)

This is from a Federal regulation. These ratings are based on the economic stability and viability of the insurance company. The higher the rating (A or A+), the better. This applies to International students only.  If you are an international student and you have questions, please contact the Student Insurance Office, located in Room 134 of the Health Center Building  or by calling (419)372-7495.

• provide coverage for medically necessary inpatient and outpatient services locally and throughout the state of Ohio

This ensures that students are able to obtain needed medical care while studying in Bowling Green and at BGSU-sponsored internship/externship sites.

• provide coverage at all times the student is studying at BGSU

Policies which meet all the above minimum standards will be accepted in place of the BGSU-offered student insurance plan.

Now is the time to start thinking about your health insurance plan. The web-based waiver/enrollment system will be up and running shortly. Please contact the Student Insurance Office at 419-372-7495 with any and all questions you may have.