Health Issues and Insurance Requirements
Medical Records:
Be sure to bring copies (translated into English) of your medical records and those of accompanying family members. File your medical records at Gannett: Cornell University Health Services when you arrive.
Insurance:
You must have a health and accident policy providing you and your dependents with protection in the event of major illness or injury.
All Cornell students are automatically provided with and charged for health and accident insurance. Students on the F-1 visa may substitute a comparable external insurance plan for the Cornell plan. If you have a comparable external insurance plan and do not want the Cornell insurance, you must sign a waiver at Gannett: Cornell University Health Services within 30 days of registration. All students must have an insurance plan that meets Cornell requirements. Please contact the Health Insurance Office at Gannett for more information. Please note that students on the J-1 visa and their dependents are required to maintain the following additional coverage during their entire period of J-1 status:
- repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500
- $10,000 coverage for medical evacuation to home country
Due to US government regulations, J-1 students and their dependents must show ISSO staff evidence of this amount of insurance coverage, or they will be automatically billed for the Cornell insurance plan.
Help with insurance matters is available before registration through the Office of Student Insurance, 409 College Avenue, Suite 211, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. For more information on the Student Health Insurance Plan, please check this link Student Insurance, or write to: sicu@cornell.edu. For information on Gannett Student Health Services, please visit Cornell University, Gannett: Cornell University Health Services, 10 Central Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14853-3101, USA.
We recommend that you arrange for a life insurance policy with an agency in your home country before leaving for Ithaca.
Dental care:
Most insurance plans in the U.S. do not cover dental care. Dental care in the U.S. can be costly, so we strongly recommend that you have a complete dental checkup before leaving your home country. Cornell health plan does not include dental care.