International Students & Scholars / Health Insurance

ISS advising

Health Insurance

In order to meet health insurance requirements for international students, California State University Fullerton (CSUF) requires all enrolled F-1/J-1 international students to purchase the CSUF International Student Health Plan administered by Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk before registering for classes. No alternate health insurance plans are accepted. Certain government sponsored international students may be exempt from this requirement, depending on documentation submitted to CSUF. Please see below for additional information.U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents and non-F-1/J-1 international students are not eligible to purchase this plan.The comprehensive insurance program includes coverage for accidental injury/sickness, medical evacuation, and repatriation and is also valid when traveling outside the United States.

Purchase Insurance

How to Purchase CSUF International Student Health Insurance

Depending on your study program, you may purchase the health insurance in different ways:

  • One payment: coverage for one year, August 1 to July 31
  • Split/Two payments:
    • Fall coverage: August 1 to December 31
    • Spring/Summer coverage: January 1 to July 31

Term by term payment: 

  • Fall coverage: August 1 to December 31
  • Spring coverage: January 1 to May 31
  • Summer coverage: June 1 to July 31

Term by term payment:

  • Fall coverage: August 1 to December 31
  • Spring coverage: January 1 to May 31

Students who have applied or received approval for Post-Completion OPT have the option of purchasing the Anthem Student Health Insurance plan. Purchasing this plan is voluntary. Please note that STEM-OPT students are not eligible for this insurance coverage. Additionally, you must meet the following conditions:

  1. You must be currently enrolled in the student health plan for this university (or) within 30 days of your plan expiration date.
  2. You must have a valid EAD or I-797 receipt notice – document upload is required.
  3. You must maintain continuous coverage – no gaps in coverage are allowed.
  4. You are only eligible for the student insurance plan for a maximum of two quarters beyond graduation.

Coverage dates for each quarter are specified below. Be prepared to provide JCB with one of the following documents: copy of OPT Application, or copy of Form I-797 USCIS Notice Receipt, or copy of OPT EAD.

  • OPT Quarter 1: August 1 to October 31
  • OPT Quarter 2: November 1 to January 31
  • OPT Quarter 3: January 1 to March 31
  • OPT Quarter 4: April 1 to June 30

How to Purchase if Graduating Spring or Summer Term

Deadline to purchase: August 30

If you are graduating in a Spring or Summer semester and have applied for Post-Completion OPT and meet requirements 1-4 listed above, you can purchase Quarter 1 online on the Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk Website before August 30. Please note you can only extend coverage for one additional quarter, which would be Quarter 2. To extend coverage, login to your Gallagher account and enroll. Deadline to purchase your health insurance renewal is November 30. No exceptions.

Coverage Dates for Spring/Summer Graduates

OPT Quarter 1: August 1 to October 31

OPT Quarter 2: November 1 to January 31 (Renewal Deadline = November 30)

How to Purchase if Graduating Fall Term

Deadline to purchase: January 30

If you are graduating in a Fall semester and have applied for Post-Completion OPT and meet requirements 1-4 listed above, please email GGB.JCB.Studentservices@ajg.com to purchase Quarter 3 before January 30th. Please note you can only extend coverage for one additional quarter, which would be Quarter 4. To extend coverage, login to your JCB account and enroll. Deadline to purchase your health insurance renewal is April 30. No exceptions.

Coverage Dates for Fall Graduates

OPT Quarter 3: January 1 to March 31

OPT Quarter 4: April 1 to June 30 (Renewal Deadline = April 30)

Steps to enroll

  1. Go to jcbins.com. 
  2. Type Cal State Fullerton in the search box.
  3. Select your plan year, student category, and click Go.
  4. Scroll down to Start Here. Select if you want to buy coverage for your dependents that will be living with you in the U.S. (a spouse or children). If not, select no.
  5. Select your coverage term. (The coverage term should correspond with your intended semester of attendance.)
  6. Click Download the Plan Brochure to download and save the details of the health insurance plan.
  7. Read the Important Enrollment Information. If you agree, select Yes, I agree to the above information and click Continue to Next Step.
  8. Create an account, complete the form and pay with a credit card.
  9. Print the confirmation page and save a copy for your records.

  1. Go to jcbins.com. 
  2. Type Cal State Fullerton in the search box.
  3. Select your plan year, student category Semester Abroad/Exchange Students, and click Go.
  4. Scroll down to Start Here. Select if you want to buy coverage for your dependents that will be living with you in the U.S. (a spouse or children). If not, select no.
  5. Select your coverage term. (The coverage term should correspond with your intended semester of attendance.)
  6. Click Download the Plan Brochure to download and save the details of the health insurance plan.
  7. Read the Important Enrollment Information. If you agree, select Yes, I agree to the above information and click Continue to Next Step.
  8. Create an account, complete the form and pay with a credit card.
  9. Print the confirmation page and save a copy for your records.
international student holds

International Student Holds

International students on F1 or J1 visas will have a “International Student Hold” or "ISS hold" on their CSUF Student Account. Once international students purchase CSUF International Student Health Insurance, ISS will be notified of purchase and will remove the hold within 2-3 business days. The ISS hold will reappear before the next enrollment window as a reminder to obtain the required CSUF international student health insurance coverage. 

Helpful tips: Please plan on purchasing the required CSUF international health insurance at least two weeks before you plan to enroll in courses. Avoid purchasing on Fridays or on the weekends.

Government-Sponsored Students

Government-sponsored students may be exempt from purchasing the Anthem Student Health Plan from Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk if they can provide documentation that their government will be purchasing a U.S. health insurance policy. If you are a government-sponsored student and believe you are eligible for an exemption, contact your financial sponsor to provide our office with a valid financial guarantee. Allow a few days for processing and adjustment of the ISS hold.

If your financial guarantees or home government scholarship has expired, you will see the ISS hold which will prevent course enrollment. Please contact your financial sponsor about providing both ISS and CSUF Student Business Services with a valid financial guarantee so that the ISS hold can be adjusted.. 

health care professional working at CSUF

Using Your Health Insurance

Create your Anthem Account

  1. Go to https://www.anthem.com/ca/register/
  2. Select Student ID to register with your Campus Wide ID (CWID)
  3. Enter your first name, last name, CWID and Date of Birth and click Next
  4. Follow the instructions to finish creating your account. 

Download the Sydney Health app

The Anthem Insurance Company does not print and mail medical insurance cards. By default, all cards will be electronic and can be printed or saved to your device. To access your card, follow the steps below:

  1. From your mobile device or tablet go to the App Store or Google Play and search for and download the Sydney Health app. 
  2. Select Register. Enter your Member ID, which you can locate in your Anthem Account, as well as your first name, last name, and date of birth. 
  3. Follow the instructions to finish creating your account.

  4. With the Sydney Health app, you have instant access to:

    1. Your member ID card
    2. The Find a Doctor tool
    3. More information about your plan benefits
    4. Health tips that are tailored to you
    5. LiveHealth Online and 24/7 Nurse Line
    6. Student support specialists (through click-to-chat or by phone)

Questions about the app, please visit www.anthem.com/ca or call Anthem Student Advantage at 1-800-888-2108.

Please note that ID cards are available on your plan start date or 3 weeks after purchase, whichever is later. If you are unable to access your ID card and are getting error messages, it could be due to inaccurate enrollment information you provided to Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk. You can access your Gallagher account to verify the enrollment information, or you can contact Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk directly at 714-869-2961 or GGB.JCB.Studentservices@ajg.com.

Medical Care Options

Sick and need immediate help? If so, review our infographic which summarizes the information below.

CSUF offer a variety of health related services under the heading of “Student Wellness,” which are funded by the required Student Health Fee that all matriculated students must pay. You are not eligible to use these services if you do not pay the Student Health Fee. The Student Health fee provides basic medical and counseling services to students, including Government-Sponsored, making these services either free or at a significantly reduced cost. CSUF students eligible for these basic services are also eligible for the same coverage at all CSU campuses. See below for an overview of the Student Wellness programs:

  • Health Services: services include but are not limited to primary care, gynecology, lab testing, pharmacy, physical exams and physical therapy.
  • Counseling and Psychological Services: services include a variety of counseling types, psychiatric, crisis and case management support.
  • Disability Support Services: services include various forms of academic accommodations and interventions for learning or physically disabled CSUF students.

Students who are covered by Anthem can call the 24/7 NurseLine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-700-9184. Call this line to speak with a Registered Nurse and ask a variety of questions, including how to choose the best treatment option. 

There are multiple ways to find a doctor, hospital or pharmacy that are covered under your Anthem Student Health insurance plan.

Option 1: Website

  1. Go to Anthem Website, https://student.anthem.com/welcome and select "student" and the state you live in.
  2. Select your school
  3. Select Find a Provider
  4. Perform your Search

or

Option 2: Sydney Health App

If you haven't already, follow the instructions above to Download the Sydney Health App. Under Manage Healthcare, select "Find & Estimate Care". 

or

Option 3: Toll Free Phone Number

Call the Customer service phone number at 800-888-2108 to speak to a representative and get assistance in locating Anthem network care providers, practitioners or facilities.

Voluntary Dental and Vision Care

If you are age 19 or older, you may purchase optional Anthem dental or vision coverage at an additional cost. Dental and vision coverage coverage are optional and are not included in your health insurance plan. For students under the age of 19, there is limited dental and vision coverage included in the health insurance plan. Please refer to the summary of benefits in the CSUF Anthem Plan Brochure for more information. 

Steps to Enroll

  1. Go to https://jcbins.com/,
  2. Type Cal State Fullerton in the search box, then
  3. Select your plan year
  4. Use the dropdown menu for "What type of student are you?" to select either Anthem Dental or Anthem Blue View Vision. 
  5. Click "Start Here" to complete the online enrollment. 

Plan Summary
Click on the links below to learn more about the plan cost and benefit information. 

Handouts

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can purchase the health insurance after you arrive to Cal State Fullerton. However, please note that you will not be able to enroll in any classes, until after you have purchased the health insurance and your ISS hold has been removed.

If you are unable to get a student visa and cannot arrive to the U.S., you may request a refund of the health insurance purchase by sending an email to ISS. Refund eligibility depends on when you purchased the health insurance and when you submit your email request for the refund.

  • Deadline for refund requests of Fall or Annual Coverage purchased: September 1
  • Deadline for refund requests of Spring or Spring-Summer purchased: February 1