Insurance Requirement for F-1 Students
City College of San Francisco F-1 international students are required to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage. The college has mandated that F-1 visa students must fulfill these requirements by enrolling in the coverage chosen by the college for our international students. All City College of San Francisco international students who are here on an F-1 visa are therefore required to purchase health insurance through Relation Insurance with Anthem Blue Cross.
This policy provides excellent medical coverage at a competitive price. Once you have enrolled in your health insurance for the term, you will be able to choose your doctor(s) from a large number of health care providers in the San Francisco and Bay Area communities who are part of the Anthem Blue Cross network. The student plan is called "Passport to Healthcare Primary PPO".
This insurance is mandatory for all F-1 international students.
How to Enroll
International Students in the Credit (Academic) Program, Conditional Admission Program, and Intensive English Program (IEP) may enroll in the insurance coverage in one of the following ways:
After you have enrolled, please allow a minimum of 1-2 business days for your payment to be processed, and for your insurance hold on myRAM Portal to be removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
The policy provides excellent benefits, including 80% coverage for most physician and clinic/hospital services within network, minus a co-pay, if applicable. A $40 co-payment is required to see a doctor. A $40 co-payment is always required to go to Urgent Care. There is a $250 co-payment if you go to an Anthem hospital or emergency room.
View the "How to Use Your Plan" document (benefits are on pages 3-4) for details.
In-network means providers such as physicians, specialists, and hospitals who have a contract with this insurance plan. Sometimes it is also called “PPO” or “Preferred” network. The network for this plan is Aetna Passport to Healthcare® Primary PPO. If you use an Aetna provider, covered medical services are paid by the insurance company at 80% of the Preferred Allowance. If you use an out-of-network provider, covered medical expenses are paid at 60% of Usual, Reasonable, and Customary (URC) charges.
To find an Aetna provider (doctor, urgent care, etc.):
- Visit www.anthem.com/ca and click Find Care, located on the Menu bar toward the top right of the webpage
- Click Guests
- "What type of care are you searching for?" Select Medical. "What State do you want to search in?" Select California. "What type of plan do you want to search with?" Scroll down to select Medical (Student Health). "Select a plan/network." Select Blue Cross PPO (Prudent Buyer) - Student Health and click Continue.
- Select a provider type and/or specialty, enter your address, ZIP code, or city and state, select the number of miles you would be willing to travel to the doctor's office, and click Search.
- Select a provider from the list and call to make an appointment
It is best to locate an Anthem Blue Cross doctor, urgent care center, and emergency room near you before you get sick. Always verify the provider is part of the Anthem Blue Cross PPO (Prudent Buyer) Network before you receive treatment.
Once you have purchased your health insurance through Relation Insurance Services, a list of enrolled students will be updated and sent directly to the Office of International Programs the following business day. You will not need to provide proof of insurance enrollment yourself unless requested by a CCSF OIP staff member. Intensive English Program (IEP) students will need to provide proof of health insurance enrollment to the IEP coordinator when requested.
Generally speaking, no other insurance policies will be accepted as a substitute for the one that CCSF requires.
Insurance coverage must be purchased and renewed each semester as directed by the CCSF Office of International Programs.
International students attending CCSF are required to purchase the medical insurance policy authorized by CCSF, unless the student has health insurance through their spouse, domestic partner, or parent's employer here in the US or through a governmental scholarship. In both cases, the insurance company must be in full compliance with applicable US federal laws and the Claims Administration must be based in the USA. The policy must also meet the college's requirements. If you feel that you qualify for a waiver, please email international@ccsf.edu to ask for a "Request for Waiver for Health Insurance". Proof of benefits/coverage is required, and each waiver must be evaluated and approved on its own merits. Granting of a waiver will only be given if the paperwork is complete and the substitute health insurance policy meets all requirements.
