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 Academic Health Insurance Services 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.

Failure to purchase the mandatory health insurance will result in a registration hold and may negatively affect F-1 international student status. 

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:

Directions on enrolling after you have entered the website using link above:

  1. Select “Begin Enrollment” and expand “Online Enrollment"
  2. Click on the blue color button "Click Here to Enroll" for the program your are enrolling
  3. Enter your CCSF Student Email address (xxxx@mail.ccsf.edu) for verification, then click "Next"
  4. You will need to click on the hyperlink "Create one now!" in the box below "Forgot your Password?"
  5. Sign Up to create your online account by completing the online form (For Credit Hours (Semester) field, please indicate the number of units you will be studying.  For Conditional Admission and Intensive English Program students, please input "1".)
  6. Once you have created your account by verifying it through your CCSF student email account, log-in to your new insurance account and purchase your health insurance.
  7. Please allow a minimum of 5 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 Anthem Blue Cross PPO (Prudent Buyer) 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 (copay is waived if admitted). Dental and vision insurance is generally not included. Please note that in the U.S., dental and vision insurance is almost always considered separate from standard health insurance.

For benefit information, please visit: https://ccsf.mycare26.com/benefits

How to search for a doctor or facility.

To find an Blue Cross PPO (Prudent Buyer) Student Health provider, use the Sydney Health Mobile App or visit the Anthem Blue Cross website (link below) and follow these steps:

  1. Click Find Care, located on the Menu bar toward the top right of the webpage.
  2. Under Use Member ID for Basic Search (on the right), enter AGS and click Search.
  3. You can search by City, County, or ZIP, or by doctor (name or specialty), hospital, procedure, and more.

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. Always check with the doctor or medical facility directly to confirm that they accept Anthem Blue Cross before you receive treatment.

Find a Doctor, Facility, or Pharmacy Website
Anthem Find Care Flyer using the Sydney Health App

Once you have purchased your health insurance through Academic Student Assistance Program (ASAP), 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, especially government subsidized insurance (including but not limited to, Healthy San Francisco, Medical, Medicare, Medicaid, Covered California).

Insurance coverage must be purchased and renewed each semester as directed by the CCSF Office of International Programs before student can register for classes for the upcoming semester.

Please note that health insurance coverage through free/subsidized U.S. health care programs (funded by U.S. tax payers) will not qualify for the F-1 health insurance waiver request.

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.

  1. Visit the Anthem Blue Cross website: https://www.anthem.com/account-login/
  2. If you already have an account with Anthem, click on "Log In" to enter into your online account (or click on "Forgot Username or Password?" if you have issues logging-in.
  3. If you have never create an account with Anthem before, please click on the "Register Now" link:
    • Then click on "Student ID" option on the follow page
    • Enter the information accordingly to create your Anthem account for the first time (ensure you enter the exact information you submitted when you purchased your insurance)
    • If you encounter an error indicating that your account cannot be found, please allow up to 10 business days (from your enrollment date) for Anthem Blue Cross website to get updated
  4. After you have verified your account and are able to login to your Anthem Blue Cross account, you will be able to retrieve your Member ID Card