What is health insurance and why do you need it?
U.S. Health insurance can be extremely confusing even for U.S. citizens! The U.S. does not have a universal health care system that is paid by the government. All medical procedures are either paid out-of-pocket or by your insurance company. St. Olaf requires all students to have health insurance coverage. This requirement is in place for the protection of the students.
International students are automatically enrolled in the St. Olaf international student health insurance plan. The international student insurance policy is offered through LewerMark. The premium (which includes a grant by St. Olaf College to offset the cost) for the 2022-2023 academic year is $1,000 and will be billed in two installments – one $500 charge in the fall, and one $500 charge in the spring. There will be a session during International Student Orientation that will go over the insurance plan in detail, however you can view the summary of benefits and plan brochure on the website in the meantime.
Before leaving home, we recommend you visit your doctor, go to the dentist and go to the optometrist as the St. Olaf insurance plan does not include dental or vision insurance. Fun fact, if you wear contact lenses, you will need to bring your prescription translated into English with you – you cannot get contacts here without a prescription! Don’t forget to bring all your important papers with you if you have a medical condition, so that in case you will need medical attention here you will have papers that can help your doctor! Also, if you have any prescribed medicine, bring a couple of months worth of supply with you and all necessary records with it!
Finally, immunizations. The college has sent you the list of required immunizations. Do not forget about those and submit your records via the Health Services Portal! Don’t be scared and email the health office at healthservices@stolaf.edu if you have any questions!