Health Insurance Requirements

 International students may not waive the health insurance with coverage from insurance carriers outside the U.S. or with coverage by an foreign National Health Service program. Coverage must follow the Massachusetts State Requirements listed below.

Massachusetts State Requirements

The company must have its headquarters in the United States; an office in the U.S. does not meet this requirement.

1. The policy must have a minimum of $50,000.00 coverage per accident or injury. 
2. Emergency Room visits that do not result in the admission to the hospital must be covered. 
3. Mental health must be covered as any other illness or injury. This means that both in-patient and out-patient treatment must be covered. 
4. Injuries or illnesses that occur as a result of alcohol, illegal drugs or as the result of an attempt to commit suicide must be covered as any other illness or injury. 
5. Diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases must be covered. 
6. There must be coverage for pre-existing conditions. 
7. The maximum yearly deductible can not excess $250.00 per year. 
8. The policy must be portable to the State of Massachusetts (if obtained in another state).

The State further mandates that any student who cannot show proof of having qualifying health insurance from a U.S. based company must participate in an insurance program provided by their institution. The Student Health Insurance Plan for Babson College students exceeds the state requirements and provides reasonable protection against illness and accidents. Students will be automatically billed the premium for the Babson Health Insurance Plan unless they apply for a waiver based on a qualifying health plan that meets the Massachusetts State requirements.

J-1 Exchange Visitor Health Insurance Requirements

In addition to the Massachusetts State Health Insurance requirements, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) mandates specific health coverage for all J-1 Exchange Visitors. This is a separate requirement that is collected by the Office of International Programs through the student’s completion of the J-1 Insurance Verification Form.

Health Insurance for Dependents

Students seeking insurance for their spouse and/or dependents should visit the University Health Plans web site.

Enrollment Information

To begin the health insurance enrollment process, log on to the Babson Portal and find the “Student Financial Services” tool box. Select “View of Bill.” In the toolbox in the upper left corner, select “University Health Plan” and follow the prompt to complete the appropriate form. Students must complete this process to obtain their insurance identification cards. For questions about insurance benefits, claims processing, and ID cards, please visit the Babson Portal or contact Health Services at 781-239-6363.

Babson Waiver Information

Babson College students who have a qualifying U.S. company based health insurance plan may elect to waive participation in the Babson College plan. If a student elects to waive the Babson insurance, the student must certify that the plan meets the Massachusetts State requirements. To complete the on-line waiver process, log on to the Babson Portal and find the “Student Financial Services” tool box. Select “View of Bill.” In the toolbox in the upper right corner, select University Health Plan and follow the prompt to complete the appropriate form. Once you have submitted your waiver request, your request will be reviewed and you will receive notification that your waiver has been granted or denied. The waiver process must be completed annually.

General Health Plan Information

The following information is provided to help you understand the different types of insurance programs and how they work.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

If you choose to purchase insurance through an HMO, you will be required to select a Primary Care Provider (PCP) who will be the professional who will manage your care. If your PCP determines that your condition requires the evaluation and care of a specialist, the PCP will refer you to the appropriate specialist. HMOs require that you get your care from within the network of their providers and receive a referral from your PCP before you are seen by another provider. For most HMOs the cost to you at each visit is your co-pay and the remaining cost is paid at 100% by the HMO. If you become ill while you are outside their network coverage area, HMOs will only pay for emergency services.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

If you choose to purchase insurance coverage through a PPO, you are not limited to which providers you can see. Instead, your benefits are paid at different levels based on whether you access care within a particular network or outside of a particular network.

PPOs require that you meet individual calendar year deductibles before your benefits start. If you have three or more family members covered under the same policy, there is usually a maximum deductible per family per calendar year. Once this deductible is met, the PPO will pay a percentage of your benefit. This is called co-insurance. You are then responsible for any remaining balance. In-network and out-of-network providers are usually paid at different benefit levels (i.e. 100% in-network—80% out-of-network or 90% in-network—70% out-of network) and co-pays may apply.

If you use a provider who is within the network, that provider will submit a claim for payment to the insurance company. The insurance company pays a portion and the provider will bill you for your responsibility for that service. If co-pays apply you will pay the required co-pay at the time of the visit. If you use a provider outside of the network, that provide may require the payment at the time of your visit and that you should submit your bill to the insurance company to be reimbursed later.

Immunization Requirements

The State of Massachusetts mandates that all college students be immunized against certain preventable diseases before arriving to Babson College. Immunizations include measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, and meningitis. The requirement includes two doses of measles vaccine, three doses of hepatitis B vaccine and a tetanus/diphtheria vaccine within the past 10 years. The college must ensure that all students are in compliance with this State mandated immunization law; therefore a student’s enrollment process cannot be considered complete until the immunization requirements are fulfilled.

In addition, Babson College requires that all students either have the two doses of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, or submit a laboratory serology (blood) report showing immunity to varicella.