HEALTH INSURANCE REQUIREMENT

While affordable primary care is available through Student Health Services, many students may require more expensive treatment at community providers, such as hospitalization, specialty care, or other services not available on campus. Students are responsible for payment of charges for their health care. Health care can be very expensive, and payment for care for a single illness or injury may interfere with a student's ability to meet their academic goals.  All students are strongly encouraged to have adequate health insurance coverage.

Beginning in the fall 2004 term, USC began requiring all full-time graduate students (enrolled in more than 9 hours), all Graduate Assistants, all international students and all undergraduate students to either purchase the University's health plan or to provide evidence of coverage on another comparable health insurance plan.

Full time graduate students taking courses administered by DEIS, who are not international students and who are not enrolled in any classes held on the Columbia campus, are not subject to the University's policy requiring health insurance as a condition of enrollment. If you receive a bill for the University sponsored plan and do not wish to purchase coverage, contact the Distance Education Office for waiver instructions. Waiver and refund action must be completed by semester deadlines. Contact Richard Davis at DEIS at (803) 777-7211 or by email at rldavis@gem.sc.edu to complete your hard waiver form.

Students, not covered under the USC sponsored student plan, should verify that: (1) their health insurance coverage will remain in force while they are students at the University of South Carolina; (2) determine how to access covered health services while they are away from home; and, (3) how to submit claims and get assistance from their carrier.  Students should have health insurance cards in their possession at all times.  

The USC Sponsored Plan : Students who need coverage should consider purchasing the University-sponsored student plan.  The USC-sponsored plan is a partially insured student health plan, procured through the State Material Management Office, and made available for use to USC and six other state colleges and universities in South Carolina . USC sponsors this plan for students, but does not sell or administer it. USC receives no payment or any portion of the premium from the plan.