hello friends,

i am looking for cheap health insurance coverage for my college (UTA), and if anybody knows or have used the health insurance that meet the following requirements, it'd be really helpful. I am not sure if health insurance through isoa.org, icsweb.org etc. will be qualified. So, i wanted to know if anybody here knows or have successfully applied the waiver through the UT Student Health Insurance Plan (UT SHIP). [https://www2.academichealthplans.com/school/171.html]

The health insurance for International students now needs to have medical insurance compliant with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
The UT System has established criteria in which an international student can request a waiver to the student health insurance plan by providing alternate health insurance coverage that meets the following requirements:
1. Unlimited maximum on benefits
2. No Pre-existing condition limitation
3. $500 or less deductible

Notes

The carrier letter for a US Individual Plan must include a signed, official letter on letterhead stating:
Plan holder name and date of birth
Insurance carrier and plan name
Start date and end date of coverage
Metal tier of Plan (ie: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum)
Confirmation that the plan is certified for sale as a Qualified Health Plan (QHP)

Thank you all

Hey there,
I go to UTA as well and I am facing the same issue. These are all business minded people and they will do anything to promote their business. I just hate them. I do not want to spend $700-800 in buying their stupid "insurance" for no reason .Let us all try to find a solution to this.

Thank you

I graduated from UTA 2 and 1/2 yrs ago and never bought health insurance from UTA. You can get cheap health insurance for $30-$40 a month from https://www.isoa.org/ which I used during my time at UTA. It is sad to hear that now they have come up with new regulations regarding the health insurance. I think  your best bet would be to print the plan brochure  from isoa and talk to the international advisor, or enter the info from the brochure and see if it qualifies you for the waiver.

ISOA plans doesn't qualify for the Minimum Essential Coverage(MEC) set by the federal government according to the new Law. Please check the federal exchange like (healthcare.gov) or state exchanges, and you will be able to find the cheapest possible option. Go for the Bronze plan as it is the cheapest because it has high deductibles. Hope it helps. Thanks

Well, after this Obamacare has taken affect since 2014, this health insurance has become more complicated. i already tried the marketplace through healthcare.gov, but they are damn expensive. Even the cheapest one is above $164/month (blue advantage bronze HMO) and there are not a lot of providers as well. The fact that the deductible can't be more than $500 makes the insurance rate so high. Also, the open enrollment has ended and only starts 11/15/2014.

I think you get the cheaper prices through school than any exchange, i took insurance through school the entire period i was in US and the rates were great compared to the benefits.