International Student Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP)

Your PCC International Student Health Insurance (ISHIP) is overseen by Student Insurance, Inc, and it is composed of 3 separate insurances that are covered by 3 different companies, or network providers. 

Your PCC International Student Health Insurance (ISHIP) is overseen by Academic HealthPlans, and it is composed of 3 separate insurances that are covered by 3 different companies, or network providers. 

The PCC ISHIP covers all your visits on-campus to the PCC Student Health Services and the Office of Mental Health and Personal Wellness.

The PCC ISHIP also has low co-pays and low costs for visits off-campus visits for:

• Medical and mental health care: This is an accident and sickness plan which also includes low co-pays for any doctor prescribed medications, annual women’s wellness checks, and low-cost immunization vaccines that are needed if you plan to transfer to a 4-year university. To view the details of your coverage, visit the Medical and Mental Health Care Plan Snapshot. 
• Dental care: This insurance covers routine diagnostic and preventive dental services with $0 copay when using Blue Cross contracted dentists.  There is an annual $50 deductible which is waived for Diagnostic and Preventive services.  Basic and Major restorative care and Nonsurgical periodontics is covered at varying levels of coinsurance.  The plan covers up to $1,500 per plan year. To view the details of your coverage, visit the Dental Care Plan Snapshot. 
•  Vision care: This insurance has low co-pays for vision exams, frames, lenses or lens enhancements. There are also extra savings for other vision-related services. To view the details of your coverage, visit the Vision Care Plan Snapshot. 

The PCC International Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP) provides coverage for medical care received outside of California. For details about the benefits, visit the International Insurance, Inc. site for more information. 

The PCC ISHIP is composed of 3 types of insurance: Medical, Dental and Vision. These are separate coverages and are administered by separate insurance companies. For each coverage, you will have a separate ID number and ID card.

Your insurance cards and coverage information are automatically activated and emailed to your PCC email address within approximately 10 business days (exclude Saturdays and Sundays) after you have paid your tuition and fees for the semester. 

To find your Medical insurance card: More information to follow

To find your Dental care insurance card: More Information to follow

To find your Vision care insurance card: More information to follow

Your insurance cards and coverage information are automatically emailed to you within 10 business days after you have paid your PCC tuition and fees for the semester. 

If you are not sure if you have paid your fees for the semester, please contact PCC Student Business Services.

If you have paid your fees for the semester and it has been more than 10 business days (exclude Saturdays and Sundays), please contact the International Student Center for additional assistance. 

Other insurance policies will not be accepted as a substitute for the PCC International Student Health Insurance (ISHIP). International students attending PCC are required to purchase the medical insurance policy provided by PCC. Any additional insurances outside of the PCC ISHIP will act as a supplement. 

Waiver of insurance plans are only provided to international students who are under a spouse's or parent's U.S.-based health insurance plan, and students who are sponsored by their home country's government for a health insurance plan in the U.S. Waiver submission information will be available soon. 

If you are on the PCC campus during business hours (Monday to Friday between 8AM to 5PM) and you need medical care immediately, visit the Student Health Services in D-105. If your medical situation is severe, the Student Health Services staff will assist you with additional instructions for outside care. 

If you are off campus and you need to see a health care provider immediately for a not life-threatening situation, visit a United HealthCare contracted urgent care clinic. Urgent care clinics offer routine medical care for treatments that are not life-threatening. 

If you are off campus and you need to see a health care provider immediately for a life-threatening situation, visit the nearest hospital emergency room.

If you are off campus and you need to schedule a doctor’s visit, such as a routine exam or receive a medical evaluation that is not urgent, find an in-network medical or mental health care provider and call their office number to schedule an appointment. 

For Medical and Mental Health Care: United HealthCare
Visit the Medical and Mental Health Guide for additional help

For Dental Care: Anthem Blue Cross (Dental)
Visit the Dental Care Step-by-Step Guide for additional help

For Vision Care: Anthem Blue Cross (Vision)
Visit the Vision Care Step-by-Step Guide for additional help

If you are an enrolled PCC student and you are using health care on campus such as PCC Student Health Services in D-105 or Mental Health and Personal Wellness in D-203, there are no costs. If vaccines are required, there may be additional costs at a low price. 

If you are visiting a doctor, urgent care, or hospital outside of PCC, students will pay a small fee, also known as a co-pay or co-payment. For more complicated, specialized procedures, or additional referrals by an off-campus doctor, students will be responsible for additional costs. View the cost explanation of each insurance policy under the “Downloads” section. 

• More information to follow

All 3 insurances (medical, vision and dental) are covered under a "network provider". Doctors and health practitioners have established special rates with to be in each insurance plan's “network” to keep your health care costs low. 

If you see a doctor outside of the companies’ network, your health care costs will be much higher. You always want to try to locate a doctor that is in your network. 

If you use a doctor, urgent care, or hospital that is not a member of the corresponding network, you will be responsible for a higher percentage of the medical expenses. View each insurance’s policy, or snapshot, on using an out-of-network provider to see the detailed costs. 

Telehealth is virtual health care that can be administered via phone or through a virtual platform. Students under the PCC ISHIP have access to telehealth services for medical and mental health care, as well as dental care. 

To access free telehealth services for medical and mental health care: More Information to Follow

To access telehealth services for dental care, use Anthem Dental’s Mobile App, Sydney Health, and search for TeleDentists. View the Dental Care Snapshot for additional help.

A copay is a small amount that you pay each time you visit the provider. Your medical or mental care office visit copay is $25.

A deductible is the amount that is due one time per plan year before the insurance begins to pay. Your medical plan has a $0 annual deductible.

Your dental plan - More information to Follow

Once the provider submits the claim to the insurance company, you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from the insurance. On the top, it will say Explanation of Benefits or EOP. This is not a bill. The EOB is notification to you about how much the provider billed, how much the insurance paid, any amount the provider must write off, and any amount you owe. The provider will bill you for the amount you owe. If your doctor or health provider bills you for any additional amounts you owe, it will say Bill on the top of the document. 

The provider’s bill and the amount the EOB says you owe, should always match. If they do not, please call the member services phone number on your insurance ID card for investigation. Please DO NOT ignore any bills.

If you are still not sure if the document you received is an EOB or a Bill, or you have questions on why you need to pay additional, please contact the International Student Center for additional support.  

More information to follow

More information to follow

More information to follow. 

Every patient is protected by U.S. law under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The law protects sensitive patient health information from being shared without the patient’s consent or knowledge. 

Your medical case, whether it is treated on campus by PCC Student Health Center or Personal Counseling, or off campus by a health care provider, is confidential and will not be shared with anyone (not your parents, guardians, or PCC staff) unless you provide signed permission.