Health Care in the United States

Welcome to Penn State!  Your health, happiness, and academic success are our top priorities. To ensure you have a successful transition to campus, there are a few basic things we would like to share with you about health care in the United States, and more specifically, at Penn State. 

First things first, the United States does NOT have a universal health care plan.  Each person in the United States is responsible for their own health care needs. Every health care provider you visit will bill you for their services. Health care for a major accident or illness can cost thousands of dollars; therefore, health insurance is purchased in order to minimize the costs.

The following video is a great overview for international students on how to prepare for their arrival in the U.S., how the U.S. health care system works, and how students should seek medical care appropriately if they become sick or injured.  This was developed by International Student Insurance, an insurance company that is not affiliated with Penn State. There are several insurance companies in the United States, and our insurance professionals have worked extremely hard to identify the best possible insurance provider in the region. The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State is provided by UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. You will read more about them over the next few pages.