Health Records & Medical Insurance

Incoming Health Requirements

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all full-time and part-time international students who study on campus to submit proof of immunization against the following communicable diseases: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); tetanus (must be Tdap vaccine); hepatitis B; (bacterial) meningitis; varicella; and tuberculosis, depending on country of origin. Your healthcare provider can supply proof of vaccination against these diseases with dates of your immunizations.

Once you have been registered for Summer Term, our office will provide instructions on how to upload your vaccination history to BU’s Patient Connect portal. To access the portal, you must have an active BU login name and Kerberos password.  

If you are not in compliance with all Boston University immunization requirements when you arrive on the BU campus, you will have seven days to obtain the necessary vaccination(s) or you will be considered noncompliant. You may obtain vaccinations by scheduling an appointment in advance at Student Health Services. You can schedule an appointment by calling 617-353-3575.

Student Health Services

881 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-353-3575

Medical/Health Insurance

All international students enrolled during the summer are required to have medical insurance and are automatically enrolled in and charged for Boston University’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as part of their registration. Students may waive enrollment in the SHIP if they are enrolled in a comparable US-based insurance plan that 1) meets the coverage requirements and 2) is underwritten in the US. Please note that just because an insurance company is “based in” or has “offices in” the US does not mean it is underwritten in the US. More information regarding the SHIP waiver requirement can be found on this webpage.

Two levels of individual coverage are available, Basic and Plus. Students are charged at the Basic level with their registration and may request Plus coverage by emailing insmed@bu.edu at least two weeks prior to the start of their summer courses.

Boston University’s Student Health Insurance Plan rates for summer 2024 are provided below.

Students who register for the Summer 1 session or for both the Summer 1 and Summer 2 sessions are charged for the full summer coverage period of May 19–August 14. Students who attend the Summer 1 session only should email insmed@bu.edu prior to the end of their Summer 1 studies to request the Summer 1 only coverage period of May 19–June 29. Students who register for just the Summer 2 session are charged for the Summer 2 coverage period listed below.

Student Health Services

Boston University Student Health Services is your first stop on campus for your physical and mental health. A range of services are offered including urgent and primary care, counseling and other mental health services, crisis response and advocacy, and health promotion and prevention programs.

SHS healthcare services are primarily located at 881 Commonwealth Avenue. SHS Primary Care is available for urgent care issues by appointment Monday through Friday from 8:30 am–4:30 pm (opens 10 am on Thursdays). Visiting summer students are charged a fee of $25 to their student account for each visit. If you receive blood work or immunizations, you will need to provide your insurance information or have charges billed to your student account.

If you have a non-urgent issue that requires routine care, SHS will help you with a referral to a healthcare provider in the community based on your insurance.

If you experience an urgent medical concern outside of business hours, you can call 617-353-3575 and follow the prompts to be connected with the appropriate healthcare provider or you may go to the closest urgent care center or emergency department.

SHS Behavioral Medicine psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical nurse specialists, licensed mental health clinicians, and licensed clinical social workers are available to address the different mental health concerns that arise in a university community. When longer-term care is needed, they will facilitate referral to expert clinicians in the community. Appointments are available by calling 617-353-3569. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am–4:30 pm (opens at 11 am on Thursdays). Behavioral Medicine clinicians are also available 24 hours a day on-call for mental health emergencies.

Any student who experiences a crisis, including sexual assault, should first call the SHS Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) at 617-353-SARP (7277) to speak with a counselor.

In a life-threatening emergency, call the BU Police Department at 617-353-2121 if you are on campus, or call 911 if you are off campus.

Medical emergencies are transported by ambulance to local hospital emergency rooms. Student Health Services will call to follow up on your emergency and will help in arranging additional care as needed.

Emergency phone numbers: 

• BU Police: 617-353-2121
• Local Police/Dispatcher: 911