Uger Iyigun reaches inside his backpack and removes a rectangular black box. He takes out a vial and a syringe. He slowly draws insulin from the vial and fills the syringe then injects himself in his left arm.

His body requires this medication to stay healthy and alive.

But there’s another requirement. Iyigun, 22, an international business major from Turkey, needs proper health insurance or he won’t be able to register for classes.

This is a requirement set by a federal mandate and the California State University (CSU) for international students. While some reap the benefits of this health insurance, others question its worth.

One student sees health insurance as another step to enroll at SF State.

“I just paid for the insurance so I can study in America and register for classes,” said Gayoung Lee, 22, a radio and television broadcasting student from Korea. “I’ve never been sick, so I’ve never had the chance to use it.”

Director of Student Health Sevices (SHS), Dr. Alistair Smith, said that the federal health insurance requirements are a part of an international student’s visa. Because of the vague nature of federal requirements, he added, CSU meets with its Risk Management department and representatives from each campus to set appropriate requirements that will provide adequate health coverage for the student.

According to SF State's Web site, about 2,600 international students attend the school each year.

Smith said the rate an international student must pay is determined by balancing high rates with extensive coverage and low rates with minimum coverage in addition to past experiences and the number of people who enrolled in the program.

The recent health insurance rates for SF State international students differ depending on age and semester. Those 30 years of age and under, pay $845 annually, $362 for last fall semester and $492 for this spring and summer semesters, according to the SF State Blue Cross insurance plan. The annual rate for students ages 31 to 39 is $1,062 and students who are 50 and older, $1,244.

Iyigun saves $200 dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.

Iyigun has type 1 diabetes and needs five injections of insulin a day to keep his blood sugar low. Five months prior to enrolling, he spent nearly $700 a month for his medication. Now with health insurance, he pays $500 a month out-of-pocket at the SHS pharmacy.

The annual cost of health insurance and coverage when he studied in Marseille, France, was 170 euros, about $200, which covered all medical and dental expenses.

The benefits for international students, Smith explains, are for those unforeseen instances that need medical attention.

In the event of sudden illness, hospitalization, accident, or major injuries, health insurance would be an advantage over the expenses that arise from direct medical costs, he said.

In contrast, a scenario that can be problematic for parents is when their child is abroad and with insufficient health coverage, Smith said. The result would be a hefty medical bill to recuperate for a month plus the cost for the student to go back home to get treatment, he said.

Having insurance is one thing and meeting the requirements is another, a dilemma for a student from Japan.

Satoshi Iijima, a 22-year-old majoring in documentary broadcasting, said he has Japanese insurance but it was not accepted because it did not meet some of the CSU health insurance requirements.

Iijima said he wouldn’t buy insurance if it wasn’t required. He hasn’t been to the hospital in the last five years while studying in San Francisco.

However, having insurance can take some burden of his shoulders.

“I think it is a good deal,” Iijima said. “You don’t know the future."

In the end, costs such as international student tuition, books, health insurance and living expenses don’t matter much to Iyigun.

“(If I don’t have my medication) I will die. For me, my medication is priority, before the rent,” Iyigun said.