Waiver

If you do not want the Student Health Insurance Plan, you must decline or opt-out of coverage by submitting a waiver. You may only opt-out of coverage during the following Waiver Periods:

Fall - 07/03/2024 - 08/30/2024

Spring - 10/28/2024 - 01/10/2025

Summer - 03/24/2025 - 05/09/2025

MEDICAL STUDENTS: WAIVER CRITERIA BELOW:

All medical students are automatically enrolled in and charged for the UT System Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) unless a waiver is submitted and approved. Students holding comparable coverage may be eligible to waive enrollment in the UT SHIP.

To be eligible for a waiver of enrollment in the UT SHIP, the University requires that students provide evidence of other comparable health coverage. Please be advised that the waiver request will be reviewed and verified active with the insurance carrier. Notification of acceptance or rejection of this request will be sent to your email within seven business days.

Waiver requests MUST be submitted no later than the above deadlines to be considered.

Health Care Coverage Requirements for Domestic Medical Students:

Health Care Coverage for Domestic Medical Students must be provided through a Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act (PPACA) compliant individual or employer health plan that meets the minimum federal requirements for coverage.

1. Such a plan must provide coverage that, at a minimum:
   • Provides the Essential Minimum Benefits required by the PPACA with no annual limits;
   • Contains no exclusions for pre-existing conditions;
   • Covers 100% of Preventive Care as defined by the PPACA;  
   • Is underwritten by an insurance carrier that meets the requirement of 22 CFR 62.14(d)(1) or offered or underwritten by a federally qualified HMO or competitive Medical Plan as determined by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Plans that do not meet the Health Care Coverage requirements of this policy include:
   • Short Term Limited Duration Plans;
   • Ministry cost sharing plans are NOT accepted.

Definitions

Essential Minimum Benefits: A comprehensive package of benefits and services that must be included in a PPACA compliant health care, including:

• Ambulatory patient services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization (such as surgery)
• Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care (care for a mother and baby before and after the baby is born)
• Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment, counseling and psychotherapy
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
• Laboratory services
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management

Preventative Care Medical care that must be offered to participants in health coverage with no out of pocket costs to the plan enrollee.

Short Term Limited Duration Plans Health insurance coverage provided pursuant to a contract with an issuer that has an expiration date specified in the contract (taking into account any extensions that may be elected by the policyholder without the issuer’s consent) that is less than 12 months after the original effective date of the contract. Such plans include policies for foreign students studying for only one or two semesters in the U.S.

If your plan meets the below guidelines, please submit a waiver by clicking the waiver link.

Guidelines:

1. Medical coverage must be currently active
2. Medical coverage must be ACA Compliant

Acceptable Plans List:

1. Employer plans
2. Marketplace or Individual plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum plans)
3. Medicaid/Medicare

Unacceptable Plans List:

1. Ministry cost sharing plans
2. Short-term plans
3. Financial Assistance plans
4. Limited Benefit/Indemnity plans
5. Travel plans