Jeffrey Wade
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate. However, students can choose to waive SHIP if they have comparable coverage that meets the University's criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage. This can be done by submitting an online waiver application, which must be filled out annually during the waiver period. If a student's waiver application is denied, they may submit an appeal within 10 business days from the denial date.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who is automatically enrolled in SHIP | All registered undergraduate and graduate UC Berkeley students, including international students |
| Waiver criteria | Must be enrolled in a medical health insurance plan that meets ALL of the waiver criteria for the entire SHIP term |
| Deadline for the Spring 2025 waiver | January 1, 2025 |
| Late fee for Spring 2025 waiver | $75 |
| Waiver appeal | Can be submitted within 10 business days from the denial date |
| Reversal of SHIP waiver | Possible |
| SHIP coverage | Medical, counseling, prescription, vision, dental, travel assistance services, and mental health services |
| SHIP benefits | No claims to file for services at UHS, discounted medications at Tang Center Pharmacy, and worldwide coverage |
| SHIP costs | Co-pay of $15 for a primary care visit, $25 for a specialty visit, $35 for an urgent care visit, and 10% of most fees at the time of service |
| SHIP and financial aid | Waiving SHIP may result in adjustments to the financial aid budget and awards |
| Student Medicover F1 insurance plans | Can save students $1,000-$3,000 per year |
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What You'll Learn
Waiver criteria and comparable insurance plans
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). This is to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate. However, if you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not want dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive your SHIP enrollment.
To waive SHIP, you must be enrolled in a medical health insurance plan that meets all of the waiver criteria for the entire SHIP term. The waiver criteria are not explicitly stated, but the SHIP benefits are. Therefore, it can be assumed that a comparable insurance plan should include these benefits. SHIP is a comprehensive plan that includes worldwide medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage with nationwide networks. It also provides travel assistance services and covers mental health services, including counselling and psychiatry. SHIP provides worldwide coverage and protects students with financial security by covering a portion of their healthcare costs and reducing out-of-pocket expenses.
There are some alternative insurance plans that meet SHIP waiver criteria. Student Medicover F1 insurance plans can save students $1,000-$3,000 per year and their Supreme, Elite, Prime 100, and Prime 500 plans meet the school's requirements for a successful waiver. The Supreme plan is popular for its low deductible and high coinsurance, while Prime 500 is affordable.
If your waiver application is denied and you believe your insurance meets the waiver criteria, you can submit an appeal within 10 business days of the denial date.
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Reversing a SHIP waiver
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate. The mandate states that all students must have major medical insurance.
If you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive your SHIP enrollment. The waiver must be filled out annually during the waiver period (July deadline for the entire upcoming academic year or January deadline for the spring semester).
If you waived SHIP enrollment for the semester and now wish to reverse your waiver, you can submit a waiver reversal. To do this, log in to the eTang portal with your Calnet ID and passphrase. From the welcome page, click "MESSAGES" on the left side menu, and select "New Message". You may need to complete the Notice of Privacy Practice and Statement of Financial Responsibility before proceeding to "New Message". Go to the homepage and click on "Medical Clearances" on the left to complete these forms, then follow the rest of the instructions. Under "Student Health Insurance Office (SHIO)", select "Request Student Insurance Plan (SHIP) Waiver Forms" and select "SHIP Waiver REVERSAL Form". Fill out the form completely and click the "Send" button.
Please note that the timing of the reversal is important in determining how your financial aid may be impacted. You are encouraged to stop by Cal Student Central and request to talk with a financial aid counsellor. They will evaluate your eligibility for additional funding to assist you with SHIP.
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Deadlines and late fees
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate set by the UC Regents. This mandate requires all registered students to have medical insurance that meets the University's requirements.
If you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive your enrollment in SHIP. The waiver must be filled out annually during the waiver period. For the academic year, the Fall 2024 waiver period is from May 1, 2024, to July 15, 2024. Waivers must be received by July 15, 2024, to avoid a late fee of $75. All waivers received between July 16, 2024, and August 15, 2024, are subject to a late fee of $75. No waiver applications are accepted after the final August 15, 2024 deadline.
For the spring semester, the Spring 2025 waiver period is from December 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. Waivers must be received by January 1, 2025, to avoid a late fee of $75. All waivers received between January 2, 2025, and January 15, 2025, are subject to a late fee of $75. No Spring waivers will be accepted after January 15, 2025.
If your waiver application is denied and you believe your insurance meets the waiver criteria, you may submit an appeal within 10 business days from the denial date. To submit a SHIP waiver appeal, log onto the eTang portal with your Calnet ID and passphrase. From the welcome page, click "MESSAGES" on the left side menu and select "New Message". You may need to complete the Notice of Privacy Practice and Statement of Financial Responsibility before proceeding to "New Message".
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Impact on financial aid
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate. The cost of SHIP is charged to the student's CalCentral account.
Students with comparable health insurance coverage who do not wish to have dual coverage can submit an online waiver application to waive SHIP enrollment. The waiver must be filled out annually during the waiver period, with deadlines in July for the upcoming academic year and in January for the spring semester.
The impact of waiving SHIP on a student's financial aid package depends on their specific situation. Here are some key points to consider:
- Financial Aid Offer: Students should evaluate how maintaining or waiving SHIP will impact their financial aid offer. Waiving SHIP may result in adjustments to their financial aid budget and awards.
- Health Insurance Allowance Grant: If a student is granted a SHIP waiver after their financial aid has been disbursed, their awards may be adjusted to account for the waiver. Specifically, if a student was offered a Health Insurance Allowance Grant as part of their financial aid package, it will be canceled upon receiving a SHIP waiver.
- Outside Resources: Students must report all outside resources, including departmental and outside agency awards, to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. These awards, including funds provided for SHIP, are considered a resource and must be incorporated into the financial aid package. This may lead to changes in the student's awards, as the total financial aid awarded cannot exceed their Cost of Attendance (COA).
- Independent Students: Waiving or re-enrolling in SHIP will not result in any decreases or increases in an independent student's financial aid package.
- Dependent Students: The cost of health insurance will be included in the COA for dependent students before the start of each semester (mid-August for Fall and mid-January for Spring).
- Graduate Students: Graduate students with GSI or GSR appointments should check with their departments, as SHIP fees are often covered while on fee remission.
- Cost Savings: Waiving SHIP and enrolling in alternative insurance plans, such as Student Medicover, can result in potential cost savings of up to $2,471 for the spring semester or $1,000-$3,000 annually.
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Student Medicover plans
Student Health Insurance Plans
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University of California's health insurance mandate set by the UC Regents. SHIP is a comprehensive plan that includes medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage with worldwide coverage, as well as travel assistance services.
The SHIP plan provides medical coverage through Wellfleet Student, vision coverage through VSP, and dental services through MetLife. It also includes mental health services, such as counselling and psychiatry, and the Tang Center Pharmacy offers discounted medications to SHIP students, including free generic drugs. Additionally, SHIP provides travel assistance services and covers a portion of students' healthcare costs, reducing out-of-pocket expenses.
If you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive your enrollment in SHIP. The waiver must be filled out annually during the waiver period, with a July deadline for the entire upcoming academic year or a January deadline for the spring semester. It is important to note that all students can use the University Health Services (UHS) Tang Center, whether they have SHIP or not. However, students with SHIP pay a lower co-pay for primary care, specialty, and urgent care visits, and they do not need to file claims for services at UHS as it is done for them.
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Frequently asked questions
SHIP stands for the Student Health Insurance Plan. It is a comprehensive major medical insurance plan, providing medical, counseling, prescription, vision, and dental services.
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley, including international students, are automatically enrolled in SHIP.
Yes, if you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive enrollment in SHIP.
The waiver must be filled out annually during the waiver period. There are two deadlines: July for the entire upcoming academic year or January for the spring semester. For example, the Spring 2025 waiver period was from December 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025.
If your online waiver application is denied and you believe your insurance meets the waiver criteria, you may submit an appeal within 10 business days from the denial date.
