Orlando Harmon
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. To opt out of Cal Berkeley's medical insurance, students must submit an online waiver application annually during the waiver period. This process can be done through the eTang portal, and students should consider how maintaining and/or waiving SHIP can impact their financial aid offer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who is eligible to opt out of Cal Berkeley medical insurance? | All registered undergraduate and graduate students, including international students, who have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage. |
| How to opt out of Cal Berkeley medical insurance? | Submit an online waiver application through the eTang portal with your Calnet ID and passphrase. |
| When to opt out of Cal Berkeley medical insurance? | 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). |
| What happens if you opt out of Cal Berkeley medical insurance? | If approved, you will see a "Health Insurance Waiver" credit applied to offset the Health Insurance charge on your bill. If you initially paid your SHIP fee, you may expect a refund within 30 days. |
| What happens if you don't opt out on time? | A Late SHIP Waiver Fee will be assessed if your SHIP Waiver application is not submitted on time. |
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What You'll Learn
Understanding the University of California's health insurance mandate
The University of California's health insurance mandate requires all registered students to have major medical insurance. The university provides the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet this requirement, and students are automatically enrolled with the premium charged to their CalCentral account.
The SHIP insurance plan is comprehensive and provides medical, counselling, prescription, vision, and dental services. The Tang Center on campus will only accept SHIP insurance, but all students can use the services at the centre.
Students can choose to keep SHIP or waive enrollment if they have comparable coverage that meets the university's criteria. This includes having a plan with comparable or better benefits, a low deductible, high coinsurance, low copays, and a low out-of-pocket maximum. Students with alternative coverage can submit an online waiver application annually during the waiver period to waive their enrollment in SHIP. The waiver must be submitted by the deadline to avoid a late fee.
The decision to keep or waive SHIP can impact a student's financial aid offer. Students must report all outside resources, including departmental and outside agency awards, as these must be incorporated into the financial aid package.
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Knowing the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
The Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is a comprehensive major medical insurance plan, providing medical, counselling, prescription, vision, and dental services. All registered students at the University of California are required to meet the university's health insurance mandate, and SHIP is provided to meet this requirement. Students are automatically enrolled in SHIP, and the premium is charged to their CalCentral account. However, students can choose to waive SHIP enrollment if they have comparable coverage that meets the university's criteria.
The Tang Center only accepts SHIP insurance, but all students can use the Tang Center regardless of whether they have waived SHIP. Students who do not waive SHIP for the fall and spring semesters have year-round health insurance coverage. Fall coverage is from August 1 to December 31, and spring coverage is from January 1 to July 31.
SHIP provides access to health care services and covers preventive care services without any cost-sharing. It includes coverage for mental health services, such as counselling and psychiatry, and provides worldwide coverage. Berkeley SHIP also covers hospitalization, off-campus or out-of-area care while travelling, and some specialty services not available on campus.
Students with SHIP are encouraged to visit providers within the Wellfleet network (Blue Shield of California PPO for services in California and Cigna PPO for services outside California) to receive the maximum benefits. If a student receives a medical bill for services outside the University Health Services (UHS) and the provider has not billed the plan, they should provide their SHIP member ID and ask the provider to rebill the claim to the address found on their ID card.
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Criteria for SHIP waiver
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet the University's health insurance mandate. However, students can choose to waive SHIP enrollment if they have comparable coverage that meets the University's criteria.
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. Your insurance plan must be active and meet all the waiver criteria at the time of your waiver application submission.
The waiver criteria include the following:
- Comparable health insurance: You must have other major medical health insurance that is comparable to SHIP. SHIP is a comprehensive plan that includes medical, counseling, prescription, vision, and dental services. It also provides travel assistance services.
- No dual coverage: You must not wish to have dual coverage with SHIP and your other insurance plan.
- Documentation: You must provide documentation of your insurance plan, including a copy of your insurance card (front and back) and, for students with an HMO plan, documentation showing your assigned primary care provider (PCP) is within 50 miles of your residence while attending school if the PCP is not listed on the insurance card.
- Timely submission: The waiver application must be submitted during the specified waiver period and received by the deadline to avoid a late fee. For the academic year, the waiver period is typically from May 1 to July 15, with a deadline of July 15 to avoid a late fee. For the spring semester only, the waiver period is usually from December 1 to January 1, with a deadline of January 1 to avoid a late fee.
It is important to note that the waiver criteria and process may change, so students should refer to the University's official website and resources for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
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How to submit a SHIP waiver application
All registered undergraduate and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, 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. However, if you have comparable health insurance that meets the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit a SHIP waiver application to waive your enrollment in SHIP.
To submit a SHIP waiver application, follow these steps:
- Review the waiver criteria: Before starting your application, carefully review the SHIP waiver criteria to ensure that your current insurance plan meets the requirements.
- Gather required information and documents: You will need to provide information about your current insurance coverage and upload supporting documents. This typically includes copies of your insurance ID card, a summary of benefits and coverage (SBC), and documentation confirming your current coverage.
- Log in to the waiver application portal: Access the online waiver application portal using your student login credentials. For UC Berkeley, this may be through the eTang portal or the CalCentral platform.
- Complete the application: Provide all the required information about your current insurance coverage and upload the necessary documents. You may be asked to answer several questions, so it is recommended to have all the necessary details readily available.
- Submit the application: Once you have completed the application, submit it through the online portal. In some cases, you may receive instant notification of your waiver status upon submission.
- Check for confirmation: After submitting your waiver application, look out for a confirmation email or notification. If you do not receive a confirmation within a reasonable time, contact the relevant office, such as the UCSD Student Health Insurance Office or the Academic Health Plan (AHP) for UC Davis.
- Note the deadlines: Keep in mind that waiver applications must be submitted during specific periods, such as before the start of each academic year or semester. Late submissions may be subject to late fees, and applications received after the final deadline will not be accepted.
Remember, the process may vary slightly depending on your specific campus and student status. Always refer to the official University of California websites and resources for the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding the SHIP waiver application process.
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Impact of SHIP waiver on financial aid
All students at the University of California are required to have major medical insurance. The university provides the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to meet this requirement, and students are automatically enrolled with the premium charged to their CalCentral account. Students can choose to keep SHIP or waive enrollment if they have comparable coverage that meets the university's criteria.
The Tang Center will only accept SHIP insurance. However, all students can use the services at the Tang Center, whether they waive SHIP or not.
The impact of a SHIP waiver on financial aid depends on the student's situation. Here are some key points to consider:
- Timing of the reversal: The timing of the waiver reversal (i.e., when a student switches from waiving SHIP to enrolling in SHIP) is important in determining how financial aid may be impacted. Students are encouraged to consult with a financial aid counselor at Cal Student Central to evaluate their eligibility for additional funding to assist with SHIP.
- Independent students: For graduate and undergraduate independent students, as defined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application, the cost of health insurance is included in their standard Cost of Attendance (COA). Being granted a SHIP waiver will not result in a change in an independent student's financial aid package or COA. This is because the COA already includes the cost of health insurance, so waiving or enrolling in SHIP does not affect the overall financial aid package.
- Dependent students: All dependent students will have the cost of health insurance included in their COA prior to the start of the semester. The University Health Services (UHS) provides updated information to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to determine which students have enrolled in SHIP and which have been granted a waiver. Financial aid awards will be adjusted accordingly, with increased financial aid provided to cover the expense for those who remain on SHIP.
- 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 cause changes to the awards, as the total financial aid cannot exceed a student's COA.
- Waiver approval and refunds: If a student initially paid the SHIP fee and their waiver is approved, the payment can be reapplied to any remaining outstanding fees. If all fees have been paid, the student may receive a refund, typically within 30 days, through Direct Deposit or a paper check.
- Late waiver fee: A Late SHIP Waiver Fee will be assessed if the SHIP Waiver application is not submitted on time.
- Appeal process: If a waiver application is denied, students have 10 business days to appeal the decision through the eTang portal. Students should carefully review the waiver criteria and their insurance plan's details to understand the reason for any denial.
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Frequently asked questions
All registered students at the University of California are required to meet the university’s health insurance mandate. Students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). However, if you have other major medical 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.
To waive SHIP, you can submit a waiver application online. You will need to 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 the "New Message". Click on "Medical Clearances" on the homepage and 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 and click "Send".
Waiving SHIP can save students $1,000-$3,000 per year. Additionally, by waiving SHIP, you can avoid having dual coverage if you already have comparable or better health insurance. Furthermore, you can save up to $2,471 in the Spring and receive a refund for any paid school insurance premium.
