Campus Communications

July 26, 2024

Greetings,

We hope this message finds you well. We are reaching out to provide you with important information regarding your UMD student account and the student health insurance plan (SHIP).

To meet the University’s mandatory health insurance requirement, a charge of $1,045 has been applied to your UMD student account for the student health insurance plan (SHIP). We wanted to bring this to your attention and offer guidance on how to proceed. For registered students who meet the criteria, the premium will be split into two separate charges to your student account: In Fall $1,045 and in Spring $1,449 (insurance coverage for spring includes summer) for a total charge of $2,494 for the academic year. Information on payment methods and due dates may be found at billpay.umd.edu . If you have health insurance and want the charge removed from your student account, information on waiving SHIP is below. This annual ​mandatory Enrollment/Waiver process is only available ​during the Open Enrollment period, which is now through September 19, 2024. 

If you would like to retain SHIP, please activate your enrollment via the AHP website If you don’t activate your coverage at this time, your enrollment will be activated after September 19, 2024. SHIP coverage will have a  retroactive start date of August 1.

If you do not wish to retain SHIP, you must submit the required documentation to waive your enrollment by the deadline of September 19.  However, we strongly advise against waiting until the deadline to prevent lengthy processing time and an unintended account late fee. 

By obtaining an approved waiver promptly, you can avoid:

• A late fee: Your health insurance charge will be on your July 25th or August 25th eBill.  After the September 20th due date late fees will be assessed.
• Financial aid refund reduction: A health insurance charge may reduce a financial aid refund if you are expecting to receive one.  

If you do not waive by the deadline of September 19, you will remain enrolled and will be responsible for paying the full premium amount. Visit umd.myahpcare.com to learn more about the coverage, and the University Health Center’s website to learn more about UMD’s health insurance requirement. We encourage you to communicate with your family about these important emails. 

How Do I Waive SHIP?
Students who have existing insurance and want to be credited for SHIP must provide proof of comparable insurance coverage and submit a waiver online. You must complete the waiver process each academic year. For returning students, waivers from previous years will not carry over to this school year. WAIVE the insurance plan.

After a waiver is approved, it may take up to 7 business days for the insurance charge to be removed from the student financial account. Messaging the Health Center or the Student Financial Service Center cannot speed up this automated process. 

International students who are planning to purchase insurance should make sure that their plan meets ACA standards. The plan must be filed and approved in the United States and must comply with United States law. If you are unsure whether an insurance plan meets these standards, it would be best to budget for and be enrolled in SHIP.

Questions?

• All waiver related questions and policy coverage questions should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service at help.ahpcare.com or the University Health Center SHIP Office at uhc-insurance@umd.edu.
• For questions specifically about your student account, contact Student Financial Services & Cashiering at billtalk@umd.edu. Please note that the Office of Student Financial Services does not have information on the timing of approved waiver credits on your account. 

Stay healthy and be well, Terp!

Alisa Abadinsky
Associate Controller
Student Financial Services & Cashiering
She/ Her/ Hers

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

June 24, 2024

Dear Returning Undergraduate Students,

We hope you are enjoying your summer break! As you prepare to return to campus we want to remind you about important information about the University of Maryland Student Health Insurance Requirement. 

All undergraduates enrolled in six or more credits are required to have health insurance. This saves you from the stress of unexpected medical bills that could interrupt your time at UMD.

To ensure coverage, students must either enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or provide proof of adequate coverage by submitting a waiver. This annual ​mandatory Enrollment/Waiver process is available ​during Open Enrollment which is now through September 19, 2024. 

Please visit the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver website to learn more about the mandatory enrollment/waiver process. 

What Do I Need to Know?

All undergraduate students required to have health insurance must either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP if you have comparable insurance. Comparable insurance must be compliant with the standards of the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will require approval. Learn more about the accepted insurance for waiver on the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver web page. If you are unsure whether an insurance plan meets these standards, it would be best to budget for SHIP. If your plan does not meet the required standards, you will not be able to waive out of SHIP. 

IMPORTANT: If you have waived out of SHIP in previous years, you must waive again each year that you are a student at UMD. Previous year waivers do NOT extend to the following year.

SHIP Enrollment/Waiver Deadline is September 19, 2024.

Charges are assessed to student accounts in July and only after a student registers and meets the credit requirements. The premium will be split into two separate payments: Fall $1,045 and Spring/Summer $1,449 for a total charge of $2,494 over two semesters. The payments will be charged to the student account for registered students who meet the criteria. The Terp Payment Plan allows students and families to pay amounts due to the university in manageable monthly installments for the semester. Submit a waiver to avoid the charge or get the charge reversed.

How SHIP auto-enrollment works:
After you register for six or more credits, the Fall premium of $1,045 will automatically post to your student financial account. If you wish to retain SHIP, no further action is required. You may begin using your insurance as early as August 1, 2024. The Spring/Summer premium of $1,449 will be applied by December 2024. The Spring/Summer waiver/enrollment period ends February 15, 2025. 

Waiving SHIP: If you have comparable health insurance coverage, you can waive out of this plan. 

• You must complete your waiver ONLINE by September 19, 2024. Refunds are not available after this deadline.
• Once you submit a waiver and it is approved, the charge of $1,045 will be removed from your bill. 
• Students who do not waive by the September 19 deadline will remain enrolled, and the premium fee will remain on your tuition bill. 

Review the full schedule of key dates and deadlines for SHIP auto-enrollment and waiver on the University Health Center website. 

SHIP Details 

• UnitedHealth Care is the 2024-2025 provider
• Current rates are available on the University Health Center website and rate card
• Plans are administered by our university partners, Academic Health Plans (AHP)

Know Your Health Insurance Status
Reminder emails: Our partners at AHP will email you reminders about the insurance requirement, upcoming charges, and waiver deadline. They will contact you directly, using the contact information UMD has on file for you. You are encouraged to communicate with your parent and/or family about these important emails. This process may require their assistance. Questions should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service at help.ahpcare.com. 

Avoid overlooking your SHIP charge: The party responsible for your tuition should regularly check the tuition bill for the SHIP premium charge. This may appear after the initial tuition and fees are posted.

These requirements represent our community values regarding the health and wellness of all Terps and are designed to keep you and our community healthy and safe. Please connect with the University Health Center by visiting our website or email our Student Health Insurance office.

Stay healthy and be well, Terp!

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

June 17, 2024

Dear Incoming Terp,

Welcome to the University of Maryland! As you prepare to join our campus community, we want to provide you with important information about the University of Maryland Health Insurance Requirement.

All undergraduates enrolled in six or more credits are required to have health insurance.

To ensure coverage, students must either enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or provide proof of adequate coverage by submitting a waiver.  This ​mandatory Enrollment/Waiver process is available ​during Open Enrollment which is now through September 19, 2024. SHIP is a reasonably priced insurance plan and provides coverage comparable to other premium insurance plans on the market. 

Please visit the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver website to learn more about the mandatory enrollment/waiver process. 

Why Do I Need Health Insurance?

The purpose of the health insurance requirement is to ensure that our students have affordable access to high-quality healthcare while avoiding unexpected medical bills. These costs can be prohibitive and lead students into debt or even bankruptcy, and cause them to interrupt their studies. For example, the average cost of a 3-day hospital stay in the US can be around $30,000, and fixing a broken leg can cost $7,500.

What Do I Need to Know?

All undergraduate students required to have health insurance must either enroll in SHIP or waive out of SHIP if you have comparable insurance. Comparable insurance must be compliant with the standards of the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will require approval. Learn more about the accepted insurance for waiver on the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver web page. If you are unsure whether an insurance plan meets these standards, it would be best to budget for SHIP. If your plan does not meet the required standards, you will not be able to waive out of SHIP. 

SHIP Enrollment/Waiver Deadline is September 19, 2024.

Charges are assessed to student accounts in July and only after a student registers and meets the credit requirements. The premium will be split into two separate payments: Fall $1,045 and Spring/Summer $1,449 for a total charge of $2,494 over two semesters. The payments will be charged to the student account for registered students who meet the criteria. The Terp Payment Plan allows students and families to pay amounts due to the university in manageable monthly installments for the semester. Submit a waiver to avoid the charge or get the charge reversed.

Mandatory Enrollment/Waiver Administration & Communications

SHIP is administered by Academic HealthPlans (AHP). Communication about the insurance requirement and how to submit a waiver will be sent to students directly from the AHP email address (info4students@myahpcare.com) to your University of Maryland email account. 

Please do not ignore these communications from AHP, especially if you have other acceptable insurance and are planning to submit a waiver. 

Questions about the SHIP enrollment/waiver process should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service.

Other Health Requirements

The University Health Center will be in touch in the coming weeks with information about submitting your immunization records and completing the online wellness training. These requirements represent our community values regarding the health and wellness of all Terps and are designed to keep you and our community healthy and safe. 

Please connect with the University Health Center by visiting our website.

Stay healthy and be well, Terp!      

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

February 14th, 2024

Dear Student,
   
You are receiving this message because you have not taken action on the mandatory student health insurance requirement. The February 15 waiver deadline is quickly approaching and action is required. 

Please reference the notifications sent to your UMD email regarding the UMD insurance requirement and Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) charge to your Student Financial Account. You have also received notifications from Academic HealthPlans (AHP) the insurance plan administrators (info4students@myahpcare.com). Please do not ignore these communications.  

If you haven’t taken action because you are not sure what you are supposed to do, ask your parent/guardian to assist you with this process.

To Retain SHIP
Activate SHIP. This will enable you to begin using your insurance benefits right away. Once activated, United HealthCare Student Resources (UHCSR) will send you an email in 3-5 days. That email will instruct you on how to access your insurance ID card. If you need your insurance card faster than that, you may contact the UMD SHIP office.

TO OPT-OUT OF SHIP

Please submit a SHIP waiver by Thursday, February 15, 2024. Waivers will not be accepted after this date. You must provide proof of comparable insurance coverage by submitting a waiver online. 

After a waiver is approved, it may take 5-7 business days for the insurance charge to be credited to the student financial account.

The full schedule of key dates and deadlines for the SHIP enrollment and waiver process can be found on the University Health Center website.

ACA COMPLIANCE

Comparable insurance must be compliant with the standards of the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will require approval.Visit the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver web page for examples of acceptable plans. If your plan does not meet the required standards, you will not be able to waive out of SHIP. 

QUESTIONS?

All waiver related questions and policy coverage questions should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service or the University Health Center SHIP Office.

For questions specifically about payments to your student account, contact Student Financial Services & Cashiering. Please note that the Office of Student Financial Services does not have information on the timing of approved waiver credits on your account. 

Stay healthy and be well, Terp!

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

February 9, 2024

Dear campus community,

More people have visited the University Health Center (UHC) with flu in the past two weeks, primarily Influenza A. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that typically comes on suddenly with high fever, body aches, headache and cough.

Here are some ways to protect yourself and others:

•  Be a healthy Terp and get a flu shot. It is not too late! The UHC has flu shots available.

•  Wear a mask if you are experiencing cold symptoms.

•  Cough into your sleeve or a tissue, not directly into your hands, and wash your hands immediately.

•  Keep your distance from people who are sick.

•  Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer.

•  Clean high-touch surfaces with anti-bacterial cleaner.

•  Avoid touching your face as this spreads germs.

•  Avoid sharing food, utensils, cups and water bottles.

Flu Treatments

Most otherwise healthy people can manage the flu with rest, drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, and taking fever-reducing medicine. Some people may need an antiviral medication, such as Tamiflu. For an antiviral medication to be effective, you must begin taking it before 48 to 72 hours have passed since you began feeling sick. Please consult your personal physician to determine if this type of medication is right for you.

Students, faculty and staff who have chronic medical conditions or are immunocompromised should visit the UHC or their personal physician soon after developing flu symptoms.

Here are some additional tips:

• If you are sick, stay home. Avoid crowded places like dining halls, classrooms and restaurants to prevent spreading your germs to others.
• Take fever reducers like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) if you have a fever. If your fever lasts more than three days in spite of fever reducers, please see a healthcare provider.
• Drink plenty of fluids, such as water.
• Contact the UHC at 301.314.8184 for medical advice if you are unsure of what to do after reading this information. We are here to answer any questions you may have.

For more information on the flu, please visit the CDC website.

If you are sick, stay home. Avoid crowded places like dining halls, classrooms and restaurants to prevent spreading your germs to others.

Sincerely,

Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

January 22, 2024

Dear Student, 

We hope that the new year is off to a great start. In December 2023, we sent you important notifications regarding the UMD Insurance requirement and Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) charge to your Student Financial Account. You have also received notifications from Academic Health Plans (AHP) the insurance plan administrators. We understand that life can get busy, and messages can sometimes slip through the cracks, so we are reaching out again to ensure you are fully informed. 

All incoming undergraduate students registered for 6 or more credits were charged $1,358 for the Spring/Summer SHIP. Please go to billpay.umd.edu to view your student account charges.

TO RETAIN SHIP

Activate SHIP. This will enable you to begin using your insurance benefits right away. If you do not activate now, your SHIP will be automatically activated next month. 

TO OPT-OUT OF SHIP

Please submit a SHIP waiver by Thursday, February 15, 2024. Waivers will not be accepted after this date. You must provide proof of comparable insurance coverage by submitting a waiver online. 

After a waiver is approved, it may take 5-7 business days for the insurance charge to be credited to the student financial account.

The full schedule of key dates and deadlines for the SHIP enrollment and waiver process can be found on the University Health Center website.

ACA COMPLIANCE

Comparable insurance must be compliant with the standards of the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will require approval. Learn more about the accepted insurance for waiver on the University Health Center Mandatory Insurance and Waiver web page.

If you are unsure whether an insurance plan meets these standards, it would be best to budget for SHIP. If your plan does not meet the required standards, you will not be able to waive out of SHIP. You may need to ask your parent/guardian to assist you with this process.

SHIP ENROLLMENT/WAIVER ADMINISTRATION & COMMUNICATIONS

SHIP is administered by Academic HealthPlans (AHP). Communication about the insurance requirement and how to submit a waiver will be sent to students directly from the AHP email address (info4students@myahpcare.com) to your University of Maryland email account.

Please do not ignore these communications from AHP, especially if you have other acceptable insurance and are planning to submit a waiver.

QUESTIONS?

All waiver related questions and policy coverage questions should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service or the University Health Center SHIP Office.

For questions specifically about payments to your student account,contact Student Financial Services & Cashiering. Please note that the Office of Student Financial Services does not have information on the timing of approved waiver credits on your account. 

Stay healthy and be well, Terp!

Spyridon Marinopoulos, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.P.
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/ Him/ His