Mandatory Insurance and Waiver

An approved waiver must be completed by September 1, 2026. Students who have not
completed the waiver by this date will be enrolled in SHIP and the premium fee will remain on
their student bill. There are no exceptions.
Please note: Newly admitted students will be able to complete the waiver 2 business days after
they have registered for classes.

1. Go to umd.myahpcare.com/waiver
2. Or go to umd.myahpcare.com and click “Waive/Opt Out” from the card menu at the
   bottom of the screen.
3. You will be routed to the University of Maryland MFA (DUO) site for log-in.
4. Log in with your UMD credentials and you will be routed to the waiver system
   dashboard.
5. Follow the steps in the waiver system to provide proof of insurance and complete the
   waiver.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY WAIVER WAS SUBMITTED AND VERIFIED:

When your waiver is approved, you will receive an email confirmation from AHP (please check
your spam and junk folders) at your University email address. If you cannot find your
confirmation email, call AHP at 855.850.4303. 

1. Visit umd.myahpcare.com/enrollment or go to umd.myahpcare.com and click “Begin Enrollment” or “Enroll/Cost” from the card menu at the bottom of the screen.
2.  Follow the steps on the website to complete the enrollment process.

Accepted to Waive SHIP With:
• Employer-sponsored group plans
• Marketplace plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
• Medicaid
• U.S.-based plans that meet Affordable Care Act requirements
• VA Health Plans

Not accepted to waive SHIP with:

Ministry cost-sharing plans, including:

• Liberty HealthShare
• Samaritan Ministries
• Medi-Share
• Aliera Healthshare
• Christian Healthcare Ministries
• Trinity HealthShare
• Solidarity Healthshare
• International plans (including, but not limited to, ISO, Student Medicover, Student Cover)
• Travel plans

If you are seeking to waive SHIP by enrolling in a different plan, please ask the company
offering the plan: 

(a) Is the plan filed and approved in the United States? and 

(b) Is it compliant with the Affordable Care Act? If the answer is no to either question, the plan will not qualify for a waiver.

June 15th

Waiver site opens. Initial communication goes to students. Students
may begin submitting waivers or complete One Click Enrollment.

Summer

UMD sends multiple email communications directly to students at their University email address about the insurance requirement and upcoming deadlines. The UMD Division of Student Affairs sends communications to undergraduate students; the Graduate School sends communications to graduate students. AHP sends weekly email reminders to students throughout the enrollment/waiver season. Parents and family members can sign up through the Office of Family Engagement to receive SHIP communication reminders to their own email address.

Summer and Fall

UMD sends additional email reminders to students who have not yet completed the waiver or enrollment process. Once a waiver is approved, the premium is removed from the student bill.

September 1st

Waiver site closes. This is the final deadline to submit a waiver for the
Fall semester. No new waivers will be accepted after this date.

Late September - Early October

Auto-enrollment is processed 2–3 weeks after the close of open enrollment for students who did not submit a waiver. Coverage is backdated to August 1, meaning enrolled students are covered from the start of the plan year regardless of when the auto-enrollment charge posts. A waiver is no longer permitted after auto-enrollment is finalized. After auto-enrollment, late waiver requests may be referred to Academic
Health Plans (AHP) for consideration; email waivers@ahpcare.com.

Within two weeks of September 1st

Appeal deadline. Students who believe they were incorrectly enrolled may submit an appeal to Academic Health Plans (AHP). Appeals must be received within two weeks of the close of open enrollment (by September 15, 2026). After this window, no further appeals will be accepted.

Please note: After the initial waiver, the Fall waiver must be completed every academic year. 

Who Needs to Waive or Enroll in the Spring?

• Newly admitted undergraduate students enrolled in 6 or more credits in the Spring.
• Returning undergraduates who were not enrolled in the previous Fall semester.
• Newly admitted graduate students (Masters or Doctoral) enrolled for at least 48 units for the semester or 36 units in a 12-week term.
• Returning graduate students (Masters or Doctoral) who were not enrolled in the previous
  Fall semester and meet the credit threshold.

Please note: Newly admitted students will be able to complete the waiver after they have
registered for classes. The annual SHIP premium of $2,939 will be posted to your student
account. If you wish to retain SHIP, no further action is required. You may begin using your
insurance as early as January 1, 2027.

Spring Timeline: New Transfer Students and Returning Students Not Enrolled in the
Previous Fall

December 2

Waiver site opens. Initial communication goes to students.

February 15

Waiver site closes. This is the final deadline to submit a waiver for the Spring semester.

Early March

Auto-enrollment is processed for students who did not submit a waiver. Coverage is backdated to January 1. A waiver is no longer permitted after auto-enrollment is finalized. After auto-enrollment, late
waiver requests may be referred to Academic Health Plans (AHP) for consideration; email waivers@ahpcare.com.

Within two weeks of February 15

Appeal deadline. Appeals must be submitted to AHP within two weeks of the close of the Spring open enrollment window (by March 1, 2027). After this window, no further appeals will be accepted.

After the initial Spring semester, the Fall waiver must be completed every academic year.