Mandatory Health Insurance FAQ

The purpose of the health insurance requirement is to ensure that our students have adequate
coverage to avoid unexpected medical bills. These costs can be prohibitive and lead students
into debt 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. The
American College Health Association notes that “SHIPs are an outstanding value for students
due to robust and broad coverage, often at half the cost of comparable employee plans…SHIPs
are uniquely designed for the lifestyles of college students. Specifically, SHIP coverage
accounts for the mobility of the student-patient population by remaining in place while a student
engages in student travel or during anticipated breaks in the academic year.” UMD’s SHIP is a
platinum-level plan that covers students both in College Park as well as nationally through the
insurance company’s provider network.

To ensure that all eligible students have coverage, UMD automatically enrolls
undergraduates who are registered for six or more credits and full-time graduate
students (enrolled for at least 48 units for the semester or 36 units for a 12-week term) in the
university-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) each year they are at UMD.
Because coverage is activated on behalf of enrolled students at the start of each plan year,
students who have their own qualifying coverage must proactively submit a waiver to have the
SHIP charge removed from their account. SHIP is a reasonably priced insurance plan and
provides coverage comparable to other premium insurance plans on the market.

Key plan details for Academic Year 2026–2027:

• Annual premium: $2,939, billed in two installments — Fall ($1,232) and Spring/Summer
  ($1,707). The applicable installment will be automatically posted to your student account
  for registered students who meet the criteria.
• The SHIP insurance carrier is Aetna.
• Coverage runs from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.
• To learn more about coverage details, visit the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) website 
• Students who wish to opt out must submit an online waiver by the deadline which can be found on our Mandatory Health Insurance and Waiver page.
•  

Students who do not wish to retain the SHIP must file an online waiver each academic year to
have the charge removed from their tuition bill. This is referred to as a “hard waiver.”
The waiver website opens on June 15th and remains open until September 1st. A waiver is
required each academic year without exception. The waiver must be submitted online. Providing
insurance information at the University Health Center does not substitute for the waiver
requirement. Once the waiver is received and approved, the insurance charge is reversed on
the student bill. If no waiver is received, the charge will remain on the bill and the student will be
enrolled in the UMD-offered plan. The premium is billed in two installments — Fall and
Spring/Summer — and provides coverage between August 1 and the following July 31.
(Students may also proactively enroll in the plan through the website.)

State law mandates that retroactive terminations are not available. The University must pay the
applicable subscription charges for a member covered under the plan until the insurer receives
the notice that the member is no longer eligible for coverage. This means that all waivers must
be completed on time. If you do not waive coverage by the deadlines, you will be held
responsible for all charges made by the carrier. There are no exceptions.
For a waiver to be approved, student coverage must be active no later than the first day of
classes and the level of benefits provided to the student through a health insurance plan must
be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Coverage is considered comparable if it
provides students with access to local providers and a range of services in the state of
Maryland. Services include but are not limited to preventive and non-urgent care, emergency
care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient hospitalization, lab work, diagnostic X-rays, physical
therapy and chiropractic care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance abuse
treatment. Students who waive the UMD Student Health Insurance Plan are solely responsible for all
medical expenses and bills incurred.

The American College Health Association notes that “[Student Health Insurance Plans] SHIPs are an outstanding value for students due to robust and broad coverage, often at half the cost of comparable employee plans…SHIPs are uniquely designed for the lifestyles of college students. Specifically, SHIP coverage accounts for the mobility of the student-patient population by remaining in place while a student engages in student travel or during anticipated breaks in the academic year.” UMD’s SHIP is a platinum-level plan that covers students both in College Park as well as nationally through the insurance company’s provider network. 

UMD sends multiple emails directly to students throughout the enrollment and waiver season
using their University email address. These communications cover the insurance requirement,
upcoming deadlines, and next steps.

In addition to UMD communications, Academic Health Plans (AHP) sends weekly emails to
enrolled students with reminders about the waiver process, upcoming charges, and plan
information. These emails come from info4students@myahpcare.com. Please do not ignore
these communications.

Parents and family members can sign up to receive SHIP-related communications through the
Office of Family Engagement. This allows parents and guardians to receive direct notice
about the insurance requirement and important deadlines without relying solely on their student
to share information. It is also important for the party responsible for the student’s tuition bill to
regularly check the account for charges that may appear after the initial tuition and fees are
posted, so as not to overlook the insurance premium charge.

In order to ensure coverage, UMD automatically enrolls undergraduates who are registered for six or more credits and full-time graduate students (enrolled for at least 48 units for the semester or 36 units for a 12-week term) in the university-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) each year they are at UMD. SHIP is a reasonably priced insurance plan and provides coverage comparable to other premium insurance plans on the market. 

• For Academic Year 2025-2026, the annual premium is $2,806 and will be automatically posted to your student account. The premium will be split into two separate payments: Fall and Spring/Summer. This will be charged to the student account for registered students who meet the criteria.
• The SHIP insurance carrier is Aetna.
• You may begin using your insurance as early as August 1, 2025.
• To learn more about the SHIP coverage details, visit: umd.myahpcare.com or see the attached SHIP Rate Card.
• Students can apply to un-enroll from the SHIP if they submit an online waiver by the deadline.

To opt out of SHIP and have the insurance charge removed from your student account, you
must provide proof of comparable insurance coverage (a waiver) online by visiting the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) website. Comparable insurance must be compliant with the standards of the
US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will require approval.

• If you submit a waiver and it is approved, the SHIP charge will be removed from your bill
  or refunded to you.
• If you do not waive by the Fall deadline, you will remain
  enrolled and will be responsible for paying the full premium amount.
• You must follow the same waiver process every year you are at UMD, and you will
  receive notification annually.

Review the full schedule of key dates and deadlines for SHIP auto-enrollment and waiver by visiting our Mandatory Health Insurance and Waiver page.

The waiver website opens mid-June of each year. A waiver is required each academic year without exception. The waiver must be submitted online. Providing insurance information at the University Health Center does not substitute for the waiver requirement.

State law mandates that retroactive terminations are not available. The University must pay the applicable subscription charges for a member covered under the plan until the insurer receives the notice that the member is no longer eligible for coverage. This means that all waivers must be completed on time. If you do not waive coverage by the deadlines, you will be held responsible for all charges made by the carrier. There are no exceptions.

Appeals must be submitted within two weeks of the close of open enrollment. After that window closes, no further appeals will be accepted. Appeals must be directed to Academic HealthPlans (AHP), who will render a final decision.

For the Fall 2026 enrollment period, the open enrollment window closes September 15, 2026.
The appeal deadline is therefore September 29, 2026. The Hard Waiver process has been reviewed and approved by the University of Maryland Office of the General Counsel and Division of Student Affairs.

International students who are planning to purchase insurance before arriving in the US should
make sure that their plan meets ACA (Affordable Care Act) 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.

The university has partnered with Academic Health Plans (AHP) to administer SHIP. AHP
manages the enrollment platform, waiver processing, student-facing communications, and
customer service for the plan.

AHP will email you instructions and reminders about the insurance requirement, upcoming
charges, and the waiver process and deadline. These emails are sent weekly to your UMD
email address from info4students@myahpcare.com. Please do not ignore these
communications.

Questions should be directed to Academic HealthPlans Customer Service.

Yes. Graduate assistants who are appointed by July 31, part-time students, non-degree-
seeking students, and students enrolled in certificate programs, exclusively online programs,
and/or programs at the Shady Grove campus will not be automatically enrolled in SHIP, but they
are eligible to purchase SHIP using the voluntary enrollment process.

Eligible graduate students include: 

• Students enrolled part-time (in at least one credit)
• Students enrolled in an exclusively online program
• Students enrolled in a certificate program
• Students enrolled at Shady Grove
• Students (full-time or part-time) who want to purchase SHIP for one semester at a time
• Graduate Assistants who do not want the State of Maryland Insurance Plan
• Students who have an approved Leave of Absence (documentation required)
• Students who have a qualifying event (documentation required)

Voluntary enrollment allows students to purchase a plan by semester and to add dependents to
their plan. Payment will be required at the time of enrollment.

Yes. Undergraduate students excluded from the waiver requirement can voluntarily enroll in the
SHIP. Payment will be required at time of enrollment.

Students who do not take any action to waive enrollment are automatically enrolled in the SHIP in early October after all deadlines have expired. For Academic Year 2025-2026, the annual premium is to be announced and will be automatically posted to your student account. You are responsible for paying the premium.

• The SHIP insurance carrier is Aetna.
• You may begin using your insurance as early as August 1, 2025. 

If you intend to pay and be enrolled in SHIP you must go online and "enroll" to activate the plan so they can begin using it on August 1.

To learn more about the SHIP coverage details, visit: umd.myahpcare.com or see the attached SHIP Rate Card.

• Undergraduate students taking fewer than 6 credits do not have to complete the waiver.
• International students enrolled in the Maryland English Institute (MEI) program do not
  have to submit a waiver.
• Graduate students in the following categories are not automatically enrolled in SHIP:
  • Graduate Assistants who are appointed by July 31
  • Part-time students
  •  Non-degree-seeking students
  • Students enrolled in certificate programs, exclusively online programs, and/or
    programs at the Shady Grove campus

Students in the above categories are not required to waive but are eligible to enroll voluntarily.
Payment will be required at the time of enrollment.

You are responsible for all visit co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance and non covered services. Charges can be placed on your Bursar account or paid by cash, credit card, Health Care Flexible Spending Account, or Terrapin Express.

The UHC is able to bill many private insurance plans for office visits and covered medical services provided in our facility. It is recommended that you call your insurance provider to inquire about coverage, estimated co-pays, deductibles, etc. The following numbers will identify the UHC as participating or not within your individual insurance plan:

Group NPI (National Provider Identification Number): 1508849639

TIN (Tax Identification Number): 52-6002033

We cannot bill Medicare, Kaiser Permanente, and TRICARE Prime. You should contact your plan  (customer service) in advance and ask if they will cover your care at the UHC  while you are away at school. You are responsible for any non-covered charges.

The UHC providers are contracted with the PPO and EPO insurance products  of: 

• Aetna  

• United Healthcare 

• Carefirst/Blue Cross-Blue Shield and 

• Cigna 

We can also file State of Maryland Medicaid plans for our registered students only

Yes, we can file for you, however, we cannot bill government insurance  programs, such as Medicare and TRICARE Prime. Again, call the Customer Service phone number listed on your insurance card to see if your service will  be covered.

For a waiver to be approved, student coverage must be active no later than the first day of classes and the level of benefits provided to the student through a health insurance plan must be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Coverage is considered comparable if it provides students with access to local providers and a range of services in the state of Maryland. Services include but are not limited to, preventive and non-urgent care, emergency care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient hospitalization, lab work, diagnostic X-rays, physical therapy and chiropractic care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Students who waive the UMD Student Health Insurance Plan are solely responsible for all medical expenses and bills incurred. 

Insurance plans must be active by the first day of classes and the waiver must be submitted by September 19, 2025.

Once the waiver is received and approved, the insurance charge is reversed on the student bill. 

If no waiver is received, the charge will remain on the bill and the student will be enrolled in the UMD-offered plan. The premium is billed annually and provides coverage between August and the following July. (Students may also proactively enroll in the plan through the website.) 

Group NPI (National Provider Identification Number): 1508849639

TIN (Tax Identification Number): 52-6002033