Insurance Matters

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that all students enrolled in a degree or certificate program at UMass Chan Medical School carry comprehensive and continuous health insurance coverage for hospitalization, emergencies, outpatient specialty care and diagnostic testing. UMass Chan offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) with Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) which is administered by University Health Plans (UHP). Plan information can be found on the UHP website.

Students have the option to either enroll and purchase the BC/BS student plan  or carry a comparable health insurance plan with a company of their choice. (Note: enrolled students at Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: plan premium is paid by the school.)

Enroll/Waiver Process

1. Annual enroll/waiver during open enrollment period

Students are sent an email each year in June which includes  the health insurance information, requirements, and the online enroll/waiver instructions for the new academic year. 

Open enrollment period runs through August each year. EVERY student MUST complete the online enroll/waive process during open enrollment period of EVERY academic year via the UHP website.

Open enrollment period is the only time  you can enroll in the annual coverage of the student plan (SHIP) and is the only time to waive the student health insurance requirement with your own plan.

The student plan offers three annual coverage periods:

• 12 months (9/1-8/31/next year, for all returning students and year 1 students starting in September)
• 13 months (8/1-8/31/next year, for year 1 students starting in August)
• 14 months (7/1-8/31/next year, for year 1 students starting in July).

The annual health insurance premium is assessed on every student's fall semester bill but you are NOT enrolled in the student plan until you complete the enrollment process on UHP website. If you complete the waiver process on the UHP website, the premium will be removed from your student account.

2. Enrollment during the academic year after open enrollment period ends

Students are mandated to carry adequate health insurance without lapse of coverage. Students can contact the Bursar's Office to request enrollment in the student health insurance plan due to two situations:

When returning from Leave of Absence and in need of health insurance. Please complete the Health Insurance Enroll Waiver Card and return it to the Bursar's Office before resuming program study.

When involuntarily losing your own insurance coverage due to a qualified life-changing event (e.g. terminated from parent's plan when turning 26 or, if the policy holder loses health insurance due to a job change). Please complete the Student Health Insurance Qualifying Event Enrollment Form AY24-25 and return to the Bursar's Office, along with the other required items listed on the form within the time frame stated on the form.

The premium will be based on coverage for the remainder of the policy year (information included on the above listed Form). After the above required form, the termination letter from your prior insurance company, and premium payment is received by the Bursar's Office, your enrollment request will be sent to UHP for processing.

Disability insurance is a mandatory insurance for all students enrolled in T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Coverage is provided by AMA-Sponsored Med Plus Advantage.  Benefits may be viewed by accessing the Med Plus Advantage website and entering program ID# 644204.  The annual premium is assessed on the student account in the fall semester of each academic year.