As access to health care continues to be a hot topic nationally, colleges and universities nationwide are making medical and health insurance available to their students through subsidized plans.
At Tech, Stamps Health Center offers the Student Health Insurance Program, or SHIP.
Tech SHIP provides health insurance to undergraduate and graduate students and their eligible dependents who are not already insured.
The plan includes comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, prescription and international travel, provided by UnitedHealthcare.
Student resources.
Under the current University of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents criteria, having health insurance is mandatory only for
Select a group of students.
Graduate students who hold an F or J visa and receive a tuition waiver from USG or are pursuing a chemical and biomolecular engineering, biomedical engineering, or applied physiology degree are required to have health insurance.
However, even if a student falls into those categories, enrollment in SHIP is not required. Students covered by an existing policy — such as a parent, family, or employer-sponsored plan — can opt out of SHIP by completing the open enrollment/withdrawal period online.
Likewise, students who wish to enroll in SHIP may do so voluntarily during the open enrollment/withdrawal period, as long as they enroll in at least four.
Credit hours.
Voluntary enrollment in the fall has two options: students can choose to cover the entire policy year in one enrollment, or enroll for the fall and re-enroll for the spring and summer during spring re-enrollment in December and January.
Students who fall into the mandatory group must enroll in SHIP twice a year (fall and spring), and those who wish to waive enrollment must waive twice a year. Replacement plans must comply with the Affordable Care Act.
Third year CS Mridula Maheswaran described SHIP as her only choice.
International student.
“I was coming from India, I was underage, and I didn’t have family here either
A lot of trouble.”
Mahswaran said.
When Mahswar was admitted to the emergency room several months ago, SHIP covered most of her expenses, incl
Ambulance charges.
“But there wasn’t much I could do. I got a bill from the insurance later.”
Mahswaran said.
Maheswaran says one of the main advantages SHIP offers over off-campus options is the convenience of paying tuition fees.
“I personally don’t have a bad experience with it and it’s easy for my parents to pay for schooling,” Maheswaran said.
Jennifer White, billing and insurance coordinator for Stamps Health Services, said in a phone call that only those in the mandatory group can pay SHIP with their tuition.
“Students [in the mandatory group] They are billed and insured through the bursar’s office, which sends the information to UnitedHealthcare,” White said.
Those in the volunteer group must submit student enrollment information directly to Stamps Health Services and the institute’s UnitedHealthcare student resources.
But Maheswaran cautioned that coverage can vary from event to event, and payment can be difficult during the summer.
“For me, it was the end of the semester, and I was going to India.
And the letter didn’t arrive.”
Mahswaran said.
A friend of Mahswar’s recounts her experience of having an appendix removed, a procedure that is not covered and comes at a high cost.
But she said she had to do more to figure this out. [insurance coverage]”If she can’t change anyway, she doesn’t need to know everything.”
White said that in her view, out-of-state students should strongly consider enrolling in SHIP.
“Say, for example, some California insurance doesn’t cover outside of that state, so it only covers emergency room visits… if a student wants to go to an orthopedic specialist… it’s 100% out of pocket,” White said.
The instructional year begins in August and continues for one school year. The 2022-23 open enrollment/withdrawal period begins and closes on July 25, 2022.
On September 26, 2022
Students in the mandatory group category will pay $1,175.79 for coverage through December 31, 2022, and $1,629.21 for coverage from January 1 through July 31, 2023.
Students in the voluntary group can enroll for $3,878.00 per year or pay $1,625.57 for coverage.
December 31, 2022 and then $2,252.43 for coverage from January 1 through July 31, 2023.
Figures for both groups increase when students include covered dependents in their plan, whether that’s spouse only, children only or all dependents (all inclusive).
Access to health care is a universal need and students at the institution are no exception.
More information about health coverage and SHIP is available online at health.gatech.edu.
