Student Health Insurance

Currently, students registered for at least 75 percent of full-time credits are required by Massachusetts law to enroll in a school-sponsored health insurance program or an alternate plan with comparable coverage.

To ensure compliance with Massachusetts law, Wellesley College students, including Davis Scholars, Post-Baccalaureates, and visiting students, are automatically enrolled in and billed for the Wellesley College Student Health Insurance Plan.

Plan Coverage

The 2023-2024 Wellesley College Student Health Insurance Plan is effective from August 15, 2023, to August 14, 2024. The insurance rate for the 2023-2024 academic year is $4,051. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts provides the health insurance coverage for our students. For most students, the fee for insurance appears on the Workday Student Account in early July.

2023-2024 Student Health Insurance Plan Highlights

• Coverage for inpatient and outpatient medical expense, mental health coverage, prescription drugs, diagnostic testing, lab and x-ray services, urgent care, and emergency visits.
• 100% coverage for preventative care.
• Access to a comprehensive network of doctors, specialists, and hospitals close to campus and home.
• Worldwide coverage while studying abroad or on vacation.
• Coordination with the College’s Student Heath Service.
• Access to discounts for dental, eyewear, and fitness services.

Under Wellesley's Health Service policy, all students enrolled in courses at Wellesley College may see a physician, nurse practitioner, or nurse at the Health Service office without charge; however, charges are incurred for certain procedures, treatments, and laboratory tests. The Wellesley College Student Health Insurance Plan covers most of these charges. Health Service will directly bill the Plan for covered services.

Details about the Wellesley Plan, benefits comparison, participating doctors, and more can be found the website of the Plan’s broker, University Health Plans.

• Find out what questions you should ask your current health insurance plan to make sure it’s comparable.
• View and download a student insurance brochure for a benefits comparison.
• Search for participating doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies.
• Submit an online waiver form (instructions below).

Eligibility to Opt-Out of the Plan

If you are covered by a comprehensive health insurance plan you can opt out of the Wellesley College SHIP by completing the waiver form, located at www.universityhealthplans.com/. Before waiving, compare the cost, coverage, and benefits of the SHIP to your existing plan. Please consider the following:

• Your plan must provide access to doctors, specialists, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and mental health/behavioral health providers in the Wellesley College campus area without restriction or limitation.

• The policy must be a US health insurance plan that is filed and approved in the US and ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant. Travel insurance and short-term limited duration plans are not accepted.

• Out-of-state Medicaid and many out-of-state HMO or EPO plans do not provide out-of-network coverage. Urgent and/or emergency-only coverage does not meet the SHIP requirements.

• International students cannot waive coverage unless they are enrolled in a US filed and approved ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant plan that provides both emergency and non-emergency care in Massachusetts, specifically the Wellesley College campus area

Online Waiver Process

The due date to waive the 2023-2024 Wellesley College Student Health Insurance is Friday August 5, 2023. If this date is missed students must petition to waive the Plan through October 4, 2023. Please note that the successful submission of a petition does not guarantee that a waiver will be approved.

Steps to Complete an Online Waiver Petition Form

1. Have your current health insurance ID card ready, as you will need this information to complete the waiver petition form.
2. Go to www.universityhealthplans.com.
3. Click on "Wellesley College."
4. Review information to determine if you qualify to waive your coverage.
5. Access the waiver petition form using your Wellesley College email address and Student ID number.
6. Print a copy of your confirmation for your records. If you do not receive confirmation of your online waiver petition form, you must resubmit it.
7. If the waiver petition form is approved, Student Financial Services will credit your student account for the insurance charge of $4,051, typically within two to three business days.

If you have any questions on the waiver petition process, please contact University Health Plans at (833) 251-1116 or by email at info@univhealthplans.com.