How to Enroll or Waive

The following contains information on how students can waive the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). The information found on this website supersedes information found elsewhere, to include individual schools’ websites and/or academic handbooks.

SHIP is an annual plan with coverage dates of August 12 through August 11 of the following year. The annual waiver must be completed each year by the deadlines listed above. Students who are enrolled in SHIP in the fall will remain enrolled for the full plan year unless they take action to disenroll from spring/summer coverage.

Graduating students, those who withdraw or take a leave of absence, and those who obtain comparable insurance coverage during (or directly after) the fall semester may be eligible to disenroll from spring/summer coverage. 

SHIP Waiver

Important Waiver Dates

MD Students

The annual SHIP coverage period is aligned with the standard academic calendar and runs from August 12 – August 11 of the following year. The annual waiver must be completed each year by the deadlines listed above. First-year MD students desiring health insurance coverage prior to August 12, 2024 may purchase a short term plan directly from Academic Health Plans. Reach out to SHIP@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions.

Domestic Students

To qualify for a waiver, domestic undergraduate, graduate & professional students eligible for SHIP and enrolled in either online or on-campus coursework must have comparable coverage in the area they reside during the academic year. Residency will be determined by the student’s official status with the University as an in-person or remote learner, and students are responsible for working with their academic department to ensure the status is correct. Please carefully read the Criteria for Comparable Coverage section below. 

International Students

To qualify for a waiver, international undergraduate, graduate, & professional students eligible for SHIP and enrolled in either online or on-campus coursework residing in the United States must have comparable US-based employer coverage filed in the United States through their direct employment or through a dependent’s employer. Individual plans purchased on the Marketplace, travel plans, or home-country employer plans are not considered comparable to the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Please carefully read the Criteria for Comparable Coverage section below.

Students Living Abroad

The waiver for living abroad only applies to students who will not return to the United States prior to the completion of their academic program and degree conferral. Consequently, students on study abroad are not eligible for this waiver unless, while abroad, they complete their program, receive a degree, and will not return to the United States before the conclusion of the SHIP annual plan on August 11.

To qualify for a waiver, Vanderbilt requires students to provide evidence of health insurance coverage equal to or better than the coverage provided by SHIP.

Compare Your Plan to SHIP

Your health insurance plan must:

• Be fully compliant with the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and all state and federal mandates. Confirm if Your Plan is ACA Compliant
• Be underwritten by an insurance company based in the United States with a U.S. telephone number and address for submission of claims;
• Provide unlimited access to doctors, specialists, hospitals and other healthcare providers within 25 miles of campus – unless the student is fully online in a distance learning program;
• Cover a minimum of 80% with no lifetime maximum (i.e., unlimited benefit) per accident or sickness OR the co-insurance must not exceed 20%. This requirement can be waived if:
  • It is a U.S. employer plan OR
  • It is an individual plan with an individual deductible of no more than $1,000 OR an individual out-of-pocket maximum of no more than $5,000;
• Have an in-network individual deductible no more than $1,000 per policy year (this will be waived for U.S. employer plans);
• Provide coverage for the period beginning 8/12/2025 with the expectation of continuing coverage through 8/11/2026 (for annual waivers).
• Provide coverage for medical evacuation in the amount of $50,000 USD and coverage for repatriation of mortal remains in the amount of $25,000 USD to student’s home county (international students only)

Plans Not Acceptable for a Waiver

• Short-Term Limited Duration Plans
• Medical Cost-Sharing Plans
• Healthcare Sharing Ministry Plans
• Medisave Plans
• Out-of-State HMO plans (unless proof of access to routine, urgent and emergency care in the Nashville area is provided)
• Out-of-State Medicaid Plan
• Children’s Health Insurance Plans
• Travel Plans
• Plans filed outside of the United States of America
• Individual/Marketplace Plans (international students only)
• Home-country employer plans (international students only)

Waiver applications will be reviewed and verified as active with the insurance carrier. Notice of Acceptance or Rejection of waiver applications will be sent to the student’s Vanderbilt email address within seven (7) business days.

Overview

If a student has met all applicable deadlines and received a waiver denial, they may appeal the decision to Vanderbilt’s Student Health Insurance Plan Appeals Committee (SHIP Appeals Committee).

Appeals must be submitted using the online SHIP Waiver Appeals Form. Using this form, clearly outline the rationale for the appeal and include all supporting documentation relevant to the request. A Vanderbilt representative will be in touch with the student regarding the Committee’s decision. All decisions by the Appeals Committee are final. Students may not submit additional appeals.

SHIP Appeals Process

• Missed deadlines will not be a sufficient basis for an appeal. AHP communicates deadline information via email with students.
• Missed email communications from AHP or Vanderbilt will not be a sufficient basis for an appeal. Per the Student Handbook, students are required to be familiar with the contents of official University notifications, and to respond to instructions and other official correspondence requiring a response.
• Health cost sharing plans are not considered comparable coverage as all plans must be fully compliant with the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and provide access to local primary care providers in the Vanderbilt University area. The SHIP Appeals Committee will not approve waiver appeals based on coverage through a health cost sharing plan.
• Students with questions about the appeals process should email SHIP@vanderbilt.edu.

Students who take a leave of absence, withdraw OR graduate within the first 31 days after the start of coverage

• “Within the first 31 days” is considered the 31 days following the start of insurance coverage. Students who start SHIP coverage in the fall semester are typically within the first 31 days between August 11-September 12. Students who start coverage in the spring semester having not participated in SHIP during the fall semester term are typically within the first 31 days between January 1-January 31. Any changes to the start date of coverage are communicated in advance.
• If you are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and you take a leave of absence, withdraw, or graduate within the first 31 days from the start of your coverage, you will NOT be covered under the Policy and the full premium will be refunded, less any claims paid.
• If you were enrolled in SHIP at least the semester immediately preceding a medical leave of absence (MLOA), you may choose to enroll in a one-time extension of your coverage while you are on MLOA, for up to one year.
• To extend your coverage, complete and submit the Leave of Absence SHIP Enrollment Application with a copy of your MLOA letter from your Dean during Open Enrollment to ensure timely enrollment. Please reach out to Student Care Coordination or email SHIP@vanderbilt.edu with any questions.

Students who take a leave of absence, withdraw OR graduate at least 31 days past the start of coverage (i.e. after September 12)

• “31 days past the start” is considered any date that is not within the first 31 days following the start of insurance coverage. Students who start SHIP coverage in the fall are typically past the first 31 days on/after September 13. Students who start coverage in the spring semester having not participated in SHIP during the fall semester are typically past the 31 days on February 1. Any changes to the start date of coverage are communicated in advance.
• If you are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and you take a leave of absence, withdraw, or graduate 31 days past the start of coverage, you will remain enrolled in the SHIP plan until the end of this plan year (August 11). Premium rates are billed at the beginning of each semester. If you wish to waive SHIP for the spring semesters or summer session, please review the following sections.
  • If you decide to remain on MLOA past the termination date of your current SHIP plan (August 11) there may be options to extend your enrollment under SHIP. Please contact Student Care Coordination.
• If you are interested in waiving spring/summer coverage*, you must meet the following criteria:
  • For graduating students, the student has completed all degree requirements, which will be verified with the Office of the University Registrar. Your degree conferral date must be on or before January 31.
  • For students who have withdrawn from the University, their withdrawal will be verified with the Office of the University Registrar. Your withdrawal date must be on or before January 31. 
  • For students on a leave of absence, your leave will be verified by the Office of the University Registrar. Your leave must start on or before January 31. Students on a medical leave of absence must provide proof of alternate coverage. International students without active coverage from a different insurance carrier must show proof (e.g., plane ticket) of departure from the United States.
  • The student has not incurred claims with a date of service after December 31 of the previous year.
  • If dependents are on the student's policy, the dependent(s) must not have incurred claims with a date of service after December 31of the previous year**.

*The spring/summer coverage period is January 1 – August 11. If you waive spring/summer coverage, your coverage will end at 11:59pm on December 31 even if you graduate, withdraw, or take a leave of absence past this date.

**Please note if a student terminates the student health insurance coverage, any coverage for dependents will also be terminated.

Vanderbilt allows for students who may have obtained comparable coverage from a U.S. based insurance company since Fall enrollment to complete a Spring/Summer waiver form to terminate their SHIP coverage as of December 31, 2024.

In order to qualify to submit a Spring/Summer comparable coverage waiver, there are a few requirements:

• Coverage must be effective on or before January 1, 2025.
• In order for the request to be approved, the other insurance plan must be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and comparable to the Vanderbilt University Student Health Insurance Plan (view a list of requirements). Requests will be audited to confirm coverage is comparable.
• Students who incur claims on or after January 1, 2025, will not be permitted to disenroll from spring/summer coverage.
• If you submitted a waiver request and/or waiver appeal for Fall 2024 and were denied, you may not submit the same insurance coverage for a Spring/Summer waiver.  If a student submits a waiver with the same coverage from what was submitted in the fall, their comparable coverage waiver request will be denied.