Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions that need answers? Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding student health insurance at SMU.
Have questions that need answers? Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding student health insurance at SMU.
Yes, SHIP waivers DO NOT carry over from one semester to the next.
Students who fall under the MHI policy and do not Elect or Waive by the deadline each semester will have the Student Health Insurance Plan automatically requested for them and the semi-annual premium billed to their student account for that semester. Students must waive or elect insurance each semester once they're enrolled in their classes.
Two times. Waivers must be submitted every semester by the deadline date. See "Do I have to Elect/Waive each semester?" above regarding electing SHIP. The deadlines for 2020-2021 are: Fall 2020: August 7, 2020 and Spring 2021: December 7, 2020.
The $1628.00 semi-annual premium will be charged to your student account and you will automatically be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan for the current semester. No waivers will be accepted or reversal of charges will be made after the deadline each semester.
You are not required to document health insurance if you are taking less than 9 credit hours, unless you are an International Student. However, all students are strongly encouraged to have health insurance for themselves and their dependents. Domestic Students Degree Seeking Students enrolled in at least 4 credit hours have the option of electing the Student Health Insurance. Follow the instructions under the FAQ "Where do I go to Elect or Waive Health Insurance?"
All undergraduate and graduate students taking nine or more credit hours and international visa holders are REQUIRED to have health insurance either through the Student Health Insurance Plan or through another approved individual or family plan. It must provide coverage beyond emergency services only in the state of Texas.
All international Visa holders taking one or more credit hours are required to be enrolled in the SMU student Health Insurance plan, unless you receive a special waiver granted by the SMU Insurance Office. To review waiver exceptions, select International Students on the home page of this website.
The premium is $1628.00 per semester for 2020-2021. ($1628.00 for Fall and $1628.00 for Spring/Summer).
You will need the following information on hand BEFORE beginning the waiver process.
You should receive your insurance card within 3 weeks of enrollment, however; if you want the insurance and wait to be automatically enrolled it will take considerably longer to receive your card.
If you do not receive your card contact Academic Health Plans at 1-855-357-0242 to verify the status of your enrollment and to request a temporary card be emailed to you.
With the SMU Student Health Insurance Plan, you have the benefit of having an insurance plan that the University endorses that will cover 80 percent of eligible services with no deductible at the student health center(s) on campus.
This gives you easy access to basic health care services along with office visits, prescriptions and many preventive services at a low out-of-pocket cost. Also, if you need to see a doctor off-campus, you have the assurance of the comprehensive network of doctors, hospitals and specialists provided by Aetna’s PPO Network. The SMU Student Health Insurance Plan includes global emergency services, (evacuation, repatriation and AD&D coverage) which are valuable to students traveling abroad.