Health Insurance

You can automatically enroll yourself into the USD SHIP and see information on the coverage dates and premium by visiting USD's Health Insurance Requirement Enrollment page.

PLEASE NOTE:

All submitted waiver decision forms will be subject to a waiver verification. The intent of the waiver verification process is to assess whether or not your insurance plan meets the requirements of USD and the Affordable Care Act by providing access to health care providers and comprehensive benefits when you are at the University.

The verification process checks the insurance company information entered on your form to determine access to care and to confirm your coverage is currently active and comparable to the plan offered by USD. Most waivers will be verified within 24-72 hours of submission. You will be notified via email to the email address submitted on your form of the acceptance or denial of your waiver. If your waiver was denied, you will be provided with steps to appeal the denial should you believe the denial was made in error.

Students who choose to waive the USD health insurance requirement must do so at the start of each academic year (or their first semester at USD if starting in the spring or upon arrival if a visiting scholar). Without submitting the online health insurance waiver each year, USD cannot waive the health insurance fee. Therefore, students who fail to submit the waiver by the posted deadline will be automatically enrolled and billed via their USD student account.

Unsure if your health insurance meets these requirements? Your comprehensive health insurance plan must meet the University’s general requirements listed in the Waiver Requirements.

For in-depth information please refer to the Student Health Insurance Plan FAQ.

Note for Athletes: Student athletes participating in club or NCAA sports are NOT eligible to waive the USD health insurance requirement and therefore must enroll in the USD Student Health Insurance Plan, which includes special provisions for athletes.

Note for Students with Embassy-Sponsored Plans: Students with embassy/cultural mission-sponsored health insurance plans are not required to complete the online waiver but must provide the OISS a valid financial guarantee to Student Accounts (studentaccounts@sandiego.edu) by the insurance deadline. If unable to provide this document the student should complete the waiver process below. For more details visit following webpage with information on Sponsored Students

Online Waiver Instructions

Students who have been issued an I-20 can waive the USD SHIP now:

To access the online waiver, please follow the instructions below:

1. Gather all insurance documents - this information is required to fill out the online waiver
2. Go to www.gallagherstudent.com/USD.
3. Click on "Enroll/Waive"
4. Log in using your USD email address as your username and your password will be your student ID number
5. Complete the decision form
6. Review the information entered for accuracy and click "submit" to complete the process. Immediately upon submitting your Online Form you will receive a reference number. Please note and keep this information for your record. This number only confirms submission, not approval of your form. Your waiver will be reviewed within 24 to 48 hours.

As per current policy, having health insurance on OPT is highly recommended, however, it is optional based on federal regulations. Students may choose to enroll in the USD OPT plans coordinated through Gallagher Student Health during their OPT year only. All students on OPT can choose to enroll in one of these plans. Please note that these plans are not identical to the USD SHIP for active students.

What plans are available through Gallagher Student Health?

You have the option to enroll in one of three plans (called ISS Gold, Silver and Bronze). These plans differ in price and benefits. The biggest difference in comparing the plans is monthly price and amount of deductible and co-payment (what you pay for each service on top of monthly charge).

Search here under USD with the Student Category “International Student”. The advantage of these plans is that students can pay for months at a time and can extend through the end of their OPT period. Note that none of these plans covers 100% of medical expenses but you will also pay significantly less for individual coverage compared with the USD international plan.

For those with families, please be aware that the costs for adding children and spouses is higher with these plans. With this in mind, you may want to consider enrolling your family members in a different plan if you wish.

How To Enroll: You will directly enroll in one of these plans online and pay directly as well - you can even use a credit card! Details and enrollment information is here.

If you have questions regarding a specific plan or payment, please contact Gallagher Student Health directly.

What other plans are available?

We have included additional health insurance plans (see below) as an option for you to consider during your OPT period. We cannot formally recommend or vouch for any health insurance plan once you are on OPT. Therefore, please be careful to read all policy details as, often, a low price might mean fewer benefits, a smaller network of providers, more exclusions and high deductibles or co-payments.

• International Student Insurance
• ISO Health Insurance
• IMG Global (Patriot America Plus)
• Cigna
• StudentSecure
• Seven Corners (Liaison Student Series)
• Insubuy (ExchangeGuard)

Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions or concerns and make sure to plan ahead so that there is no interruption to your coverage.

Please see the Student Health Center's webpage on after-hours care.

If you are a student with the Student Health Insurance Plan through the University, Aetna's Informed Health Line is 800-556-1555 and can be called 24 hours a day/7 days to assist you in directing you where to go to seek medical attention. You also have access to TimelyCare, which provides non-emergency care at any hour of the day over the phone.

Many insurance providers have similar services. Be sure to read through your plan thoroughly to familiarze yourself with its details and offerings.

Learn more about the difference between Urgent Care, the Emergency Room (hospital) or Walk-In Clinics (also known as Minute Clinics) using Aetna's health guide and review the video below:

Students enrolled in the USD SHIP will remain enrolled during their study abroad program to maintain continuous coverage unless a waiver is completed by the semester’s waiver deadline.

If in the past you waived the USD health insurance with your own coverage, you are responsible for submitting the online waiver form for the current academic year.