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Salem State University
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN

2026-2027 Academic Year

Student Health Insurance

Massachusetts requires that all students enrolled in at least 75% of their program’s full-time course load participate in a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or have comparable health insurance coverage.

At Salem State University, this includes:
  • Undergraduate students taking 9 or more credits
  • Graduate students taking 6.75 or more credits
  • Graduate students in programs where 75% of the course load is 6 or 4.75 credits

These students are automatically charged for the SHIP at registration. To opt out, students must submit a waiver form documenting their comparable coverage. Students intending to enroll in the SHIP must submit an enrollment form to transfer their information to the insurance company.

Cost and Coverage Periods

  Annual Students Newly Eligible Spring Students
 Coverage Dates August 1, 2026 -  July 31, 2027 January 1, 2027  -  July 31, 2027
 Premium $4,962.44 $2,896.84
 Waiver/Enrollment Deadline September 25, 2026
January 29, 2027

Plan Highlights

Due to rising healthcare costs and increased utilization of the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), several changes have been made for the 2026–2027 plan year to help maintain affordable premiums and ensure the plan remains a sustainable option for students. 
  • The Student Health Insurance Plan changed from a PPO to an EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization) plan
  • It does not require enrolled students to establish their PCP and there is no referral requirement, but students may designate a provider of choice
  • Students must use health care providers who are part of the BCBS PPO network to receive benefits. There are no benefits for students who choose to receive services outside of the PPO network, with the exception of emergency services
  • In addition to the plan type change, below are some changes to the plan benefits
    • Remove Fitness and Weight Loss Reward Benefits
    • Increase coinsurance for inpatient hospital from 20% to 30% after deductible
    • Increase coinsurance for outpatient surgery from 20% to 30% after deductible
    • Remove deductible from high-cost imaging (CT/PET scans, MRIs) 20% to $250 copay
Additional benefit information is available on the left side of the page.
 

Waiver Process

Students with comparable health insurance may submit a waiver form by the deadline to opt-out. To be considered comparable, your plan must:
  • Be filed and approved in the U.S. and compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  • Provide comprehensive, non-emergency benefits in the geographical area surrounding the school

Plans that do not meet the requirements include short-term medical plans, healthcare sharing plans, insurance plans from foreign healthcare systems, travel plans, and plans available to international students only.

Not all U.S. health plans offer comprehensive, non-emergency benefits outside their home coverage area; out-of-state students must check their plan's coverage area.

MassHealth Limited, Health Safety Net, and Children’s Medical Security Plan are not acceptable plans.

Waiver forms may be reviewed, and if the plan does not meet the requirements, you will be notified that their waiver form is not accepted. For more information about waiver requirements and comparable plans, please click on the waiver form on the left.

Enrollment Process

Although students are automatically charged for the SHIP, their information is not transferred to BCBS MA until after the deadline. To avoid difficulties accessing health insurance benefits, students should submit an enrollment form as soon as possible. Once submitted, enrollments may take up to 5 business days to process.

Students who do not take action or have an approved waiver form by the deadline will be automatically enrolled in the plan retroactive to the policy effective date.

Salem State Counseling & Health Services

Salem State Counseling & Health Services (CHS) provides services to all students regardless of insurance, but some services (such as immunizations and labs) can only be billed to contracted health insurance plans. If you plan to seek medical services on campus at Salem State Counseling & Health Services, it is recommended that you have one of the health plans with which we are contracted, and if not, consider enrolling in the student health insurance plan. The health insurance plans which CHS is currently contracted with include:

  • Medicaid/MassHealth plans
  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross
  • Cigna
  • Harvard Pilgrim
  • Tufts Health
  • Tufts Navigator
  • United

Similarly, if your existing health insurance plan is an HMO and you plan to access medical services on campus, you will need to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Provider (PCP) for one of the providers in Counseling & Health services. Please contact the medical billing department at Counseling and Health Services at 978-542-7299 with further questions.

For questions regarding the waiver form, coverage, or why/how a decision was made regarding your waiver, please contact University Health Plans directly at 833-251-1141. For questions regarding your billing statement, please contact the Navigation Center at navcenter@salemstate.edu. 

Student Health Plan

Optional Plans

Additional Information

Important Update: 2026-2027 Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

Due to rising healthcare costs and increased use of the plan, the following updates have been made for the 2026-2027 academic year to help keep coverage affordable and sustainable for students.

Key Changes:

  • Plan type changing from PPO to EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization)
    • No need to select a Primary Care Physician (PCP)
    • No referrals required for specialists
    • Students must use providers in-network
    • Out-of-network services are not covered, except in emergencies
    • To find an in-network provider, use the BCBS provider search and select "PPO or EPO"
  • Cost-sharing updates:
    • Inpatient hospital care: coinsurance increases from 20% to 30% after deductible
    • Outpatient surgery: coinsurance increases from 20% to 30% after deductible
  • Imaging services (CT/PET scans, MRIs):
    • Now a $250 copay (replacing the previous 20% coinsurance after deductible)
  • Fitness and weight loss rewards have been discontinued

Additional consideration:

Students who expect higher out-of-pocket costs may want to compare other coverage options. The Massachusetts Health Connector offers an online marketplace where you can explore plans and see if you qualify for low or no-cost coverage.

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