Ithaca College
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
2020-2021 Academic Year
Spring Term 2021
This form is for all new incoming students for Spring Term 2021.
The Spring Term waiver deadline date has now passed.
Dear Students and Parents:
Ithaca College requires all matriculated undergraduate and graduate students to have health insurance. We are pleased to announce that new for the 2020/21 academic year, Ithaca College has partnered with MVP Health Care to provide a plan with comprehensive coverage for IC students. Please review the Benefit Information via the link in the menu at left hand side of this page. The plan is administrated by University Health Plans. The charge for one full year of coverage from August 10th, 2020 through August 9th, 2021 is $2,064.00 (includes $66.36 broker fee). The charge for Spring Term coverage, January 1st, 2021 through August 9th, 2021 is $1,259.00 (includes $40.44 broker fee). PLEASE NOTE: You must be a matriculated student at Ithaca College to be eligible to enroll in the insurance plan.
In order to ensure that all students have health insurance coverage, all student accounts will initially be charged for the plan. If you are a domestic student and wish to opt out of this plan and have the insurance charge removed from your account, you must submit an online waiver form and provide proof of current health insurance coverage prior to the waiver deadline. THE SPRING TERM WAIVER DEADLINE DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 28, 2021.
If you are a new incoming DOMESTIC Student for Spring Term and wish to avoid any delay in establishing benefits or gaps in coverage, you must submit the online enrollment form by January 1, 2021. THE HEALTH INSURANCE FEE WILL BE NON-REFUNDABLE IF NOT WAIVED BEFORE FEBRUARY 28, 2021.
All INTERNATIONAL students and other non-U.S. residents at Ithaca College are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan, but not until the waiver period closes. Therefore, in order to avoid any delay in establishing benefits or gaps in coverage, we strongly recommend that you complete and submit the International Student enrollment form, which is available via the menu to the left, no later than February 8, 2021. If you are covered by an Embassy Sponsored Program, or a U.S. based health insurance plan with equal or better coverage, you may complete and submit a waiver form, also available in the menu to the left, If you are not covered by an Embassy Sponsored Program or comparable U.S. based health insurance plan, you are NOT allowed to waive. Please note that the Ithaca College Student Health Insurance Plan meets J1/J2 visa requirements.
Special Provision: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students who submitted an annual waiver form and who were doing remote study during the Fall 2020 semester can use the enrollment form to the left “Spring Opt In”, to voluntarily enroll for spring if they will be studying on-campus at Ithaca College for the Spring Term 2021. If you did not study remotely for fall or are not returning to campus for spring, you cannot use this form. Eligibility to enroll in the spring term of coverage will be monitored and confirmed by Ithaca College. Should it be discovered that the eligibility requirements have not been met, the only obligation is to refund any premiums paid and terminate the plan retroactively to the Spring Term 2021 effective date of 01/01/21.
If you are covered by your family’s or spouse’s insurance plan, we encourage you to compare the costs, coverage, and benefits of the student health insurance plan to those of your existing plan before making any decision about your health insurance.
Consider the following in making your decision:
- Students with out of state HMO/PPO or Medicaid plans often incur higher charges when obtaining care outside of the plan’s local service area or network and access to local services in Ithaca may be limited or denied.
- Some insurance plans, including out-of-state Medicaid Plans, only cover urgent or emergent care when care is obtained out of network or outside of the plan’s local service area.
- Some plans do not cover outpatient referrals, or may only cover them after a high deductible or co-payment; this plan can help cover those expenses.
- This plan includes coverage for preventive and well care services, has a low deductible, and a prescription plan.
If you do elect to waive coverage, we recommend that you provide Ithaca College Student Health Services with a copy of your medical and prescription cards. While this is not required, it will enable Health Center staff to better assist you with your health needs. Please fax a copy of both the front and back of your cards to 607-274-1844, or email a picture to healthcenter@ithaca.edu. This is not in place of the above mentioned waiver.
You should also be aware that all enrolled and matriculated Ithaca College students are able to access care at the Hammond Health Center regardless of your decision to keep or to waive the student health insurance plan. There are no charges for most of the services provided at the health center.
Please call University Health Plans at 1-800-437-6448 if you have questions regarding the student health insurance plan.
