Barnard College
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN

2020-2021 Academic Year

In keeping with our institutional responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our students, Barnard College requires all students to maintain health insurance coverage throughout the academic year, both to protect against unexpected high medical costs and to provide access to quality healthcare while students are at school or traveling abroad. The Barnard College Spring Student Health Insurance Plan is effective January 12, 2021 – August 21, 2021. The cost of the Spring Student Health Insurance Plan is $2,053.

Waiver Provisions:

If you do not want the Student Health Insurance Plan offered by Barnard College for its students, we require you to waive the Barnard College Student Health Insurance Plan. This waiving out procedure must occur each academic year. The insurance plan must provide unlimited coverage for essential health benefits in New York City, including mental health services, emergency services, and prescription drugs. It is important for you to make an informed health assessment each year. For instance, have your health needs changed? Will you be participating in a study abroad program? Will you be traveling for an internship? Do you have access to a network that covers you throughout the country and do you have coverage for medical and psychological services, other than just emergencies in New York City? Make sure you have appropriate health coverage so that an unexpected illness or accident doesn’t hinder your wellness or academic success. Please take a moment to review the links on the left-hand side of this page to assist you in making this important decision. In order to waive out, all of these criteria must apply: 

• The plan is or its partner is recognized and can be used in New York City (most out-of-state Medicaid and HMO plans will not cover you in NY). 
• The plan covers biological and psychological disorders (mental health), for both inpatient and outpatient
• The plan has NO cap or visit limit for medical, mental health, and pharmacy benefits
• Coverage must be effective on or before 1/12/21 through the end of the academic year of 2020-2021 with no break in coverage
• The plan must be filed and approved in the United States, Affordable Care Act compliant and provide Minimum Essential Coverage for tax purposes

The deadline to waive the Spring Student Health Insurance Plan has been extended to January 22, 2021. An accepted waiver applies to the Spring period (January 12, 2021 – August 21, 2021).

Important: If you do not waive coverage by January 22, 2021, you will be automatically enrolled in the Barnard College Student Health Insurance Plan and will be charged the applicable premium. Once you are enrolled, the coverage cannot be canceled.

Before beginning the waiver process, have the following materials with you:

• Your current health insurance plan ID
• Your health insurance brochure and plan description
• Your required levels of coverage (deductibles, benefits provided, and coverage dates)
• The name of your health insurance laboratory network
   

Waiver submissions will be reviewed by Barnard College or the Plan Broker and Administrator, University Health Plans. You may be required to provide proof that you meet the school’s requirements for waiving the Student Health Insurance Plan. By submitting the waiver request, you agree that your current insurance plan may be contacted for confirmation that you have coverage for the applicable 2020-2021 Policy Year and it meets the Barnard College waiver requirements. After successfully submitting the waiver form University Health Plans will send a decision to the student’s Barnard e-mail account stating the insurance has either been approved or denied. Please check the student’s Barnard e-mail account regularly. The decision takes 5-7 business days after the waiver has been submitted.

Please note that students who waive out of the Student Health Insurance Plan and subsequently lose their personal coverage may purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan as long as they contact University Health Plans at 800-437-6448 or Barnard’s student health services within 31 days of the loss of coverage.

If you have any questions, you can call Elliot Wasserman, Director of Operations at Barnard College at 212-854-8305 or email him at ewasserman@barnard.edu