Midwestern University - Downers Grove
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
2026-2027 Academic Year
If you are a student on the Glendale campus, click HERE to be redirected.
Health Insurance Requirement
All Downers Grove students are required to maintain health insurance and must take one of two actions:
- Submit a waiver form, documenting that they have comparable coverage that meets waiver requirements, or
- Enroll in the annual Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Students enrolling have the choice to enroll in the 500 plan or the 1000 plan.
Students who do not enroll or waive by their deadline are automatically enrolled in the 1,000 plan and are responsible for the insurance cost on their tuition statement.
Premium and Coverage Periods
| Coverage Period | Start Date | End Date | Cost 500 Plan ** | Cost 1,000 Plan * | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual * | 09/01/2026 | 08/31/2027 | $5,247.00 | $4,048.00 | Varies |
| Fall * | 09/01/2026 | 11/30/2026 | $1,311.75 | $1,012.00 | Varies |
| Winter | 12/01/2026 | 02/28/2027 | $1,311.75 | $1,012.00 | 12/11/2026 |
| Spring | 03/01/2027 | 05/31/2027 | $1,311.75 | $1,012.00 | 03/19/2027 |
| Summer | 06/01/2027 | 08/31/2027 | $1,311.75 | $1,012.00 | 06/18/2027 |
* Medical, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, and Optometry students enrolling in the SHIP for the first time during the fall quarter, who start classes before September 01, will be charged a per diem rate from their class start date until September 01 so that coverage aligns with their program start date.
** Most premiums are billed quarterly. To remain eligible, students must be actively attending classes for the first 31 days of each quarter. First‑Year Dental, Optometry, and Medical students are billed their annual premium across the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters, with 1/3 of the Summer premium added to each of these quarters, and remain enrolled for Summer coverage.
If your program ends (i.e., you graduate at the end of the 2nd quarter), your coverage will terminate at the end of the quarter, and you will not be charged additional installments.
Waiver Requirements
-
Your plan must be filed and approved in the United States and fully compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
- Your plan must provide non-emergency benefits in Illinois and the location of your clinical rotation(s).
- Must provide both In-Patient and Out-Patient coverage in Illinois.
- Must have prescription benefits.
- Limited benefit medical plans
- Health sharing plans
- Travel plans
- Plans from foreign health care systems
- Plans marketed to international students only
-
Medicaid is only acceptable if it is from the State of Illinois and you are undertaking your academic classes or clinical rotations in Illinois.
- If you will be doing a clinical rotation outside of Illinois while covered by an IL Medicaid Plan you are required to enroll in a plan that provides coverage while you are outside of IL on rotations. You must then update your waiver with the information for this new plan. When you return to Illinois you will then update the waiver again with your IL Medicaid Plan information. NOTE: While on rotations in a state other than Illinois you are allowed to complete a waiver with a Medicaid Plan from the state you will be doing your rotations in.
Waiver submissions will be reviewed for compliance. If your waiver is not approved, you will be enrolled in the 1,000 plan and will be responsible for the premium.
Enrollment Process
Qualifying Event Enrollment
If you waived SHIP, you cannot voluntarily enroll later unless you have a qualifying life event. However, if you lose your other health coverage, you may qualify for special enrollment rights to enroll in SHIP. The most common reason is turning 26 and aging off of a parental plan. You must submit a qualifying event enrollment form within 30 days of losing coverage. Select the qualifying life event enrollment form for more information.
Mid-Year Termination
A waiver form submitted at the start of the academic year will apply to all quarters in that academic year; only one waiver is required. However, students who enroll at the start of the academic year may waive future terms by submitting a waiver by the term's deadline. You cannot be terminated from the plan after the waiver deadline date for the quarter.
Withdrawal from Classes – Leave of Absence: If you withdraw from classes under a school-approved leave of absence, your coverage will remain in force through the end of the period for which payment has been received and no premiums will be refunded. You will also have the option to remain enrolled in the plan for future quarters while you are on LOA.
Withdrawal from Classes – Other than Leave of Absence: If you withdraw from classes other than under a school-approved leave of absence within 31 days after the policy effective date, you will be considered ineligible for coverage, your coverage will be terminated retroactively, and any premiums collected will be refunded. If the withdrawal is more than 31 days after the policy effective date, your coverage will remain in force through the end of the period for which payment has been received and no premiums will be refunded. If you withdraw from classes to enter the armed forces of any country, coverage will terminate as of the effective date of such entry and a pro rata refund of premiums will be made if you submit a written request within 90 days of withdrawal from classes.
