FAQs

For an insurance plan to meet the Emory University mandatory insurance waiver criteria, the insurance plan must feature all of the following:

• The plan provides prescription drug coverage.
• The plan cannot exclude or limit coverage for pre-existing conditions.
• The plan must have 100% coverage for preventive care, including vaccinations, in Atlanta, GA, and surrounding areas.
• My plan covers emergency and non-emergency inpatient and outpatient medical (laboratory, diagnostic services, primary and specialty care, and physical therapy included) and mental health care in Atlanta, GA, or the surrounding areas.
• The insurance plan must cover at least 75% of usual and customary charges in Atlanta, GA, and surrounding areas. The plan may not contain specific limitations for treating medical conditions relative to standard hospital or outpatient care. For example, an insurance plan that has limited coverage of hospital room and board to $500 or limited coverage of ambulance costs to $350 would not be acceptable.
• The insurance coverage is not through a medical cost-sharing or co-op type program.
• The plan has a U.S.-based claim administrator, a U.S. telephone number and address for submission of claims, and the policy is issued in the U.S.
• Oral contraceptives must be covered at 100% of usual and customary charges in the Atlanta, GA area.
• The insurance plan must cover inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment and treatment for substance abuse (both alcohol and drug abuse).
• The plan is active, and you agree to maintain health insurance throughout the policy year, i.e., through the end of this year’s enrollment term at Emory. If you lose coverage, you must notify Emory immediately.

Yes, absolutely! The cost of seeing the provider is covered by your tuition.

Please view information about fees/charges and insurance coverage here.

All international students at Emory have historically been required to have health insurance or to purchase the Emory student plan. We have found that receiving health insurance benefits from international carriers for medical care in the United States can often be incomplete and challenging to navigate. Under certain circumstances, we will allow students to have insurance with an international carrier if the insurance company has a claims-processing agreement with an American firm and the plan meets the waiver criteria. Please contact our Student Health Services Insurance Office if you have questions about this situation.

The Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP), administered by Aetna Student Health, meets all additional insurance requirements for international students.

Additional information can be found on the International Student and Scholar Services website at isss.emory.edu/life_usa/health_insurance/index.html.

Students on the Student Health Insurance Plan have an individual contract with Emory for insurance for the ENTIRE academic year. Because the insured students have contracted with Emory for an annual plan, students will not be eligible to voluntarily cancel the Student Health Insurance Plan for purposes of enrolling in a different plan for the remainder of the academic year. Please send an email to mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu if you have questions about your specific situation.

Students are automatically enrolled in the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP) for the academic year unless they opt out of - or waive - coverage. 

If you decide you would like to waive EUSHIP, you must complete the waiver process. This is an ANNUAL process that must be completed by August 1 each year. 

When you submit a request for waiving EUSHIP, you will need to provide proof of insurance. Your insurance must meet the delineated criteria and will undergo an audit to ensure that it will provide you with adequate coverage during your studies.

If the waiver is not submitted and accepted by the August 1 deadline, you will be charged the full amount for the year.

No! Every Emory student must complete the enrollment/waiver process every year you are enrolled. This is typically done in the summer before the fall semester begins.

You may re-enter the OPUS mandatory insurance waiver site as many times as you wish prior to deadline and cancel or change your waiver.

Every waiver that is submitted is subject to verification to ensure the accuracy and essential coverage of each individual plan. If your waiver does not satisfy the insurance requirements, you will need to contact your insurance company for benefit verification or call Aetna Student Health at 1-877-261-8403 to confirm the reason for the denial.

If you miss the waiver deadline, you will be required to remain on the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan for the remainder of the semester. If you have questions or concerns about the student insurance requirement or your individual situation relative to the requirement, please contact the Emory Student Health Insurance Office at mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu.

Completing a waiver is a two-step process. 

The online student insurance requirement waiver site for new and continuing Emory University students (including Oxford College) typically opens in June and will close at 5:00 pm on August 1. You can access the waiver site via your OPUS account at www.opus.emory.edu.

You must also upload a photocopy of your insurance ID to the student health portal. Login to the portal here. 

Yes! The summer is considered part of the previous academic year. If you do not wish to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan, the waiver process must be completed EACH year you are enrolled at Emory University for the upcoming academic year. If you have questions about the insurance waiver/enrollment process, contact the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan office at mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu.

Our international students do need insurance while here, even if they are not degree-seeking. It is an Emory University requirement, and also may be a requirement of your visa.

No, the waiver site is for waivers only, not insurance enrollment. If a student would like to stay on EUSHIP, no further action is required. LGS will then post the subsidy to your Student Financial Services account for their portion of the premium.

Please contact the LGS Student Affairs office if you have any additional questions or concerns. 

Please contact the Emory Student Health Insurance office at mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu.

In fall 2006, Emory University instituted a mandatory health insurance requirement for all degree-seeking and all international students. Updates to the waiver and refund processes associated with the insurance requirement are outlined below.

In addition, the Student Health Services (SHS) website features extensive information on the waiver process (https://studenthealth.emory.edu/insurance/requirement.html).

• Students who have other insurance plans (i.e., parent’s plan, employer, individual, etc.) that satisfy Emory’s requirements and wish to waive the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP) must do so every new academic year. The waiver process is an annual process, which must be completed every year by every student.
• Emory has designated official university email as the preferred mode of communication with students, faculty, and staff. Students are expected to read all official Emory emails, as are faculty and staff.
• Students and parents were surveyed – more than 1,200 students responded – about their preferred method for receiving information about the insurance requirement; an overwhelming majority chose email.
• New and returning students each receive three or four emails throughout the summer (including parents of undergraduates) about the insurance requirement and the waiver process. All email communications are stored in the student’s Communication Center via OPUS, Emory’s student portal, which reflects read or unread status.
• Emails about the insurance requirement and deadlines are sent to parents of new and continuing undergraduate students as a reminder of this process. Because OPUS may not have current email addresses for all parents, SHS’ insurance-related decisions are not solely based on email communications to parents. However, emails are sent to all students new and returning, which they are expected to read as official Emory communications.
• Approximately 10,000 students successfully complete a waiver each new academic year before the waiver deadline; nearly 6,500 are continuing students.
• The deadline for student health insurance waivers is August 1 of each academic year.
• The health insurance charge systematically posts to each student’s account (until they receive a waiver) as early as possible for the pre-term bill in July. The second installment for spring will post as early as November.
• Emory and Aetna Student Health will reconcile enrollment and payment in September on behalf of all students enrolled in the plan (5,000+ each year).
• Once the enrollment and payment of the plan are reconciled, no further financial adjustments (e.g., student refunds of the health insurance charge) can be made. In cooperation with Student Financial Services, financial refunds or adjustments are not to extend beyond one prior semester.
• Requests for an insurance appeal or charge reversal due to a student’s failure to meet the university’s waiver requirements and deadlines will be reviewed by the EUSHIP leadership team and considered on a case-by-case basis with no guarantee of approval. Financial and situational circumstances may be taken into account. When an appeal and refund are requested, a log of the emails sent to the parent and student are gathered to ensure that emails were sent to all parties involved. Previous waiver dates are also reviewed to determine awareness of the established process.
• In the event a request is not granted for the reasons stated above, the student’s insurance coverage will remain active for the academic year for which they are enrolled. The EUSHIP offers both domestic and international coverage with Emory Core and Aetna participating provider networks. For a complete review of the plan design, visit the Aetna Student Health website aetnastudenthealth.com or the Student Health Services website at www.studenthealth.emory.edu.

If you are enrolled in an out-of-state Medicaid insurance plan, please be aware that coverage may not transfer out of your home state. At most, emergency care may be available. However, emergency care only does not satisfy the university’s health insurance requirement. If coverage does not transfer to Georgia, students can be left underinsured or entirely uninsured while at school, possibly affecting a student’s academic career long term if anything were to happen. Please contact your individual state plan to verify your eligible benefits in Georgia.

The university continues to work through this important issue in hopes to mitigate the financial strain on our students and families. Please contact the Emory Student Insurance office for further support at mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu.

Recommendations for coverage include the following:

1. Use the Emory University student health insurance plan (EUSHIP).
2. Enroll in Georgia Medicaid or a partner plan, or
3. Enroll through the ACA marketplace.

Financial advice and assistance are available through the offices below, including payment options through the Emory Payment Plan (EPP).

Student Financial Services: 404-727-9403

Office of Financial Aid: 404-727-6039

Registrar’s office: 404-727-6042

Accepted plan options to waive the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan:

Georgia Medicaid: https://medicaid.georgia.gov/

Amerigroup Medicaid: https://www.chooseamerigroup.com/

ACA marketplace plans: https://www.healthcare.gov
(Depending on personal income and other criteria, allowable subsidies and/or additional credits may be available)

United Healthcare: https://www.uhc.com/

Blue Cross Blue Shield: https://www.bcbs.com/

Cigna: https://www.cigna.com/

Yes. If a student on the Student Health Insurance Plan experiences a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) due to graduation or withdrawal/leave of absence from Emory, and loses coverage under the Student Health Insurance Plan, there are several options for ongoing coverage:

• The Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan offers one month of extended coverage under the Continuation Plan. For more information about the continuation plan, click here to access the Forms page on our website, then click on the Emory Insurance Continuation Application form link, or contact our EUSHS Insurance Office at 404-727-8959.
• The graduated or former student may obtain insurance through a new job, or through a parent/family policy due to a Qualifying Life Event.
• In addition, there may be insurance options available through the ACA Healthcare Marketplace at healthcare.gov.

For answers to these questions, contact:

Aetna Student Health Claims Administrators, Inc.
P.O. Box 981106 El Paso, TX 79998
(877) 261-8403

As an Aetna Student Health insurance member, you have access to Aetna Navigator®, your secure member website, packed with personalized benefits and health information. You can take full advantage of this interactive website to complete a variety of self-service transactions online. By logging on to Aetna Navigator, you can:

• Review who is covered under your plan.
• Request member ID cards.
• View Claim Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements.
• Estimate the cost of common health care services and procedures to better plan your expenses.
• Research the price of a drug and learn if there are alternatives.
• Find health care professionals and facilities that participate in the Emory Student Insurance Plan.
• Send an e-mail to Aetna Student Health Customer Service at your convenience.
• View the latest health information and news, and more!

To register for Aetna Navigator:

1. Click here.
2. Click on Members Aetna Navigator.
3. Follow the instructions for First Time User by clicking on the ""Register Now"" link.
4. Select a user name, password and security phrase.

If you need help with registration, assistance is available toll free, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-225-3375.

To obtain your Aetna ID card, select one of following:

1. Access Aetna’s website at https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/en/school/686178/members/get-id-card.html and Click on the “Print Your ID Card”. Enter your Emory ID number and date of birth.
2. Request a permanent ID card by calling Aetna Student Health at 1-877-261-8403
3. Download the Aetna Mobile App on your Smartphone by visiting www.aetna.com/mobile.

Email your Emory University insurance related questions or issues to mandatoryinsurance@listserv.cc.emory.edu.