How to Waive SHIP

All students are automatically enrolled in SHIP each academic year. However, students who are able to demonstrate they have comparable coverage may be able to opt out of SHIP. Students who complete a waiver application by the waiver deadline date(s) are not guaranteed to be approved and need to check their UCSD e-mail for notifications regarding their waiver.

Waiver Periods - All Students:

Term     Waiver Period Opens     Waiver Deadline (no late fee)     Late Waiver Deadline($50 late fee)
Fall     07/01/2011     09/16/2011     09/23/2011
Winter     11/02/2011     12/14/2011     1/09/2012
Spring/Summer     02/15/2012     03/16/2012     04/02/2012

How do I waive SHIP?

Students who have acceptable comparable insurance coverage may apply for a waiver to opt out of the SHIP plan. The waiver application is available online through TritonLink during scheduled waiver periods. Only one waiver per academic year may be processed through TritonLink.

If after entering all the required information you do not see the final screen 'SHIP WAIVER: COMPLETED', contact the Student Health Insurance Office prior to the waiver deadline to complete the waiver process.

If you are unable to access or complete the waiver application through TritonLink, or if you decide to waive additional quarters after submitting your waiver application, contact the Student Health Insurance Office prior to the waiver deadline.

All waivers must be received prior to the waiver deadline date. No exceptions.

I can't access the Health Insurance Fee Waiver because I have a HOLD on my student account. What do I do?

You must resolve the hold before you will be able to complete the online Health Insurance Fee Waiver application. If you are unable to resolve the hold before the waiver deadline, you must contact the Student Health Insurance Office before the deadline to complete the waiver process. The waiver deadline will NOT be extended.

What are the minimum requirements to waive SHIP?

Requirements to waive SHIP coverage for ALL STUDENTS *:
Your private insurance plan must have all of the following in order to qualify for the waiver:
  • Benefits payable at 60% or greater.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum no greater than $5,000 (including deductibles).
  • Lifetime maximum no less than $400,000 for undergraduates or $750,000 for graduate/professional students. NOTE: plan must NOT limit illness/injury to less than the lifetime maximum.
  • Access to primary care, specialty care and inpatient/outpatient care, including mental health services, within 100 miles of UCSD.
  • Plan must be purchased, operated and headquartered in the United States. Coverage must be effective prior to the waiver deadline dates and remain active through the last day of the quarter.
  • If waiving for the Spring 2012 quarter, your insurance coverage must continue through the summer up to the Fall 2012 quarter.
* Additional requirements to waive SHIP coverage for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
  • International students must have medical evacuation benefits of $10,000 or more.
  • International students must have repatriation benefits of $10,000 or more.
  • International students may not waive with insurance from their home country. In addition, travel insurance is not eligible for a waiver.

Do I have to waive each academic year?

Yes. Approved waivers are effective for the current academic year. If you wish to waive out of SHIP for subsequent academic years, a new waiver application will need to be submitted by the appropriate deadline date each academic year.

Do I have to waive for the entire academic year or can I choose to waive each quarter separately?

During the waiver application process, you are given the choice to waive all quarters or just the current quarter.

ALL STUDENTS: If you submit a waiver for the current quarter only, it is your responsibility to submit a written request to the SHS Insurance Office by the waiver deadline to extend your original waiver for the remaining academic year. If a request is not submitted by the appropriate deadline and approved, you will automatically be enrolled into SHIP for subsequent quarters and your student account will be charged accordingly. If you do not receive an email confirmation to your request, it is your responsibility to contact the Student Health Insurance Office by the waiver deadline to discuss your waiver status.

I waived SHIP. Why am I now being charged the Health Insurance Fee for SHIP?

The Health Insurance Fee is charged to ALL students as a mandatory registration fee. If you applied for a waiver, you should see a charge for the Health Insurance Fee AND a credit for the waiver. If you do not see the credit, or if the credit was reversed, it is possible that any one of the following occurred:

  • Your waiver was submitted during the previous academic year.
  • You submitted a waiver for one quarter only.
  • You submitted a waiver and were selected for audit but did not respond to our request for insurance documentation. As a result, your waiver credit was reversed.
  • You submitted a waiver but it was denied because it did not meet the waiver requirements. As a result, your waiver credit was reversed.
  • Your waiver was approved, however a hold on your student account may have prevented the waiver from crediting the Health Insurance Fee.

Contact the Student Health Insurance Office to discuss the status of your waiver.

How do I know if my waiver was approved?

It is your responsibility to check your official UCSD e-mail to verify the status of your waiver. Upon successful submission of your application via TritonLink, an e-mail will be sent to you confirming that your request has been transmitted. A second e-mail will be sent within 5 business days to let you know if your waiver has been approved or selected for audit.

If selected for audit, failure to respond to the audit notification will result in your waiver being denied and the Health Insurance Fee credit will be reversed.

If you do not receive the e-mail notifications, it is your responsibility to contact the Student Health Insurance Office to discuss your waiver.

I waived SHIP because I have private insurance. Can I still use Student Health Services?

All students who pay full registration fees are entitled to use SHS, regardless of insurance. For students who waive the SHIP, there will be a fee for all services received at SHS. Please refer to Costs of Services. SHS is not a participating (i.e. in-network, preferred, etc.) provider with any insurance plan, and does not accept or bill private insurance. All charges incurred at SHS will be billed to the student's campus billing account if not paid for at the time of service. You may obtain an itemized bill for SHS services by clicking on On-Line Services.

Please note that during summer, students who waived SHIP for spring quarter may still use SHS, however, charges will apply for all services (fee-for-service).

What if I waived SHIP, but no longer have comparable coverage?

All students who waive out of SHIP are required to maintain effective health insurance coverage at all times during the approved waiver period. If your insurance coverage terminates, you must contact the Student Health Insurance Office immediately to be enrolled into the SHIP for the remainder of the academic year. You will be required to complete the Exception to Closed Enrollment form.

I previously waived out of SHIP for the entire academic year, but now I want SHIP coverage for the remaining quarter(s)

Unless your other insurance coverage terminates (see previous question), you may not cancel a waiver for the current quarter. If you wish to cancel your waiver for subsequent quarters, you must complete the Waiver Cancellation form and submit it to the SHS Insurance Office prior to the first day of the quarter.