Student Insurance

Student Health Insurance Plan

The University requires that all full-time students (Graduate/Professional taking 9 credit hours or more, Undergraduate taking 12 credit hours or more) are charged the Student Health Insurance Premium for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) unless proof of comparable coverage is furnished by selecting the waive option once logged in at www.gallagherstudent.com/umb.  To be eligible to waive the UMB SHIP, you must be currently enrolled in a health insurance plan that meets UMB’s waiver requirements. Once a full-time student receives an approved waiver, the Student Health Insurance Premium will be removed from their tuition and fees bill. Full-time students who are not approved for a waiver and do not voluntarily enroll in the SHIP will be enrolled by UMB at the end of the waiver period with retroactive coverage back to August 1 for the Fall semester and for students starting in the Spring, retroactive coverage back to February 1.  

Students who need SHIP coverage activated should enroll in the plan as soon as possible, so that they can download their insurance coverage ID card to present to medical providers.

Any students taking fewer than 9 credit hours for Graduate Programs and 12 credit hours for Undergraduate Programs will not be automatically billed for SHIP, but are eligible to enroll on a voluntary basis, excluding students enrolled in a designated Online Only Program. Students who want to enroll in the UMB SHIP will need to complete the Enrollment Form prior to the deadline.

If full-time students are enrolled in online classes that are not part of a designated Online Only Program, they are subject to the health insurance requirement as noted above. Students enrolled in designated Online Only Programs are not eligible for SHIP.

 

UMB Health Insurance Requirement

UMB professional and graduate students engage in different types of educational work on campus and participate in experiential education in the workplace — pharmacies, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation units, field sites, community service centers, etc. As such, students face workplace risks but do not qualify for workers compensation insurance to cover workplace injuries or accidents on a no-fault basis. To ensure that UMB students have access to medical care and do not present an undue legal or financial risk to the University or its affiliates, students are required to have ACA-compliant health insurance. The UMB Student Health Insurance Plan provides the appropriate coverage under ACA and consumer protections through regulation by the State of Maryland Insurance Administration.

How to Login to Gallagher to Complete a Waiver or an Enrollment Form 

1. Go to www.gallagherstudent.com/umb

2. Under “Profile”, enter your UMB email address and click Log In. If you have not been issued a UMB email address, please contact your program. 

First Time Users: An email from Gallagher Student Health will be sent to your UMB email with a temporary password. Click on the link provided in the email and insert the temporary password. If you did not receive a temporary password, you can choose the ‘Forgot your password?’ option on the login page.

Summer/Fall Admitted Students – SHIP Waiver and Enrollment Process 

All full-time students (Graduate Level – 9 credit hours or more, Undergraduate Level – 12 credit hours or more) are automatically billed the student health insurance fee and will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) after the waiver period with retroactive coverage to August 1st.

For each new policy year, Gallagher’s website will not be available to complete an Enrollment or Waiver Form until the last week of June. Students will receive an email from Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk to your UMB email address providing instructions to complete the forms once the website is available. 

The Open Enrollment/Waiver Deadline is September 15th. Coverage is effective August 1st through January 31st (The 6-month premium is charged to your student account in Fall) and February 1st through July 31st (The 6-month premium is charged to your student account in Spring). The Enrollment/Waiver Form only needs to be completed once, and is still valid for the Spring semester. A new Enrollment/Waiver Form will need to be completed each new academic year in the Fall semester. 

If you do not complete an enrollment or waiver form by the deadline, you will be automatically enrolled after the open enrollment period has ended with retroactive coverage beginning August 1st. 

  • Enrollments: If you wish to enroll into the UMB Student Health Insurance Plan, once the website has opened for the new policy year, please complete the online Enrollment Form as soon as possible to ensure active coverage and receive your ID card by August 1st.

    To enroll, click “Enroll”, and complete the required form. Your registration at UMB will be verified, and the SHIP enrollment will be processed.
  • Waiving Coverage: To waive, click “Waive”. You will be prompted to enter your insurance information for verification that your coverage meets UMB’s comparable coverage requirements (See below for compliance information). 

    Please allow five (5) business days from the waiver approval date for the waiver to reflect on your student account.

The following criteria is used by Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk when reviewing and approving waiver requests:

For approval of a waiver, the level of benefits provided through a health insurance plan must be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Coverage is considered comparable if it provides students with access to local providers and a range of services in the state of Maryland. Services include, but are not limited to, preventive and non-urgent care, emergency care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient hospitalization, lab work, diagnostic X-rays, physical therapy and chiropractic care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. 

If a plan is an HMO, it is very likely that coverage is limited, or not available, outside of the HMO’s service area. Before deciding whether or not to waive coverage, students should compare their current health insurance plan to the UMB Student Health Insurance Plan for cost-sharing levels (deductibles and coinsurance) and access to in-network providers. 

Plans that are not considered comparable include plans that only provide emergency services in Maryland, plans that are purchased on a short-term basis, international or travel insurance plans, out-of-state HMOs or other restricted managed care plans, and out-of-state Medicaid plans.

Spring Admitted Students – SHIP Waiver and Enrollment Process 

All full-time students (Graduate Level – 9 credit hours or more, Undergraduate Level – 12 credit hours or more) are automatically billed the student health insurance fee and will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) after the waiver period with retroactive coverage to February 1st.

Gallagher’s website will not be available to complete an Enrollment or Waiver Form until January 1st. Students will receive an email from Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk to your UMB email address providing instructions to complete the forms once the website is available. 

The Open Enrollment/Waiver Deadline is February 15th. Coverage is effective February 1st through July 31st (The 6-month premium is charged to your student account in Spring). A new Enrollment/Waiver Form will need to be completed each new academic year in the Fall semester. 

If you do not complete an enrollment or waiver form by the deadline, you will be automatically enrolled after the open enrollment period has ended with retroactive coverage beginning February 1st. 

  • Enrollments: If you wish to enroll into the UMB Student Health Insurance Plan, once the website has opened for the new policy year, please complete the online Enrollment Form as soon as possible to ensure active coverage and receive your ID card by February 1st.

    To enroll, click “Enroll”, and complete the required form. Your registration at UMB will be verified, and the SHIP enrollment will be processed.

  • Waiving Coverage: To waive, click “Waive”. You will be prompted to enter your insurance information for verification that your coverage meets UMB’s comparable coverage requirements (See below for compliance information).

    Please allow five (5) business days from the waiver approval date for the waiver to reflect on your student account.

The following criteria is used by Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk when reviewing and approving waiver requests:

For approval of a waiver, the level of benefits provided through a health insurance plan must be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Coverage is considered comparable if it provides students with access to local providers and a range of services in the state of Maryland. Services include, but are not limited to, preventive and non-urgent care, emergency care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient hospitalization, lab work, diagnostic X-rays, physical therapy and chiropractic care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. 

If a plan is an HMO, it is very likely that coverage is limited, or not available, outside of the HMO’s service area. Before deciding whether or not to waive coverage, students should compare their current health insurance plan to the UMB Student Health Insurance Plan for cost-sharing levels (deductibles and coinsurance) and access to in-network providers. 

Plans that are not considered comparable include plans that only provide emergency services in Maryland, plans that are purchased on a short-term basis, international or travel insurance plans, out-of-state HMOs or other restricted managed care plans, and out-of-state Medicaid plans.

What if I do not complete the Decision Form by the deadline? 

Students subject to the SHIP enrollment/waiver requirement who missed the published UMB waiver deadline for Fall or Spring can appeal for a late waiver by providing justification for why they could not apply for a waiver prior to the deadline. 

Please contact studentaccounthelp@umaryland.edu for assistance with filing an appeal with Gallagher. 

The appeal timeframe is as follows:

Fall Semester: September 16th through October 1st

Spring Semester: February 16th through March 1st

What if my waiver is denied? 

When a waiver is denied, you will receive an email notice from Gallagher stating the reason you were denied.  If you feel the denial was in error, you can modify your submitted form or upload supporting documentation for review. 

For information regarding why your waiver was denied and what steps you can take to address the denial, please click here

Waivers can be viewed at any time; however, waivers can only be edited for resubmission within the designated waiver period.

Waivers are processed using both student and system provided information.  Determination of approval or denial is based on information that is available at the time of processing and is not an indication of future approvals or denials.

How do I get my UnitedHealthcare ID card? 

United HealthCare ID cards are typically available 5-7 days after your enrollment is processed.  To obtain your ID card and create an online account with United Healthcare, please follow these instructions:

  1. Go to www.uhcsr.com/MyAccount/
  2. Click “Create Account”
  3. Complete the registration form using your name, date of birth, and student ID number.
  4. Once logged in, you will have access to ID cards, claim information, EOB’s and other plan-related information.

How to enroll into Vision Insurance through UnitedHealthcare StudentResources 

Students may voluntarily enroll into the Vision Insurance policy, and do not have to be enrolled in the SHIP to be eligible. 

Vision Insurance Enrollments prior to September 15th:

  1. Go to uhcsr.com/umaryland
  2. Under Vision – Student Plan, click on “Explore Policy”
  3. Click “Enroll Now”
  4. Follow the instructions provided on UHCSR’s website to complete the form and pay online 

Vision Insurance enrollments after September 15th:

Please complete the following form, and remit payment directly to: 

First Risk Advisors
67 West Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18091 

Please note, the vision insurance plan is not prorated, and students will have to pay the annual premium costs.

How do I enroll in SHIP during the Policy Year due to loss of coverage with my current carrier? 

Students who involuntarily lose coverage from their previous carrier may petition to add the SHIP at any point during the policy year. 

To complete the Petition to Add (PTA), please follow the steps below:

  1. Go to gallagherstudent.com/umb and login
  2. Click on “Enroll – Qualifying Life Event”
  3. Complete all the required demographic information on the form.
  4. You must attach a copy of your termination of coverage letter that includes confirmation of termination, and indicates the last date of coverage from the current carrier
  5. Gallagher will confirm eligibility with UMB, and the enrollment will be processed
  6. Upon completion, a UMB Student Financial Services team member will provide a current bill showing the addition of the health insurance charge for the respective semester 

**To ensure there is no lapse in coverage, the Qualifying Life Event request must be submitted within 60 days from the termination date of the current insurance carrier**

How do I enroll in supplemental SHIP coverage if I am a new UMB student and my program starts in June or July? 

New UMB students who are enrolled in a program that has a start date in June or July can enroll in supplemental SHIP coverage, since Fall coverage is effective August 1st. 

If you would like to add June and/or July coverage, please complete the Supplemental Enrollment Form via DocuSign here. Once completed, SFS will submit your enrollment to Gallagher.

How do I enroll in Dental Insurance? 

Students enroll into Dental Insurance directly through Gallagher.  Students do not need to be enrolled into the SHIP in order to purchase the voluntary dental plan and self-pay for the insurance via the Gallagher enrollment website. 

For additional information and enrollment, please visit www.gallagherstudent.com/umb and click on “Additional Products Available”.

Student Accident Insurance Information 

All full-time registered students, Nursing students (excluding certificate programs), and MSHS-Physician Assistant Concentration students will be enrolled in and billed for the UMB Accident Only Insurance Plan. 

For additional information on the policy, please click here.