A student sitting down in a lounge chair working on her laptop in a colorful room.

Student Health Insurance

Insurance Cost & Coverage Periods

The Student Health Insurance Plan will continue to be provided by Aetna Student Health. The plan complies with the Affordable Care Act benefit requirements and includes access to Aetna’s national PPO network of providers. Students do not have to select a primary care physician, and referrals are not required. You can view the Plan Design and Benefits Summary located under Benefit Information in the left-hand side navigation menu.

Annual Students New Spring Students
Coverage Dates August 15, 2024 – August 14, 2025 January 2, 2025 – August 14, 2025
Undergraduate & Graduate Insurance Cost $2,704 $1,667
Waiver Deadline Date September 16, 2024 February 24, 2025

Full-Time Students are Required to Have Health Insurance

We are committed to ensuring students have access to adequate health insurance coverage.

All full-time students must have health insurance and automatically have the cost of the health insurance charged to their student account to ensure compliance. Students have the opportunity to waive/opt out of the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) by providing evidence of a comprehensive Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant health insurance plan online to University Health Plans.

Full-time students are defined as:

  • Undergraduate students enrolled in twelve (12) or more credits.
  • Graduate students enrolled in nine (9) or more credits.

In addition, all F-1 visa students, part-time or full-time, must be insured with an ACA-compliant, filed, and approved policy in the U.S.

How to Waive or Enroll

Step 1
Visit the University Health Plans Website

You must either waive or enroll in the school-sponsored health insurance plan by visiting the University Health Plans (UHP) website.

Step 2
Waive OR Enroll in the University Health Insurance
  • To waive, simply complete the Waiver Form before the deadline.
    • A valid health insurance card must be available when submitting the insurance waiver.
  • To enroll, simply complete the Enroll Form. If you do not complete this form, you will automatically be enrolled and charged the student health insurance premium.
  • If you do not act to waive or enroll, you will receive weekly reminders directly from University Health Plans (UHP).

Important Notes: The University reserves the right to audit all waivers to ensure compliance with the University’s insurance requirements. Copies of insurance cards and/or insurance information submitted to the Office of Student Accounts or any other Montclair State University Office or Portals (i.e., Student Health Center, Athletics Department, My Health Portal, etc.) do not constitute a waiver and is not acceptable. Pending insurance coverage, letters from employers or third companies, and coverage that begins after the SHIP effective date do not constitute an accepted/submitted waiver.

Step 3
What Info Do I Need To Provide?

Domestic Students

  • Insurance Company Name: This is the name of the insurance carrier. If your insurance carrier is not listed, please select “Other” and enter the company’s full name.
  • Member ID: This is a number found on the insurance ID card of your current health plan, sometimes referred to as a member or subscriber ID. It is different from the policy or group number. It is sometimes the Social Security Number of the policyholder. Type it in exactly as it appears on the card.
  • Type of Insurance: (HMO, PPO, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.)
  • Insurance Company Phone: This is the customer service or provider phone number usually found on the back of your insurance ID card or the insurance company website, which we can call to verify that the information you have provided is accurate.
  • Subscriber Name: This is the name of the individual who is the primary insured on the plan.
    • Insured through your parents: it’s either your mother or father, depending on whose plan it is.
    • Insured through your employer: it’s your name.
    • Covered under your spouse’s insurance plan: it’s your spouse’s name.
  • Subscriber Relationship: This is the student’s relationship with the primary insured.
  • Subscriber State: This is the state of the individual who is the primary insured on the plan.
  • Image of Health Insurance Card (Optional): To assist in a timely review of your insurance policy, we recommend uploading a copy of the front and back of your ID card and a summary of benefits. If you have been asked to provide supporting documentation in the past, this will help expedite your waiver review process.

International Students

  • Insurance Company Name: This is the name of the insurance carrier. If your insurance carrier is not listed, please select “Other” and enter the company’s full name.
  • Member ID: This is a number found on the insurance ID card of your current health plan, sometimes referred to as a member or subscriber ID. It is different from the policy or group number. It is sometimes the Social Security Number of the policyholder. Type it in exactly as it appears on the card.
  • Insurance Company Country: This is the country where the health insurance carrier is based.
  • Subscriber Name: This is the name of the individual who is the primary insured on the plan.
    • Insured through your parents: it’s either your mother or father, depending on whose plan it is.
    • Insured through your employer: it’s your name.
    • Covered under your spouse’s insurance plan: it’s your spouse’s name.
  • Subscriber Relationship: This is the student’s relationship with the primary insured.
Step 4
How To Know Your Waiver Is Applied

The approval of your health insurance waiver does not remove the original charge from your student account; it authorizes the application of a “Health Insurance Waiver” payment (credit) to offset the cost of the health insurance fee (refer to samples below). Both the charge and the waiver (payment/credit) will remain listed on your semester invoice (account activity).

Please Note: The images below are examples of what will be displayed on a student account.

Student Schedule and Bill

(Updated on the 1st & 15th of the month)

Health Insurance Bill Sample

Student Account Activity

(Reflects account activity in real time)

Student Account Activity Sample
Step 5
Get Access to Health Services

Regardless of the type of insurance coverage you have, all Montclair State University students are eligible to receive outpatient care at the Student Health Center on the Montclair campus or the Bloomfield campus. Co-pay fees are not charged to the student.

If you enrolled in the University Health Plan, you can access your insurance card online. Select “Insurance ID Card: on the left side of the page.

Additional Information

  • About University Health Plans: Montclair State University partnered with University Health Plans (UHP) to administer our insurance process.
  • Early Termination is Not Permitted: Montclair State University and Aetna Student Health DO NOT prorate health insurance premiums or adjust effective dates of coverage. Students will not be removed from SHIP coverage based upon graduation, withdrawal from the University, or new insurance plan post-waiver deadline. SHIP coverage will remain in effect until the end of the policy period.

Health Insurance for International Students

Effective January 1, 2025, state or federal subsidized health insurance plans will no longer meet the University’s requirements for a health insurance waiver for international students on F-1 or J-1 visas.

  • F-1 Visa Students: Montclair State University requires all F-1 Visa students, part-time or full-time, to be insured with an Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant, filed and approved policy in the U.S.
  • J-1 Visa Students: J-1 visa holders must meet the US Department of State’s health insurance minimums. Please see Mandatory Health Requirements on The Office of Global Engagement site and information on how to waive the university insurance.
  • International students are recommended not to apply for any state or federally subsidized health insurance plans, such as NJ FamilyCare or NY Medicaid, or U.S. government-subsidized health insurance plan, because such plans may:
    • Conflict with representations the students made during the F-1 or J-1 visa process and/or upon entering the United States; and
    • Jeopardize the student’s eligibility for future immigration benefits, such as applying for permanent residency or an H-1B visa.
  • The University is committed to ensuring that the selection of health insurance, as a student, does not negatively impact the future travel or immigration status of our international students. Therefore, if you submitted a state or federally subsidized health insurance plan as proof of insurance for the 2024-2025 academic year, the health insurance waiver granted is only valid through December 31, 2024. Effective January 1, 2025, you will be charged $1,667 for the Montclair Student Health Insurance Plan and enrolled in the plan effective January 2, 2025 – August. If you wish to waive Montclair’s student health insurance plan, you must submit proof of coverage for a new health insurance plan that is not subsidized by a state or the federal government by February 24, 2025.
  • If your health insurance plan meets all of the waiver requirements you can request the International Student Waiver Form. International students do not have access to the online enrollment and waiver forms. You must get in touch with University Health Plans at (833) 251-1705 or info@univhealthplans.com.

Please Note: Health insurance plans marketed solely to International students are often not filed and approved in the U.S., have limited benefits, provider networks, and/or coverage periods, and do not comply with the Montclair State insurance requirements. GBG Insurance, HDL Global Specialty, ISO, PGH (United), PSI, Student Medicover, and Tata AIG are examples of companies that do not meet the waiver requirements.

Need Help Waiving, Enrolling or Deciding?

Contact University Health Plans at (833) 251-1705 or info@univhealthplans.com.

Please Note: Do not contact the Student Health Center with questions about the University’s Health Insurance Plan.