Student Health Insurance

AIC Student Health Insurance Plan

University Health Plans (UHP) is the administrator of the AIC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

ACTION ITEM

Waive / Enroll &

Online Insurance Card

www.universityhealthplans.com/aic

Waiver and Enrollments for the Spring 2024 will be available on December 1st.

Annual Process

The Spring 2024 Student Health Insurance Plan will open for Enrollment and Waivers on December 1, 2023.

AIC works with University Health Plans (UHP) to administer the Student Health Plan as required by the State of Massachusetts.

Based on your program of student and the number of credits you are registered in you will be considered as either Required or Not Required to Participate in the Student Health Insurance Program.

Required to Participate:

All Students who are Required To Participate in the Student Health Plan are automatically charged the Student Health Plan fee once they meet the participation requirements during the applicable enrollment period (see Rates and Timelines)
- AIC submits eligible students rosters to UHP twice a week. This enables students to complete the waiver or enrollment processes.
- Action Item: Must Either WAIVE the Coverage or ENROLL in the plan
  - ENROLL: Being charged for the insurance on your student bill does NOT mean that you have been enrolled. Students must complete the enrollment process to activate the insurance and start the process to receive an insurance card. It can take up to 10 business days for a card to be processed. Initial card processing begins mid-July. (see notes).
  - WAIVE: MUST complete a waiver showing proof of comparable coverage once every year in order to have the fee reversed (by posted deadlines)
  - Please allow 2-4 business days for your waiver or enrollment to be processed at AIC after it is completed. If you enrolled in the insurance, it may take an additional 3-7 business days for your insurance card to be available.
Students who do neither will be enrolled in the plan by AIC as of the automatic enrollment date listed for the appropriate semester

Enrollment Notes:

Athletes must complete this process before they arrive for the semester
International Students are automatically enrolled and do not need to complete the enrollment form (if required to participate). Enrollment it is typically initiated mid June or within 3-5 business days from the date you are registered for the semester (whichever is later). It will then take up to 10 business days for your ID card to available.

Special Notices:

Spring Termination Request: Students who meet the following conditions may request to opt-out of the Spring portion of the Student Health Insurance and have the Student Health Insurance fee reduced.
1. You will not be attending American International College during Spring 2023 OR
2. You have obtained coverage through MassHealth or a subsidized Commonwealth Connector plan that is effective on or before 1/1/23

Students who are NOT Required To Participate:

Are eligible to purchase the student health insurance on a voluntary basis

Comparable Coverage

Brief Overview of Comparable Coverage for Minimum Benefit Guidelines:

Access to Care: Your health insurance plan must provide comparable coverage in the Springfield, Massachusetts area in order to be used for a waiver.
Athletes: who need the student health insurance MUST enroll in or waive the insurance PRIOR TO participating in athletic practices or events. We suggest completing the enrollment at least 10 days in advance.
Disallowed Health Insurance Plans: Coverage cannot be waived using the following plans:
- Massachusetts: Health Safety Net, MassHealth Limited, the Children’s Medical Security Program
- Out-Of-State: Medicaid plans (except HuskyHealth)
International Students: Are automatically enrolled if they are in a program of study that requires them to participate or if they are a student athlete
Processing Time for a Waiver or enrollment: Normally within 3 to 10 business days.
Student Under the age of 18: Waiver requests must be confirmed by a parent or guardian.

HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN COMPARISON CHECK LIST (Minimum Benefit Guidelines)

Use the following grid to determine whether the plan you’re considering is comparable to the Student Insurance Plan. Your plan must be compliant with Massachusetts regulations and the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It is your responsibility to review your plan and talk to your insurance agent about any questions you have on your plan.

If your plan doesn’t meet, at a minimum, the following requirements, you cannot waive the Student Health Insurance Plan.

	My Plan
Minimum Health Insurance Plan Comparable Coverage Requirements	Yes	No
1. A network of doctors, specialists, and hospitals within 30 miles of the AIC campus in Springfield, MA (local area) effective from the beginning of the period of enrollment. All coverage requirements listed in items 3 through 12 must be available within the local area.
2. An insurance company whose home office is based in the United States and whose plan is filed and approved in the US, and compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
3. An unlimited plan maximum benefit. This means no maximum benefit per illness or injury per coverage period or per lifetime
4. Immediate Coverage for Pre-existing Conditions; no waiting period for services [In addition to looking at what’s covered, check the list of exclusions and limitations].
5. Emergency Services Coverage – no limits on coverage
6. Maternity Coverage and Coverage for Newborns - no limit on coverage
7. Mental Health/Substance Abuse, no limits outpatient or inpatient – no dollar limits or days of treatment limits
8. Pharmacy Benefits - no maximum dollar amount
9. Preventive Care and Primary Care Services This means coverage for routine physicals, physician visits exams, gynecological exams, coverage for preventive lab tests, preventive immunizations and vaccinations.
10. Surgical services – no maximum dollar amount
11. Hospitalization Benefits – no maximum dollar amount or limit to number of days
12. Ambulatory Patient Services – no maximum dollar amount
If you answered “NO” to any question (1-12) then your plan is not comparable
13. Do you have Massachusetts Health Safety Net, MassHealth Limited, or The Children’s Medical Security Program?
14. Do you have an out-of-state Medicaid Plan other than Connecticut Husky Health? Connecticut Husky Health is considered comparable coverage. Please answer "No" to this question on the waiver form if you have Husky Health.
15. Do you have a plan that you purchase on a month-to-month basis?
If you answered “YES” to questions (13 , 14 or 15) then your plan is not comparable

Contact Information

Questions

UHP Phone: 1-833-251-1746

UHP Email: info@univhealthplans.com

Plan Benefit/Policy: www.universityhealthplans.com/aic

AIC Phone: 413-205-3254

AIC Email: studentaccounts@aic.edu

Rates and Timelines

2023-2024 Year

RATES
	Annual	Spring Only*	Fall Only*
Premium:	$2,509	$1,466	$1,048
Period of Enrollment:	8/1/2023 to 7/31/2024	01/01/2024 to 07/31/2024	08/01/2023 to 12/31/2023

Insurance Company:	Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
Insurance Agent:	University Health Plans
*Enrollment is on an ANNUAL basis. The Spring rate is applied only to students who begin attendance in the Spring 2023 semester. The Fall only rate can be applied for on an exception basis for students who withdraw from the College as of the end of the Fall semester. See the FAQ’s for additional information.

Waive/Enrollment Dates	Fall 2023	Spring 2024
Online Form to Enroll or Waive Opens On:	June 1, 2023	December 1, 2023 Update: We are experiencing a system issue and the form is not currently available. We hope to have this resolved soon
Due Date for Enrollments/Waivers:	August 1, 2023	January 9, 2024
Late Enrollment/ Late Waiver Period:	August 2, 2023 to Sept. 25, 2023	January 10, 2024 to February 19, 2024
Automatic Enrollment: All students who are required to participate in the student health insurance plan who have not either enrolled or waived will be automatically enrolled in the AIC student health insurance plan. Students may then submit a petition to request a waiver until the stated deadline.	Sept. 26, 2023	February 20, 2024
Petition to Waive Period: When this period has ended the student health insurance fee is set for the period and is non-refundable.	Sept. 27, 2022 to October 18, 2023	February 20, 2024 to March 12, 2024

FAQ'S

Cancel Coverage:

Enrollment is on an ANNUAL basis. The coverage CANNOT be cancelled once you are enrolled unless you qualify for one of the few exceptions. Contact Student Accounts for details.
Exception #1: If you enrolled in the insurance in the Fall semester but do not return to AIC for the Spring semester, you may request to terminate the coverage and have the premium pro-rated. Please contact University Health Plans for additional information and deadlines.
Exception #2: If you obtain coverage through MassHealth mid year (prior to 1/1), provide the appropriate documentation and complete the Spring Termination Request form then the insurance may be pro-rated.

Policy and Benefit Information: You may view the policy and benefit information at University Health Plans.

Qualifying Event: If you have a qualifying event, you may request to be added to the AIC Student Health Insurance Plan mid-year. Please contact University Health Plans for details.

WHO MUST WAIVE or ENROLL (Required to Participate)

Who is Required to Participate? Note: Will be Charged the Premium and MUST Waive or Enroll
	All Student Athletes
	ALL Undergraduate Students registered in 9 or more credits
	Exemption: Students who are solely in online courses are NOT required to participate (example: RN to BSN students)
	Graduate Students in the following Majors:
	Clinical Mental Health: In-Person Clinical Psychology (MA) Exercise Science (MS)	General Psychology (MA/CERT) Forensic Psychology (MS) Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Public Health (Master)
	Doctoral Students in the Following Majors:
	EdD Educational Psychology EdD Mental Health Counseling: In-Person	EdD Mental Health & Human Development: In-Person Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
	Note: International Students (F1 VISA) will automatically be enrolled and may not waive.
Who is NOT Required to Participate? Notes: * Not Charged, Enrollment via Request Only * If you are a student athlete in one of the programs listed- You are required to participate
	Undergraduate:
	RN to BSN students Online only students	Undergraduate students who are registered for less than 9 credits as of the end of the add/drop period.

	Graduate Students
	Business Administration (MBA/CERT) Clinical Mental Health: Online Counseling Psychology (Trimester)	Cannabis Science & Commerce (MS) Criminal Justice (MS) Criminal Justice Certificates Education-(Master/CAGS) Family Nurse Practitioner (MS-FNP) Nursing (MSN)
	Doctoral Students:
	EdD Mental Health Counseling: Online EdD Mental Health & Human Development: Online	Doctor of Education (EDD) (Trimester) Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Policy Information

Massachusetts Regulation:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts mandates that all matriculated full-time and three-quarter-time students attending an institution of higher education in this state who are not enrolled solely in short term courses or in an online program must be enrolled in a qualifying Student Health Plan that meets established minimum benefit guidelines.