Student Health Insurance
Academic Health Plans
- Academic Health Plans Website
- 2023-2024 Benefits Flyer
- Emergency Services Flyer
- Academic Health Plans Video (Contact us for the key & code)
- FitOn Flyer for Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) Users
- Student Health Insurance Process Flowchart
- Student Health Insurance Video
Mandatory Student Insurance and Waiver
Per OP 77.19 All students must obtain and maintain health insurance coverage that is Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant while enrolled at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), except those enrolled in a 100% distance program. Link to the list of programs.
Per OP 77.03, TTUHSC also requires that all non-immigrant F-1 students have health insurance coverage as a condition of enrollment. This guarantees that both TTUHSC and the non-immigrant students are in compliance with United States federal regulations and guidelines.
- The term "100% distance program" means the entirety of the degree program is online, with no face to face or on-site academic, research, or clinical component.
- "Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant" is defined as coverage which accepts preexisting
conditions and meets the criteria of Minimum Value and Essential Health Benefits.
- Minimum Value covers at least 60 percent of the total allowed cost of benefits that are expected to be incurred under the plan.
- Essential Health Benefits include:
- hospitalization
- ambulatory services
- emergency services
- maternity and newborn care
- mental health and substance abuse treatment
- prescription drugs
- lab tests
- preventative services
- pediatric services
- rehabilitative and "habilitative" services
The purpose of the health Insurance requirement is to ensure students have quality heath insurance coverage, which includes emergency care, specialty care, and pharmacy services. Students should note many of the facilities where students receive clinical training require each student to be covered by health insurance. Hospital or clinic personnel may ask for proof of coverage at any time. Students may be denied access to clinical experience, at the discretion of the facility, if not covered by health insurance. Student Health Insurance Plans provide value for students due to robust and broad coverage, often at half the cost of comparable employee plans.
Students will automatically be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) unless the student submits a request for a waiver and it is approved. Please remember this process takes place every fall and spring. Students starting their program in the summer will also need to follow this process their first summer only. All communication about the insurance requirement and the Student Health Insurance Plan is sent directly to the student's campus email.
You will have access to your insurance benefits and digital card by going to the AHP website. Here are the insurance coverage schedules:
- Fall - August 1 - December 31 - New Students except Nursing
- Fall - September 1 - December 31 - All Returning Students, Nursing, & Public Health
- Spring - January 1 - August 31 - All Students
- Summer - May 1 - August 31 - Only New Students
To enroll a spouse or dependent in the Student Health Insurance Plan:
- Make sure you have paid the SHIP fee on your tuition and fee account.
- Go to https://ttuhsc.myahpcare.com/enrollment.
- Select your school and then click on the “Click Here to Enroll” button.
- If you have not created an account, click Register to establish a username and password. Otherwise, sign in with your existing username and password.
- Continue to fill out the form until complete.
Summer 2024 Spouse/Dependent Enrollment Deadline - June 17, 2024
Please know that the insurance coverage is from May 1 - August 31, 2024 for all students
and any spouse/dependent enrolled.
Fall 2024 Spouse/Dependent Enrollment Deadline - October 4, 2024
Please know that the insurance coverage is from August 1 - December 31, 2024 for new
students and their spouse/dependent and September 1 - December 31, 2024 for returning
students and their spouse/dependent enrolled.
Once you have paid your fee you should be able to enroll your spouse or dependent.
If you have a qualifying life event during one of the times above you can enroll in the insurance within 30 days of that event. Example: turn 26, new spouse or baby. Make sure to notify Student Life before requesting insurance from AHP.
The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) will be billed to the student's tuition and fee account in the fall and spring. Students that start their program in the summer will be billed for summer, fall, and spring with only being billed the first summer. Students that do not have alternate health coverage that meets the ACA requirements will need to pay the SHIP fee following the institutional set payment deadlines to avoid fines or penalties.
Students can now authorize TTUHSC to use their Federal Financial Aid awards (e.g., grants and loans) to pay for non-institutional charges such as the student health insurance by signing a Title IV Authorization.
Students that do not pay the fee by the institutional deadline and do not have an approved waiver through AHP, will have a hold placed on their account and will not be able to register for the next semester or receive their diploma if graduating. The account balance has to be paid to remove the hold.
Students who do not wish to have the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) must file an online request for a waiver with AHP in the fall or spring semester depending on when they start. If a student's waiver is approved in the fall semester the waiver will cover them for the rest of the academic year unless the insurance is no longer active. It is the student's responsibility to work with the Office of Student Life if their insurance changes any time during the year. The request to be waived must be submitted online through the AHP website by the designated deadline. Providing insurance information at the University Health Center does not substitute for the waiver requirement. If no request to waive is received and approved then the student will be required to pay the student health insurance fee billed to their tuition and fee account.
For a waiver to be approved, the level of benefits provided to the student through
a health insurance plan must be Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant. Cost sharing,
short term, and travel plans do not meet the health insurance coverage requirement. Essential Health Benefits ensure
students have access to local providers and a range of services in the state of Texas.
Services must include, but are not limited to, hospitalization, ambulatory services,
emergency services, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse
treatment, prescription drugs, lab tests, preventative services, pediatric services,
and rehabilitative and "habilitative" services. Also, alternative health insurance
must be active for the duration of the coverage period.
Summer: May 1 - August 31 (Only if starting during the summer)
Fall: August 1 - December 31 or September 1 - December 31 (Returning students, SON & SPPH)
Spring: January 1 - August 31
NOTE: The Office of Student Life does not evaluate students' private insurance, Academic Health Plans (AHP) does. Please do not submit your insurance information to the Office of Student Life. Students must submit their private insurance information online through the AHP waiver system.
To submit a waiver request:
- Go to ttuhsc.myahpcare.com/waiver.
- Review the waiver criteria.
- Click on the blue button at the bottom of the page that says ‘Click Here to Waive the Student Health Insurance Plan’.
- On the login page, students will enter their TTUHSC student ID in R1234567 format as their username and their date of birth in MMDDYYYY format as the initial password unless previously changed. Students are then taken to the student dashboard screen.
- Fill out alternative health insurance information and submit. It can take 5-7 days for the waiver to be processed.
F-1 Non-immigrant students: When submitting a waiver request, students might be required
to pay an extra fee to enroll in a supplemental coverage for evacuation and repatriation
if their insurance does not cover these items.
Summer 2024 Waiver Submission Deadline - June 17, 2024
Please know that even though the deadline to submit a waiver is June 17, you have
been charged the fee for the student health insurance plan and will be expected to
pay the fee by the Institutional set payment deadlines to avoid fines and penalties if you do not have an approved waiver for the Summer
semester. Waivers submitted late does not mean the university sponsored student health
insurance plan covers you during that time. Only students that pay the fee and plan
to keep the insurance can use it. If students use the insurance they will be required
to pay the full premium even if they have alternative health insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Health insurance is required for all students, but you do not have to pay for the student health insurance plan billed to your tuition and fee account. You may instead submit a request to waive the plan with proof of adequate coverage elsewhere. If you receive an approved waiver the fee will be removed. Once submitted it can take up to 5-7 business days to be reviewed. Know that the fee on your account will incur fines or penalties if not paid by the institutional set payment deadlines. If you pay the insurance fee but receive an approved waiver after you have paid you will be credited back the fee. If students use the insurance before submitting a waiver they will be required to pay the full premium even if they have alternative health insurance.
If you have health insurance outside of Academic Health Plans that is ACA compliant (cost sharing, short term, and travel plans don't qualify), then you will submit a request for a waiver. Submit this request each semester as early as you can to avoid having to pay for the student health insurance plan through your tuition and fee account.
If your waiver is approved in the fall semester, the waiver will cover you for the rest of the academic year unless your insurance is no longer active. It is your responsibility to work with the Office of Student Life if your insurance changes any time during the year.
The Medical Service Fee covers basic services so the student can have inexpensive access to basic services. The MSF does not cover emergency room visits, hospitalizations, laboratory services, radiology, procedures other than colposcopy, immunizations, AIDS tests, antibody titers, durable medical equipment, or medications administered in clinic. The ACA compliant health insurance will cover these items. Check out the Student Health website for the list of benefits the Medical Service Fee covers.
"Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant" is defined as coverage which accepts preexisting conditions and meets the criteria of Minimum Value and Essential Health Benefits.
- Minimum Value covers at least 60 percent of the total allowed cost of benefits that are expected to be incurred under the plan.
- Essential Health Benefits include:
- hospitalization
- ambulatory services
- emergency services
- maternity and newborn care
- mental health and substance abuse treatment
- prescription drugs
- lab tests
- preventative services
- pediatric services
- rehabilitative and "habilitative" services
If you have VA healthcare you can retrieve proof of coverage on va.gov, under Records, click Download your benefit letters, then sign in. Click Get your VA benefits letters box, View Letters, and download the Proof of Minimum Essential Coverage Letter.
If you have TRICARE you can retrieve proof of coverage on milConnect by clicking View my Health Care Coverage.
Yes, there are options to add coverage for your spouse or any dependents. Go to the AHP website listed at the top of this page and select Enroll/Cost on the top of the page. Select your school and then click on the button to enroll. You can only enroll a spouse or dependent(s) if you have paid for the SHIP through your tuition and fees.
Costs for the plan can be found on the AHP website, on their Cost page.
If you have lost health coverage after an enrollment period has closed, you might be eligible for "Qualifying Life Event" special enrollment. Details can be found under the Enroll/Cost tab on the AHP website. Just scroll down to where it says Students with a Qualifying Life Event.
Enrollment is required within 30 days of the qualifying event and the premium would be paid directly to AHP for the months your need the QLE coverage. You will need to provide a letter from your previous health insurance provider stating the specific date when your coverage ended.
Other qualifying events include, but are not limited to:
- Turning 26 and no longer on parent's insurance
- Birth or adoption of a child
- Loss of a spouse, whether by death, divorce, annulment or legal separation.
Yes. The student health insurance plan gives you access to Academic Emergency Services (AES), which provides you with coverage if you are over 100 miles from home, or are outside your home country. AES offers a wide range of services and benefits, such as help with finding an adequate doctor in an unfamiliar location and getting a prescription when away from home. They also can provide assistance with getting a family member or friend to you if you are hospitalized, or getting you home if you have an illness or death in the family.
It is very important to make sure when you are visiting a doctor, hospital, or urgent care center that they accept Aetna and are also in network with your plan.
To check, you can call the office of the location you are visiting and ask if they take Aetna insurance and if they are in network. You can also visit the AHP website to utilize their "Find a Doctor" tool under benefits.
You can find a list of services not covered by the insurance plan by viewing the Summary of Benefits Coverage section on the AHP Benefits webpage.