FAQs

All international students at Emory have historically been required to have health insurance or to purchase the Emory student plan. We have found that receiving health insurance benefits from international carriers for medical care in the United States can often be incomplete and challenging to navigate. Under certain circumstances, we will allow students to have insurance with an international carrier if the insurance company has a claims-processing agreement with an American firm and the plan meets the waiver criteria. Please contact our Student Health Services Insurance Office if you have questions about this situation.

The Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP), administered by Aetna Student Health, meets all additional insurance requirements for international students.

Additional information can be found on the International Student and Scholar Services website at isss.emory.edu/life_usa/health_insurance/index.html.

If an Emory student is on the Student Health Insurance Plan for fall semester, can they switch for the spring semester to another health insurance plan?

Students on the Student Health Insurance Plan have an individual contract with Emory for insurance for the ENTIRE academic year. Because the insured students have contracted with Emory for an annual plan, students will not be eligible to voluntarily cancel the Student Health Insurance Plan for purposes of enrolling in a different plan for the remainder of the academic year.

Please submit a form to contact the Emory Student Insurance office for further support here.

Waiver Questions

What is an insurance waiver?

Students are automatically enrolled in the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP) for the academic year unless they opt out of - or waive - coverage.

If you decide you would like to waive EUSHIP, you must complete the waiver process. This is an ANNUAL process that must be completed by August 1 each year.

When you submit a request for waiving EUSHIP, you will need to provide proof of insurance. Your insurance must meet the delineated criteria and will undergo an audit to ensure that it will provide you with adequate coverage during your studies.

If the waiver is not submitted and accepted by the August 1 deadline, you will be charged the full amount for the year.

If I waived off the Student Health Insurance Plan my first year, then I am good for the next four years at Emory, right?

No! Every Emory student must complete the enrollment/waiver process every year you are enrolled. This is typically done in the summer before the fall semester begins.

What if I make a mistake while I am completing the waiver, or if my insurance situation changes between the day I complete the waiver and the deadline?

You may re-enter the OPUS mandatory insurance waiver site as many times as you wish prior to deadline and cancel or change your waiver.

What if I fail the waiver process or I miss the deadline and get charged for the Student Health Insurance Plan and I want to appeal the charge? Can I do that?

Every waiver that is submitted is subject to verification to ensure the accuracy and essential coverage of each individual plan. If your waiver does not satisfy the insurance requirements, you will need to contact your insurance company for benefit verification or call Aetna Student Health at 1-877-261-8403 to confirm the reason for the denial.

If you miss the waiver deadline, you will be required to remain on the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan for the remainder of the semester. If you have questions or concerns about the student insurance requirement or your individual situation relative to the requirement, please submit an inquiry form here.

When can I complete my waiver each year?

Completing a waiver is a two-step process.

The online student insurance requirement waiver site for new and continuing Emory University students (including Oxford College) typically opens in June and will close at 5:00 pm on August 1. You can access the waiver site via your OPUS account at www.opus.emory.edu.

You must also upload a photocopy of your insurance ID to the student health portal. Login to the portal here.

I already completed my insurance waiver for summer. Now I hear that I also have to do a waiver for fall. Is that true?

Yes! The summer is considered part of the previous academic year. If you do not wish to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan, the waiver process must be completed EACH year you are enrolled at Emory University for the upcoming academic year. If you have questions about the insurance waiver/enrollment process, please submit an inquiry form here.

I am an international student here for only one year and I will not be getting an Emory degree. Why am I still required to have insurance if I am non-degree seeking?

Our international students do need insurance while here, even if they are not degree-seeking. It is an Emory University requirement, and also may be a requirement of your visa.

I am a student in the Laney Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and I am eligible to get a subsidy to help pay for insurance. I would like to enroll in the student insurance plan. Do I still need to go to the OPUS website?

No, the waiver site is for waivers only, not insurance enrollment. If a student would like to stay on EUSHIP, no further action is required. LGS will then post the subsidy to your Student Financial Services account for their portion of the premium.

Please contact the LGS Student Affairs office if you have any additional questions or concerns.

I still don't understand this requirement, the waiver process, etc. Can you help me?

EUSHIP Waiver and Refund Background

In fall 2006, Emory University instituted a mandatory health insurance requirement for all degree-seeking and all international students. Updates to the waiver and refund processes associated with the insurance requirement are outlined below.

In addition, the Student Health Services (SHS) website features extensive information on the waiver process (https://studenthealth.emory.edu/insurance/requirement.html).

• Students who have other insurance plans (i.e., parent’s plan, employer, individual, etc.) that satisfy Emory’s requirements and wish to waive the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP) must do so every new academic year. The waiver process is an annual process, which must be completed every year by every student.
• Emory has designated official university email as the preferred mode of communication with students, faculty, and staff. Students are expected to read all official Emory emails, as are faculty and staff.
• Students and parents were surveyed – more than 1,200 students responded – about their preferred method for receiving information about the insurance requirement; an overwhelming majority chose email.
• New and returning students each receive three or four emails throughout the summer (including parents of undergraduates) about the insurance requirement and the waiver process. All email communications are stored in the student’s Communication Center via OPUS, Emory’s student portal, which reflects read or unread status.
• Emails about the insurance requirement and deadlines are sent to parents of new and continuing undergraduate students as a reminder of this process. Because OPUS may not have current email addresses for all parents, SHS’ insurance-related decisions are not solely based on email communications to parents. However, emails are sent to all students new and returning, which they are expected to read as official Emory communications.
• Approximately 10,000 students successfully complete a waiver each new academic year before the waiver deadline; nearly 6,500 are continuing students.
• The deadline for student health insurance waivers is August 1 of each academic year.
• The health insurance charge systematically posts to each student’s account (until they receive a waiver) as early as possible for the pre-term bill in July. The second installment for spring will post as early as November.
• Emory and Aetna Student Health will reconcile enrollment and payment in September on behalf of all students enrolled in the plan (5,000+ each year).
• Once the enrollment and payment of the plan are reconciled, no further financial adjustments (e.g., student refunds of the health insurance charge) can be made. In cooperation with Student Financial Services, financial refunds or adjustments are not to extend beyond one prior semester.
• Requests for an insurance appeal or charge reversal due to a student’s failure to meet the university’s waiver requirements and deadlines will be reviewed by the EUSHIP leadership team and considered on a case-by-case basis with no guarantee of approval. Financial and situational circumstances may be taken into account. When an appeal and refund are requested, a log of the emails sent to the parent and student are gathered to ensure that emails were sent to all parties involved. Previous waiver dates are also reviewed to determine awareness of the established process.
• In the event a request is not granted for the reasons stated above, the student’s insurance coverage will remain active for the academic year for which they are enrolled. The EUSHIP offers both domestic and international coverage with Emory Core and Aetna participating provider networks. For a complete review of the plan design, visit the Aetna Student Health website aetnastudenthealth.com or the Student Health Services website at www.studenthealth.emory.edu.

Out of State Medicaid Guidance

Out of State Medicaid Plan Options

If you are enrolled in an out-of-state Medicaid insurance plan, please be aware that coverage may not transfer out of your home state. At most, emergency care may be available. However, emergency care only does not satisfy the university’s health insurance requirement. If coverage does not transfer to Georgia, students can be left underinsured or entirely uninsured while at school, possibly affecting a student’s academic career long term if anything were to happen. Please contact your individual state plan to verify your eligible benefits in Georgia.

The university continues to work through this important issue in hopes to mitigate the financial strain on our students and families. Please submit a form to contact the Emory Student Insurance office for further support here.

Recommendations for coverage include the following:

1. Use the Emory University student health insurance plan (EUSHIP).
2. Enroll in Georgia Medicaid or a partner plan, or
3. Enroll through the ACA marketplace.

Financial advice and assistance are available through the offices below, including payment options through the Emory Payment Plan (EPP).

Student Accounts and Billing: 404-727-6095

Office of Financial Aid: 404-727-6039

Registrar’s office: 404-727-6042

Accepted plan options to waive the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan: