Insurance Waiver

Students who have access to an employer-sponsored insurance plan or an individual plan that meets all minimum benefits levels will be eligible to waive the UC Student Health Insurance Plan.  Please see the insurance waiver criteria (waiver criteria are subject to change each academic year).

You can waive with Medi-Cal however you will need to update your physical address to the county you will reside while attending UCSF prior to submitting your waiver application. Full coverage is mandatory and emergency Medi-Cal will not qualify you for a waiver. Full coverage will allow you to seek all services, not just emergency services, and is required to waive out of the UC Student Health Insurance Plan. A copy of the front and back of your county health insurance ID card is required to upload to the waiver application. Please do not upload your Benefits Identification Card, this card will not qualify you to waive UC SHIP.

To transfer your Medi-Cal Coverage do the following:

1. Contact the Department of Health and Human Services or your Case Worker in the county where your Medi-Cal was obtained. Explain you are attending UCSF and need to transfer care.

2. Once your physical address has been updated in the state's Medi-Cal database you should receive a package with information on choosing a health plan.

3. Make sure you pick a primary care doctor in the county in which you reside while attending UCSF.

NOTE: This process can take 30-60 days or more to complete and may require long phone calls and multiple follow-up calls. Get started on this process as soon as possible. Your waiver cannot be approved until your Medi-Cal coverage is active and provides non-emergency coverage in the county in which you reside while attending UCSF.

If you are having difficulty getting your case worker to change your physical address, you can contact the California State Ombudsman at: 888-452-8609 option #9, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If a student’s application for a waiver is denied, they may submit additional plan documents to their waiver application demonstrating their insurance meets all waiver criteria. To submit supporting documents, go to the “Student Portal” https://saa.ucsf.edu/studentportal/ and click on the “Health Insurance Waiver” link. You must submit all materials by the waiver deadline.

The insurance premium will be removed from the student's fees and the application fee applied within 8 -10 business days of the waiver application being audited and "Approved".

An approved waiver in the Summer 2024 quarter for new and re-admitted students is valid through the end of Summer 2025 so long as you maintain continuous coverage under your plan.

School of Pharmacy 1st, 2nd & 3rd year students as well as other programs enrolled in year-round, summer start curriculums must submit a new waiver application prior to the start of every summer quarter.

An approved waiver in the Fall 2024, Winter 2025, or Spring 2025 quarter is valid through the end of the Summer 2025 quarter so long as you maintain continuous coverage under your plan. 

A new waiver application will need to be submitted for the 2025-26 academic year.

Even if you waive the UC Student Health Insurance Plan, you will still have access to Student Mental Health & Well Being. Those services include:

• Mental Health Care

If you missed the waiver deadline please email Student Health and Counseling at [email protected] to request a late waiver application.  There is an $88.00 late fee.  Late waiver applications are accepted 14 days following the waiver deadline.

If you have questions related to opting out of the student health insurance plan or you are a student who speaks English as a second language please contact 415.476.1281.  A staff member will be happy to talk you through the process.

Students may elect at the beginning of any new term to cancel their approved waiver and enroll in UC SHIP.  To cancel your waiver, login to MyHealthRecord.ucsf.edu and send a secure message to “UCSHIP Waiver Reversal Request” prior to the start of the term for which you would like to enroll.   The form must be received within thirty (30) days of the start of the quarter for the effective date of coverage to be the quarter start date. The student must pay the entire premium for the term in which they are electing to enroll.

If a student involuntarily loses coverage under their health insurance plan mid-term, and cannot access other coverage, they must submit to the University their intention to re-enroll in UC SHIP. To re-enroll, login to MyHealthRecord.ucsf.edu and send a secure message to “UCSHIP Waiver Reversal Request” along with an official written letter of termination from the previous health insurance carrier.  The student will be enrolled in UC SHIP as of the date of their involuntarily loss of other coverage if they notify Student Health and Counseling Services within 31 days of the loss of their coverage.  If the student does not notify the Student Health and Counseling Services within the 31 days, coverage will be effective on the date the student pays the full premium.  Mid-term enrollment does not allow for any proration of the premium.

Students who waive the student health insurance plan are welcome to access care through UCSF Health Primary Care. Please confirm with your insurance plan that UCSF Health is within network to offer the lowest out-of-pocket cost. If your plan is out-of-network, you will need to access care through their network providers of care. Students who waive the student health insurance plan still have access to Student Mental Health & Well-Being Services. They offer mental health counseling, psychiatry services as well as wellness and health promotion programs.

It is up to the student to work with their insurance carrier to appropriately obtain care outside SHCS when required.

The reason health insurance is a mandatory condition of enrollment is to ensure (a) you have access to medical care anytime you need it, (b) you will not experience a financial catastrophe in receiving the care you need and (c) you have the help you need to avoid compromising your academic progress.

The UC Student Health Insurance Plan is tailored to the health care needs of UC San Francisco students. It features year-round, world-wide coverage using UCSF Health Primary Care, the UC Family Network with additional access to the Anthem PPO network; this means students can receive convenient, high quality care when they are sick or injured. Included in the student insurance plan is dental coverage through Delta Dental and vision services through Blue View Vision Care. The UC Student Health Insurance Plan provides comprehensive coverage for all your healthcare needs.

The UC SHIP is designed to "complement" the services offered at UCSF Health Primary Care. It provides benefits including emergency/after hours care, hospitalization, surgery, specialized care, specialized testing, e.g. CT scans or MRI's. It would be ideal if your private plan did the same, without you having to leave the campus area.

Please see the links below highlighting the medical, dental, vision, and prescription benefits of the UC Student Health Insurance Plan. Compare to your alternative plan to see what works best for you and your family.

• Medical Benefits
• Dental Benefit
• Vision Benefits
• Prescription Benefits