Student Health Insurance and Waiver Information

Gallaudet Student Health Insurance Requirements

Gallaudet University requires all full-time students to carry medical insurance. Part-time students can elect to purchase coverage, but it is not required. You can obtain insurance through the University plan, a family policy, Medicare, Medicaid or individual coverage provided online or through a local insurance broker.

If you have other insurance, it is essential that you waive the Gallaudet plan by 08/31/2020to avoid being charged the Annual Health Insurance fee. Even if you received a waiver last year, you still are required to do it again this year if you do not want to purchase the Gallaudet plan.

Although Medicaid in most states does not provide comprehensive coverage in the District of Columbia (DC), we now consider Medicaid from any state to qualify for a waiver of the Gallaudet plan. However, this form of coverage is likely to require far more planning and coordination on your part to seek coverage within your home state. Local non-emergency care, except for DC/MD/VA Medicaid, will likely not be covered. You may want to set up a savings account in case you need a local doctor for any non-emergency follow-up visits, routine care, or preventative tests or service. Uninsured amounts might exceed the cost of additional insurance.

Gallaudet Insurance Plan

The new Gallaudet student health insurance carrier is Care First Blue Cross Blue Shield. If you were enrolled in the Gallaudet student health insurance program last year, please look over the new coverage and decide whether the new plan will continue to meet your needs. If you waived the program last year because you had other health insurance, please look over the new coverage and decide whether the new plan will meet your needs. A summary of the coverage is below, and you can purchase it online through the link provided in Business Registration until 08/31/2020. Aspects of Gallaudet’s plan that have not changed are:

• Global in its scope of coverage;
• Comprehensive in its coverage of ER, inpatient/outpatient hospitalizations, physician visits, lab work and tests; in its coverage of both physical and mental health; in its coverage of services to prevent and/or treat chronic conditions; and in its coverage for unanticipated sickness and injury;
• Access to wellness information; and
• The ability to add spouses/domestic partners and dependents to the coverage.

This annual coverage starts on August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021, and will be automatically charged to your student account on September 4, 2020. You can get additional information about the program from Gallagher Student Health at www.gallagherstudent.com/gallaudet.

Gallaudet Insurance Purchase & Waiver Deadlines

Below are the deadlines to purchase and waive the Gallaudet Insurance Plan for the 2020-2021 academic year by semester:

• Fall 2020 – August 31, 2020
• Spring 2021 – January 19, 2021
• Summer 2021 – TBD

How to Waive the Gallaudet Insurance Plan

Applying for a health insurance waiver is a two-step process. You must complete both steps listed below before your insurance is waived:

1. Go to www.gallagherstudent.com/gallaudet.
2. Click on ‘Student Waive’.
3. Create a User Account.
4. Click the ‘I want to Waive’ button. If you want to waive, please have your health insurance card available as you will need information to complete the waiver information section.
5. Follow the instructions to complete the form.
6. Print or write down your reference number. Receipt of this number confirms the acceptance of waiver or purchase.

*If a waiver form is not submitted by the deadline, you will remain enrolled in and billed for the Student Health Insurance Plan for the entire policy year.

Have questions, please contact Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk at (DEDICATED 844#) or by visiting the Customer Service contact page at www.gallagherstudent.com/gallaudet.

Gallaudet Insurance Waiver Confirmation

Once you have submitted your health insurance waiver request, you will receive a confirmation number and an email from Gallagher Student Health. If both are received, we have received your request to waive.

How Part-Time Students Purchase the Gallaudet Insurance Plan

Part-time students are not required to have health insurance. However, if you are a part-time student and would like to enroll in the Gallaudet Insurance Plan, you will need to purchase the plan through the Gallagher website. Follow steps to purchase the Gallaudet student health insurance plan.

Learn More About Additional Resources

Gallaudet’s plan might not meet the needs of every student, so each student should determine what coverage is best for his/her specific needs. Consider your past use of medical insurance, the increased retained costs, and your available financial resources before making a waiver or purchase decision.

If you want to seek additional insurance information outside of Gallaudet, listed below are some resources:

• https://dchealthlink.com/
• https://www.healthcare.gov
• http://healthinsurance.org/dc/
• www.ehealthinsurance.com
• http://kp.kaiserpermanente.org/

Health Insurance Information Summary

Health Insurance	Care First Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan for2019-2020	Care First Blue Cross Shield Plan for 2020-2021
Annual Insurance Premium for Fall Students	$3,374	$4,402
Coverage Period for Fall Students	08/1/2019 through 07/31/2020 at 11:59pm	08/01/2020 through 07/31/2021 at 11:59pm
Insurance Premium for New Spring Students	$1,969	$2,459
Coverage Period for New Spring Students	01/01/2020 through 07/31/2020 at 11:59pm	01/01/2021 through 07/31/2021 at 11:59pm
Insurance Premium for New Summer Students	$843	$1,065
Coverage Period for Summer Students	05/01/2020 through 07/31/2020 at 11:59pm	05/01/2021 through 07/31/2021 at 11:59pm

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Your private health insurance card must be valid and current (must be accepted for use in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area including Maryland and Virginia), comparable to Gallaudet’s student health insurance.

• Gallaudet can accept Medicare Part A and B from all states. Medicaid in most states does not provide comprehensive coverage in the District of Columbia (DC), we now consider Medicaid from any state to qualify for a waiver of the Gallaudet plan. However, this form of coverage is likely to require far more planning and coordination on your part to seek coverage within your home state. Local non-emergency care, except for DC/MD/VA Medicaid, will likely not be covered.

• If your insurance card is deemed as unacceptable or your private insurance carrier declines your coverage, you will be responsible for paying for your health care expenses that you may incur and health insurance costs. Please be sure to verify your coverage in the DC metropolitan area with your private health insurance carrier before you submit your waiver request.

Contact Student Financial Services with any questions or concerns at Contact. We wish you a successful academic year!

Costs Not Covered By Insurance

*Every registered full-time student is eligible to use Student Health Services (SHS). Students are charged a $125 health fee per semester with tuition. The $125 health fee is not to be confused with health insurance. Certain charges are not included in the $125 health fee, i.e. medication, vaccinations, and laboratory tests. For a complete list of charges not included in the SHS student health fee, please contact SHS directly. A fee is charged to anyone who is not a registered student. Fees for services at SHS are billed directly to the student’s account at Student Financial Services.