Healthcare Checklist for Graduating Students
Congratulations, graduates! The Campus Health staff thanks you for the privilege of serving you during your years at Tulane University. As you move ahead to do your next great things, we offer this guide to managing your healthcare after you leave Tulane.
Download the PDF version of this guide.
Spring graduates have access to Campus Health services through May 31, but starting in June, you’ll need to find another source for healthcare services. Once you know where you will be living after graduation, start searching for new healthcare providers in that area. At minimum, make plans to get established with a new primary care provider who can then guide you if you ever need specialist care. If you’re already under the care of specialists in New Orleans, ask your current providers for advice with getting established with new providers after you move.
While Campus Health maintains students’ health and counseling services records for seven years after graduation, it’s a great idea to obtain a copy of them now. That way, you’ll have them whenever you need them.
Whether you’re pursuing further education or searching for employment after graduation, you never know when you’ll be required to provide your immunization records.
Be prepared by downloading or printing them from the Campus Health Patient Portal:
- Log into the Patient Portal.
- Click the Immunizations tab.
- Click View your immunization history.
- Click the green Print button to print the page or save as PDF.
Even if you have no current medical problems, it’s extremely important to maintain health insurance coverage as medical expenses can pop up at any time. Protect yourself from financial hardship by not letting your health insurance coverage lapse.
- If you're currently on a parent/guardian's health insurance plan… check in with them to find out if you can continue this coverage. This may be a good option for you if you’re under age 26, but if your 26th birthday is coming up, you’ll need to consider other options.
- If you're currently on the Tulane-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (T-SHIP)... your coverage is active until the policy year ends on August 18. You can extend this coverage for up to 90 days beyond August 18 by submitting a request via the Gallagher portal. After that, you’ll need alternative coverage.
Important tips for graduates with T-SHIP:
- You have access to Campus Health services until May 31.
- If you're going to be living within 30 miles of New Orleans after graduation and while your T-SHIP coverage is still active, notify healthins@tulane.edu no later than the day of commencement, so we can remove the referral requirement from your coverage.
Other insurance coverage options
- An employer-sponsored plan: If you already have a job lined up post-graduation, that job may come with health insurance coverage. Check with your new employer’s human resources department to see when your insurance coverage starts. Some employers grant coverage immediately upon hire, but some employers have a “probation period” which means you must wait a period of time for your benefits to start.
- A marketplace insurance plan: Visit the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace at healthcare.gov to see what health insurance plans may be available to you.
- Medicaid: If you cannot afford an ACA plan, you may be eligible for Medicaid, a state-driven government program that provides health insurance to low-income Americans. Eligibility guidelines for Medicaid vary from state to state, so it’s important to check the requirements for the state where you’ll be living.
