Health Insurance Action Questions
If you are a degree-seeking graduate student or a non-degree-seeking graduate student on a J1 visa, the University requires you to have adequate health insurance.
- Degree-seeking domestic graduate students must either enroll or opt out of T-SHIP.
- Degree-seeking international graduate students must enroll in T-SHIP.
- Non-degree-seeking J-1 students sponsored by Tulane University must be enrolled in a university-sponsored health insurance plan and will receive more information during their onboarding process.
Generally, if you are a non-degree-seeking undergraduate student, you are not required to take health insurance action. However, non-degree-seeking international students attending Tulane on a J1 visa are required to be enrolled in a university-sponsored health insurance plan and will receive more information during their onboarding process.
Non-degree-seeking undergraduate students who are enrolled in 3 credit hours or more may voluntarily request T-SHIP coverage.
Most SoPA students are not required to take health insurance action. However, if you are enrolled in 3 credit hours or more, you may voluntarily request T-SHIP coverage.
The exception is that students in the new B.S. in Nursing program through SoPA/SoM are required to take health insurance action.
If you are a distance learning student, you are not required to take health insurance action. However, if you are enrolled in 3 credit hours or more, you may voluntarily request T-SHIP coverage.
No, feel free to review the standards and then shop for the best plan for your individual needs. You may enroll in any health insurance plan that meets Tulane’s standards for adequate insurance, but you must be in compliance by the deadline.
Eligibility Questions
You may only terminate your enrollment in T-SHIP before April 30 of the policy year if you undergo one of the following qualifying events:
- You become eligible for the first time for health insurance as a dependent on your parents’ or guardians' policy.
- You become eligible for the first time for health insurance through new employment or a change in employment.
- You become eligible for the first time for health insurance due to a change in marital status.
The health insurance plan must meet University standards for adequate coverage. You must complete and submit a qualifying event form and supporting documentation proving first-time eligibility via the Gallagher portal within 30 days of the qualifying event.
All degree-seeking registered students, part-time registered students with at least 3 credit hours, distance learning students with at least 3 credit hours, dissertation, teaching assistants, professional and executive program students are eligible for T-SHIP. No student will be enrolled in T-SHIP until they have confirmed their registration with the registrar's office. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact the Insurance Enrollment and Verification Office.
Yes. Distance learning students enrolled in 3 credit hours or more may voluntarily request T-SHIP coverage.
If you have opted out of T-SHIP but wish to enroll later, you may only do so if you experience a qualifying event (i.e. loss of coverage under your alternate insurance plan due to a change of employment, change in marital status, or reaching the age limit of your insurance plan). You must complete a qualifying event form and provide supporting documentation proving loss of coverage via the Gallagher portal within 30 days of the qualifying event.
Tulane University allows eligible students who attend class for the first 30 days of the academic year to remain covered by T-SHIP until the end of the policy year while on leave of absence. To be eligible for this arrangement, the student must be enrolled in T-SHIP before beginning the leave of absence, and the student must intend to return to the University and remain a degree-seeking candidate. Eligible students are required to submit payment and a copy of the approved leave of absence verification form, signed by a dean or an advisor, to the Insurance Enrollment and Verification Office.
Students enrolled in annual coverage who take a leave of absence during the spring semester remain covered under the plan until the end of the policy year.
If you are not registered for classes by the posted enrollment deadline for each semester, you are not eligible to purchase coverage with T-SHIP. The insurance premium will be removed from your semester tuition bill, and the coverage will be cancelled retroactively to the start date of that term (August 19 for fall, January 1 for spring).
Students graduating in December can remain covered until the end of the policy year (August 18), and students graduating in May will be covered until the end of the policy year (August 18). December graduates who wish to terminate T-SHIP due to graduation must submit a request via the Gallagher portal. May graduates who wish to extend their coverage after August 18 must visit the Gallagher portal to submit a request to extend their coverage up to 90 days.
If you are enrolled in a health insurance plan that meets the University’s standards for adequate insurance, and you wish to opt out of T-SHIP, you must submit a waiver request. Access full instructions on how to opt out of T-SHIP.
Yes. You are required to demonstrate to the University each academic year that you are enrolled in a health insurance plan that meets the standards for adequate insurance. Therefore, you must submit a waiver request at the beginning of each academic year. Students who enter Tulane for the first time during the spring semester must submit a waiver request before the posted deadline. Please note that this waiver request will only cover the remainder of the academic year, and an additional waiver request for the following fall semester will be due in August. Deadlines are posted on the following pages: How to Opt Out of T-SHIP and How to Request T-SHIP Coverage.
Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk provides independent insurance verification services for Tulane University. Gallagher does not profit from T-SHIP enrollment. United Healthcare is the insurance provider for T-SHIP.
If your waiver request is denied or pending, you must contact Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk for additional information and assistance. You may email tulanestudent@gallagherstudent.com or call 844-484-0090. If you do not follow up with Gallagher to resolve the issues with your waiver request, you will be automatically enrolled in T-SHIP and your student account will be charged for the premium.
General Questions About T-SHIP
Health insurance premiums are applied to the student’s Accounts Receivable and then paid directly to United Healthcare Student Resources. To avoid finance charges, payments must be made by the end of the month in which the charge is first posted. For more information about student accounts, visit the Tulane Accounts Receivable website.
Vision services are covered until the student’s 19th birthday. Vision services for students 19 and older are covered when treating injury or disease. An optional vision plan is also available through Aetna. Visit the Aetna enrollment site for plan details and enrollment instructions.
Dental benefits are covered until the student’s 19th birthday. Dental benefits for students 19 and older require enrollment in an additional plan through Aetna. You may enroll in the dental plan even if you are not enrolled in the medical plan. Visit the Aetna enrollment site for plan details and enrollment instructions.
Yes. T-SHIP provides worldwide coverage for students studying and/or traveling abroad. The services are provided through United Healthcare Global when you are outside of your home country or more than 100 miles away from your permanent residence or campus in your home country. You will have a 24-hour worldwide assistance network for emergency services anywhere in the world.
Questions About Referrals
Generally, students enrolled in T-SHIP must use the Health Center for medical treatment or to obtain a medical referral to a provider in the community. There are some exceptions. See the next question below.
A referral is not required for the following situations:
- You seek care when the Health Center is closed.
- You must seek treatment for a medical emergency. However, if you need follow-up care after your emergency, you must visit the Health Center to obtain a referral before receiving follow-up care in the community.
- You seek medical care while located outside of a 30-mile radius from campus.
- You seek maternity, obstetrical or gynecological care.
- You seek mental illness or substance use disorder treatment.
- You seek a mammogram.
- You are a Tulane student who was not required to pay the Campus Health Fee. Learn more about the Campus Health Fee.
Yes. Your referral will expire on the last day of the T-SHIP policy year, which is August 18. After this date, you will need to obtain a new referral from a Health Center provider before continuing to see the outside provider.
Generally, students enrolled in T-SHIP must seek a referral at the Student Health Center each academic year per medical event before continuing to see a specialist.
Students enrolled in T-SHIP who require follow-up care after an emergency room visit must visit a provider at the Health Center for a specialist referral before receiving care in the community.
T-SHIP enrolled graduates who are remaining within 30 miles of the New Orleans area for the summer are asked to email healthins@tulane.edu no later than the day of commencement. Your email should include your full name and splash ID. Campus Health will inform United Healthcare of your change in status to remove the referral requirement. Students seeking services in the community more than 30 miles away from campus are not required to obtain a referral.
