About the Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan

Each academic year, all registered full-time students need to make an insurance selection. They need to either:

• Confirm enrollment in the Columbia Plan (Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan), or
• Request a waiver from mandatory enrollment in the Columbia Plan (eligible students only)

Full-time students will be enrolled in the Columbia Plan if they do not confirm enrollment or request a waiver by the open enrollment deadline.

Funded graduate students should contact their departmental administrator, financial aid office, or fellowship office for information about whether their school provides funding to cover any portion of The Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan premium for the student and eligible dependents.

Students at Union Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and Columbia University Medical Center should contact their school for health insurance information.

Incoming part-time domestic students are not automatically enrolled in the Columbia plan. However, they may request enrollment in the Columbia Plan by the deadline and are encouraged to do so. Enrolling also requires payment of the Full-time Columbia Health and Related Services Fee, which provides access to the services offered by Columbia Health.

Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be complex.  To help ensure that visa holders (any student other than a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) have access to the highest quality of care on- and off-campus, Columbia University requires all visa holders to enroll in the Columbia Plan, regardless or the number of enrolled credits.

Some visa holders may be eligible for a waiver when covered by a plan that meets the University requirements.  Please review the Request a Waiver section of the website for more details. All eligible waiver requests are considered, though no approval is guaranteed. 

All determinations  are made by the Student Health Insurance Office on the Morningside campus and shall be considered final.

Student-veterans may be eligible for health care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs for illnesses and injuries related to their service. Columbia Health recommends that student-veterans confirm their status with Veterans Affairs and, if necessary, complete the paperwork needed to receive benefits in the New York City area.

Full-time student-veterans will be enrolled into the Columbia Plan and billed the insurance premium, unless a waiver request is submitted via the Patient Portal and approved by the appropriate deadline.

For additional information about health care coverage for Columbia student-veterans, visit the Student Financial Services Veterans & Service Members website.

If you are a dual-degree student (for example, TC/MBA or SPH/SIPA, etc.), and are transferring campuses mid-academic plan year (Fall/Spring), the following will apply:

The campus where you begin your academic enrollment determines your Health and Related Service Fee (HRSF) amount and Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan enrollment for the entire plan year (August 15 – August 14).

For example, if you begin your enrollment at one of the affiliate schools (CUIMC, Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, or Jewish Theological Seminary) in the Fall, you will remain enrolled on that student health insurance plan through August 15 as long as you remain a registered student.

Change of Life - Qualifying Life Event (QLE) Petition 

Students with a Qualifying Life Event (such as losing or gaining new coverage) may submit a QLE Petition to request enrollment or termination of the Student Healty Insurance Plan.

Requesting Enrollment - Loss of Insurance Coverage

If you have lost insurance coverage after the Student Health Insurance Plan effective date, please upload the following documents through your Patient Portal to request enrollment:

1. The completed QLE Petition form – found in your Patient Portal under Downloadable forms.
2. Proof of Termination letter from your pervious insurance plan (email termination notices cannot be accepted). The letter must contain:
   1. Student’s name
   2. Date of termination

Important: You must submit the petition and supporting documentation within 60 days from the date of the QLE.

If approved, coverage will be effective as of the date of the QLE and the insurance premium will be prorated. If you have not already been charged the full Health and Related Services fee, your account will be adjusted accordingly.

Requesting Plan Termination - Obtaining New Insurance Coverage

If you have new insurance coverage after the Student Health Insurance Plan effective date, please upload the following documents through your Patient Portal to request early termination of the Student Insurance plan:

1. The QLE Petition form – found in your Patient Portal under Downloadable forms
2. A copy of the front and back of your new insurance card
3. A Proof of Coverage letter from your existing insurance plan. The official letter must contain:
   1. Student’s name
   2. Effective date of new coverage
4. Visa holders (any student other than a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) must also include proof of medical evacuation (minimum $50,000) and repatriation coverage (minimum $25,000).

Important: You must submit the petition and supporting documentation together within 60 days from the qualifying life event.

If approved, coverage will be terminated on the date of the QLE and the insurance premium will be prorated.

Late Insurance Waiver Request

If you have existing insurance coverage which meets the waiver criteria and you missed the deadline, you may submit a late Insurance Waiver Request. Please upload the following documents through your Patient Portal for review:

1. The Request for Late Waiver form – found in your Patient Portal under Downloadable forms
2. A copy of the front and back of your insurance card
3. A Proof of Coverage letter from your existing insurance plan which confirms the effective date of your insurance plan

If approved, the insurance premium will be pro-rated as of the date the petition is received.    

Changes to Dependents

To add or remove a Spouse, Domestic Partner, or Child(ren) to the Student Health Insurance Plan after the enrollment period, they will need to be experiencing a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).

Examples: new marriage/domestic partnership, newborn, loss of coverage, gaining new coverage, dependents recently relocated from a different country, etc.

Please upload the following documents through your Patient Portal for review:

Requesting enrollment of a dependent due to marriage/domestic partnership or birth:

1. The QLE Petition form – found in your Patient Portal under Downloadable forms
2. If adding a spouse – marriage/domestic partnership certificate (English translation if applicable)
3. If adding a newborn – birth certificate or hospital discharge papers

If adding a dependent due to loss of coverage: in addition to the items listed above, please submit a Proof of Termination letter which lists their names and the date coverage terminated.

Requesting termination of a dependent:

1. The QLE Petition form – found in your Patient Portal under Downloadable forms
2. A copy of the front and back of their insurance card
3. A Proof of Coverage letter from their existing insurance plan which confirms the effective date of their new insurance plan

All documentation must be uploaded through the Patient Portal within 60 days from the date of the QLE.  If approved, the insurance premium will be prorated from the date of the QLE.

Ambulance -

• Copay reduced to $50 

Mail Order Pharmacy (90 day supply) -  

• Generic drugs - $37.50 copay
• Preferred drugs - $125 copay
• Non-Preferred drugs - $187.50 copay

Zero Copay on select group of medications

For information regarding Dental and Vision insurance please visit Voluntary Plans.

Dental Discount Benefits for Students Enrolled in the Columbia Plan

Students enrolled in the Columbia Plan have access to covered preventive dental services and specially discounted rates for other dental needs through Columbia Doctors Dentistry*.

ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry* offers students appointments for a $20 copay per visit, and include the following:

• One routine examination per plan year
• X-rays as needed with the routine examination
• One dental cleaning (prophylaxis) per plan year
• Evaluation of emergency dental conditions 
• A 25% discount off self-pay fees on additional services

*These dental discounts are operated by Columbia Doctors Dentistry and are not underwritten by Aetna or administered by Aetna Student Health. Columbia Doctors Dentistry is not affiliated with Columbia Medical Services on the Morningside Campus.

Please note there is no coverage for dental services under the Columbia Aetna plan except for removal of impacted wisdom teeth and care or treatment due to accidental injury to sound natural teeth within 12 months of the accident and dental care or treatment necessary due to congenital disease or anomaly (please refer to page 49 of the Aetna Plan Summary PDF (2022-23).

Locations

• 1244 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027; 212-342-2300
• 430 W. 116th St., New York, NY 10027; 212-662-4887
• 100 Haven Ave., Ground Floor, New York, NY 10032; 212-342-0107
• 51 W. 51st St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10019; 212-326-8520

Aetna Vision℠ Discount Program for Students Enrolled in the Columbia Plan

The Aetna Vision℠ Discount Program is available to all students enrolled in the Columbia Plan, which provides access to discounted prices for many eye care products, including sunglasses, contact lenses, non-prescription sunglasses, contact lens solutions, and other eye care accessories. Plus, students can receive discounts on LASIK surgery, the laser vision correction procedure. A listing of participating providers is available through the Aetna DocFind© feature.

Providers closest to the Morningside campus are:

• Columbia Opticians, 1246 Amsterdam Ave. (at 121st St.); 212-316-2020
• LensCrafters, 2770 Broadway (between 106th and 107th streets); 212-678-0530

Aetna Student Health maintains a comprehensive network of providers within the United States.  When students are 50 miles or more away from campus and need routine, urgent or emergency care, they may select an in-network provider using the Provider Search feature on the Aetna Student Health website for Open Choice Student Health Medical Plans. Medically necessary care, received by an in-network provider, is covered by Aetna Student Health according to the plan design.

The Columbia Plan year is effective from August 15 to August 14 contingent on student registration and tuition charges.

• Students beginning their academic program any time during the fall and continue as a registered student in the spring term, coverage is effective at 12:00 a.m. August 15 and ends at 11:59 p.m. August 14. This includes spring graduates. 
• Students completing an academic program in December in anticipation of a February graduation, or those who do not register for Spring courses are covered through 11:59 p.m. December 31 and are billed the fall premium only.
• Students graduating in October are categorically ineligible for enrollment in the Columbia Plan. Eligibility for coverage ends August 14.
• Spring: Coverage for new spring admitted students is effective 12:00 a.m. January 1 through 11:59 p.m. August 14.
• Summer: Coverage for new summer admitted students is effective 12:00 a.m. May 15 through 11:59 p.m. August 14.

Eligibility for the plan is contingent on course registration and tuition charges for all students. There is no option to begin the plan earlier than the dates specified above. 

For students entering the fall term who have not actively enrolled in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan, registered for classes and been charged tuition, may need to submit expenses for covered prescriptions filled before their coverage has been activated to Aetna Pharmacy Management for reimbursement. For more information, see Aetna’s Commercial Prescription Drug Claim Form.

Once an insurance coverage decision has been determined for the fall term either by automatic enrollment, online selection, or waiver request, that decision will automatically be continued in the following spring term as long as the student remains registered at the University. 

The total health insurance premium includes fee-for-service items provided by Columbia Health, a preventative dental benefit, as well as administrative expenses associated with servicing the insurance plan (including certain personnel expenses incurred by the Columbia Health Insurance office). In addition, based on aggregate claims experience, Aetna may issue a refund to Columbia to be applied toward future premiums. For more information, contact Aetna Student Health Customer Service at 800-859-8471.

Funded graduate students should contact their departmental administrator, financial aid office, or fellowship office for information about whether their school provides funding to cover any portion of The Columbia Plan premium for the student and eligible dependents.

If you are enrolled in the Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan, your primary care provider is at Columbia Health Medical Services and your initial mental health provider is at Counseling and Psychological Services. A referral by a Medical Service or Counseling and Psychological Services clinician is mandatory when seeking non-emergency off-campus services. If a referral is not obtained prior to seeking care, services will be reimbursed at the out-of-network benefit level at a higher out-of-pocket cost.

Watch this video for more information: How to: Referrals and the Columbia Plan.

Note: Referrals cannot be issued after a student has received off-campus services.

Note: ColumbiaDoctors practice groups are not part of Columbia Health and are considered an off-campus provider. You need a referral from your on-campus Columbia Health provider to see these specialists.

The Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan may not cover all of your health care expenses. The plan excludes coverage for certain services and contains limitations on the amounts it will pay.

Read the Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan brochure carefully to better understand the plan. 

While this document will tell you about some of the important features of the plan, other features may be important to you and some may further limit what the plan will pay.

It is the student's responsibility to make sure an off-campus provider is a preferred provider in the Aetna network to be eligible for the highest level of benefits. If students elect to receive care from an out-of-network provider, charges in excess of the allowed amount and applicable deductible or co-insurance will not be covered, and students will be financially responsible for those charges.

Watch this video for more information: How to Submit Claims Through the Aetna Member Portal.

Students can visit the Aetna Student Health website for a full listing of providers nationwide. Click on “Find a Doctor,” enter the local zip code, and indicate membership in a "Student Health Plan.” Students can also access their insurance information through the Aetna Mobile app.

After students obtain a referral from their Columbia Health primary care or mental health provider, they should select an Aetna in-network provider to maximize savings and reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Students can achieve significant savings through the agreement with Aetna regarding rates of payment for services.

It is the student's responsibility to make sure an off-campus provider is a preferred provider in the Aetna network to be eligible for the highest level of benefits. If students elect to receive care from an out-of-network provider, charges in excess of the allowed amount and applicable deductible or co-insurance will not be covered, and students will be financially responsible for those charges.

Using the Provider Directory

Participating providers are independent contractors in private practice and are neither employees nor agents of Aetna Student Health or Columbia University. The availability of any particular provider cannot be guaranteed for referred or in-network benefits. Provider network composition is subject to change without notice.

Certain primary care physicians may be affiliated with an independent practice association, a physician medical group, an integrated delivery system, or one of other provider groups.

Not every provider listed in the directory will accept new patients. Although Aetna has identified providers who were accepting patients at the time the directory was created, the status of a provider's practice may have changed. For the most current information, contact the selected physician or Aetna Student Health at 800-859-8471.

In the event of a problem with coverage, contact Aetna Student Health to learn how to utilize the complaint and appeals procedure when appropriate. All care and related decisions are the sole responsibility of participating providers. Aetna does not provide health care services and, therefore, cannot guarantee any results or outcomes.

Students can expedite receipt of their insurance ID by actively confirming enrollment in The Columbia Plan prior to the enrollment deadline. Within 7-10 business days after confirming enrollment, registering for classes and being billed tuition, your insurance card will be available on Aetna Student Health's website by using your UNI and date of birth. Physical ID cards are only mailed upon request. To obtain an ID card by mail please call Aetna Customer Service at 800-859-8471. Students can also access their insurance information through the Aetna Mobile app.

Prior to receiving your insurance ID card, healthcare providers may require that students pay for the services and then seek reimbursement from Aetna Student Health.

Watch this video for more information: How to Print Aetna Student Health Insurance Card.