To learn about the MSU Denver Student Health Insurance Requirement options for students and the University offered Student Health Insurance Plan please click on the video link of your choice below (English/Spanish available). This information can also be found in this PDF .
What is SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan)?
The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is designed specifically for MSU Denver students taking nine (9) or more credit hours in the Fall or Spring semesters. SHIP is available to all students, regardless of immigration status.This comprehensive plan is designed to comply with federal law, save students money and time, and provide convenient access to quality medical care on and off campus.
100% coverage for all medical services; $0 office visits, procedures and supplies.
No deductible, no co-insurance, no co-payments.
$20 maximum cost per prescription.
SHIP also provides comprehensive coverage for medical services at hundreds of hospitals and medical offices across Colorado and nationwide.
SHIP is fully compliant with the Federal health insurance law.
No application is necessary. Students are automatically enrolled and charged when they register for nine (9) or more credit hours in the Fall or Spring semester.
Students taking nine (9) or more credit hours in both the Fall and Spring are required to have health insurance that complies with the University requirement. Fall semester insurance provides coverage for five (5) months and Spring semester insurance provides coverage for seven (7) months. Thus, premium rates for Fall and Spring semesters vary due to the difference in the number of months covered.
Note: Students who initially register for nine (9) or more credit hours, but subsequently drop below nine (9) credit hours before the waiver compliance deadline, will automatically have the insurance charge removed from their tuition bill and will not be covered by the University offered health insurance for the current semester.
Students who enroll in nine (9) or more credits after the Fall or Spring Census deadline date are not eligible for the Student Health Insurance that semester.
Graduate Students taking 6-8 credit hours in any semester can voluntarily opt-in and purchase Student Health Insurance coverage. Students should contact the Student insurance Office at 303-615-9997 or read Graduate Students Section below for more information.
What is the Federal Law and What is MSU Denver Insurance Requirements?
United States federal law (the Affordable Care Act) requires that all documented American citizens and legal residents be covered by health insurance that is compliant with the law's provisions. Non-compliance can result in a fine assessed on federal taxes.
What do students need to do to meet the requirement?
MSU Denver students taking nine (9) or more credit hours in the Fall or Spring are required to have health insurance that complies with the federal law.
Option A: Students can accept automatic enrollment in the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). There is no need to take any action or to sign up for SHIP.
Enrollment in SHIP is automatic when a student registers for nine (9) or more credit hours in the Fall or Spring. The SHIP premium is automatically added to a student's tuition and fee account.
Unlike any other health insurance plan offered through employers or Connect for Health Colorado, SHIP offers exclusive 100% coverage benefits for services at the Health Center at Auraria. The cost of SHIP is the same no matter how old you are, where you live, and is available to undocumented students.
Option B: Students insured by a federally compliant health plan can submit an online health insurance waiver form by the deadline to opt-out of the University sponsored SHIP. A waiver form is required for each Fall and Spring semester of attendance.
Plans will be audited for compliance and verification of coverage. Once audit approval occurs, the SHIP premium fee will be removed from a student's account. Waivers cannot be granted if submitted after the deadline or if the student's health insurance does not meet federal requirements.
How does SHIP compare to other health insurance plans?
Competitively priced premium, cost saving benefits and the same cost/availability for everyone:Unlike any other health insurance plan offered through employers or through Connect for Health Colorado, the cost of SHIP is the same no matter how old you are, where you live or what your personal risk factors are, such as smoking vs. non-smoking. Other health insurance companies charge different premium rates based on these factors. In addition, SHIP is available to undocumented students who are not eligible to purchase insurance through Connect for Health Colorado. SHIP does not require the completion of an application or health history form.
The annual premium cost, deductibles, co-insurance and cost saving plan benefits associated with SHIP have consistently provided MSU Denver students a high quality and competitively priced health insurance option compared to other insurance alternatives available in Colorado.
Exclusive 100% coverage benefits at the Health Center at Auraria: SHIP is also the only health insurance plan that provides 100% coverage at the Health Center at Auraria.Students with SHIP can receive comprehensive medical care at the Health Center at Auraria - including primary care, urgent care, gynecology, orthopedics/sports medicine, mental health, x-rays and lab tests. The Health Center at Auraria is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC.) Physicians and medical personnel in family medicine, psychiatry, GYN and sports medicine are on staff. These professionals are specifically trained to provide medical care that addresses the unique needs and demands students encounter during their higher education experience.
Coverage off-campus: Students with SHIP can also receive medical care off-campus without the need for a primary care referral. SHIP provides coverage within the extensive UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus PPO network . Most major hospitals in the Denver metro area are part of the network, as well as hundreds of primary care and specialist medical providers, including outpatient and urgent care facilities.
What on-campus Health Center Services are available to students, regardless of their Insurance?
The Health Center at Auraria provides medical services to all students, regardless of their insurance coverage, and is nationally accredited by the AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care).
Health Center services are paid at 100% for covered benefits, with no deductible and no co-pays, with a maximum prescription cost of $20.
To make access to health care more affordable, the Health Center automatically reduces all charges for self-pay patients by 50%.
What are the SHIP coverage dates and premiums?
ACA-compliant coverage refers to a major medical health insurance policy that conforms to the regulations set forth in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). These plans can be sold on or off the exchange, but all new individual major medical policies sold after January 1, 2014 are required to be ACA-compliant. This means they must include coverage for the ten essential benefits with no lifetime or annual benefit maximums, and must adhere to the consumer protections built into the law.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Essential Health Benefits: Each of the benefit categories listed below must be included by law for an insurance plan to be considered ACA compliant.
MSU Denver Student Health Insurance Office offers optional Summer Semester health insurance coverage to new students who register for 9 or more Summer credits by June 10, 2019. There is no mandatory requirement to enroll or waive summer coverage. It is intended to be optional coverage for new incoming students looking for quality healthcare.
The summer health insurance premium is $627and the coverage begins June 10, 2019, and ends August 18, 2019, for 11 weeks of comprehensive coverage. Your tuition account cannot be billed for the Summer health insurance premium, instead the summer premium must be paid by check or credit card, and submitted to the Student Insurance Office, Plaza 149. The coverage is a PPO 80/20 plan, with an annual deductible and includes a large network of doctors and hospitals throughout Denver metro area and across Colorado.This also includes nationwide coverage outside of Colorado.
Students who sign up for Summer semester health insurance have special benefits at the campus Health Center at Auraria, conveniently located in the Plaza Building 150. At the Health Center students have no office visit copay or deductible to meet, and visits are covered 100%. All prescriptions filled at the Health Center are $20 each. The Health Center at Auraria offers primary and specialty care for all students and having health insurance is not required to be seen. In addition, the Health Center at Auraria coordinates benefits with Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross, CIGNA, Cofinity, Humana, Rocky Mountain Health Plan, and United. Any student who is with one of these plans may present their insurance card at the Health Center's front desk and receive the same level of benefits as if they are using a provider off campus.
Print your Summer Coverage 2019 health insurance enrollment form. Once completed submit it to the MSU Denver Student Insurance Office, Plaza Building, Suite 149.
For more information call us at 303-615-9997.
The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is for MSU Denver students. There is no dependent coverage. Students needing additional dependent coverage are encouraged to review options on the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange.
Students are advised to compare various plan options to determine which combination of coverage options best meets their needs. For example, consider comparing health insurance coverage in which the student is enrolled on SHIP and the dependent is enrolled in a separate dependent plan purchased on the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange; then compare coverage if both the student and the dependent are enrolled in a Colorado Health Insurance Exchange plan. This type of comparison is suggested to assist students in determining which health insurance options best meet their needs. Please contact the MSU Denver SHIP office at 303-615-9997 if you have questions or are in need of assistance.
Graduate Students taking 6-8 credit hours in any semester can voluntarily opt-in and purchase Student Health Insurance Coverage by filling out the Graduate Enrollment Form below. Forms should be submitted with premium payment to the Student Insurance Office, Plaza 149, no later than the deadline date. Students can contact the Student Insurance office at 303-615-9997 with any questions.
Graduate Students who initially register for 6-8 or more credit hours, but subsequently drop below six (6) credit hours before the deadline, will not be eligible for the University offered Health Insurance for the current semester.
Students taking the required number of credit hours before the deadline will qualify for Health Insurance. Student are not eligible to enroll for the Student Health Insurance after the fall or spring Census deadline date.
If an undergraduate student has less than 9 credit hours in the Fall, Spring or Summer semesters to graduate, they can enroll in the insurance plan for their last semester.
The MSU Denver Student Insurance Office requires that the student's academic advisor in the major department provide written documentation that the student has less than the 9 hours to graduate and the student will graduate at the end of the enrolled semester.
The enrollment form, academic advisor letter, and CAPP report must be submitted directly to the MSU Denver Student Insurance Office, Plaza 149. For enrollment questions, please call 303-615-9997.
MSU Denver students have a number of health insurance options, such as Medicaid, Marketplace, Student Health Insurance, Catastrophic, or their parent's plan. The University encourages you to compare several health insurance plan options to the University sponsored student health insurance, and their associated costs, to find the one that best fits you and your lifestyle.
If you are seeking to qualify for Colorado Medicaid, please keep in mind that the Health Center at Auraria is not a Medicaid provider or facility, however, the Health Center is a Medicaid Assistance site. This means that we have qualified staff who can help you navigate the Medicaid application process when you are ready. If in the future, you are in need of quality medical care, the Health Center at Auraria is a very cost effective option, with a 50% discount off services.
Apply for Colorado Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus Programs.
Find an easy way to manage your Medicaid benefits at Colorado Peak.
Any student who qualifies for Medicaid or Medicare can use it to waive out of the University's health insurance. Click here for more information on how to submit a University health insurance waiver.
Of course there are other health insurance options for Metro students, including a variety of plans offered on Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado's only official marketplace to apply for financial assistance to help reduce your premium costs.
For more information on open enrollment or how to qualify for coverage outside of open enrollment click Colorado Health Insurance Marketplace - Connect for Health Colorado.
Yet another option for Metro students is healthcare coverage for those under 30. Young adults can use a customized tool on the Healthcare.gov website to get a personalized guide that will help you make an enrollment decision. For more information click Healthcare options for young adults.
To find out if you qualify or to apply click Medicare.gov.
MSU Denver Students, who are taking 9 or more credits in any semester qualify with the student insurance plan. Students are automatically enrolled unless they opt-out by submitting a waiver by the semester deadline.
Effective with Plan Year 2018 - 2019, UnitedHealthcare StudentResources will be administering the Metropolitan State University of Denver Student Health Insurance plan. The information below provides some of the changes for the 2018 - 2019 school year.
Please note that during the first six weeks of the semester if you need to access medical care outside of the Health Center or if you need to fill a prescription at a community pharmacy, please contact the student insurance office 303- 615 - 9997 prior to going to the medical provider or pharmacy, so that your eligibility can be manually updated accurately. This will prevent any issues when you attempt to be seen by an outside medical provider or attempt to pick up your medications.
Once a student's information is showing active, insured students may access health plan information through UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. Once you create a "My Account", you can access your I.D Card, providers, forms and other helpful resources.
If you are no longer active on MSU Denver Student health insurance plan and are wanting to purchase other insurance, you may request a written letter of termination, also known as a " Certificate of Coverage", by contacting UnitedHealthcare StudentResources at 1-800-767-0700. This letter may be mailed or emailed to you so be sure to check your contact information on file with United.
Travel Assistance through United Healthcare Global provides the insured student with access to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies when faced with a travel or medical emergency while traveling 100 miles or more from his/her permanent residence or abroad. The program also provides emergency security and natural disaster assistance services when you are outside of your home country. Click on the links below for more information about United Healthcare Global.