The University Benefits Office knows that navigating the insurance world can be confusing and overwhelming. With rising health insurance costs and the high possibility of unexpected illnesses, accidents, or injuries, University Benefits wants to diminish some of that confusion by putting all of your student insurance resources on one page.
Eligibility, Insurance Overviews, Plan Docs, and Rates
How to Enroll, Cancel, or Change Coverage
Student Insurance Forms
Frequently Asked Questions + More
Eligibility, plan overviews, and premium rates
Student Insurance Eligibility/overviews
To be eligible for UI student insurance, you must:
- be a degree-seeking student AND
- be registered for 5 or more credit hours each semester (undergrad students only)
Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Delta Dental Plan Documents
Wellmark Legal Notice: Rights & Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills (pdf)
- Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
- UIGRADCare Health Insurance Plan
- Student Dental Insurance Plan
Premiums will be charged monthly to your university bill and must be paid each month by the due date.
Academic Year 2024-2025
Premium Rates per Month for SHIP, UIGRADCare, and Dental
Rates effective 09/01/24 - 08/31/25
| Plan Coverage option | SHIP Rate/month | UIGRADCare Rate/Month | Dental Rate/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Only | $273.00 | $463.00 | $25.00 |
| Student + Spouse/Partner | $1,080.00 | $909.00 | $47.00 |
| Student + Child(ren) | $839.00 | N/A | $67.00 |
| Family | $1,171.00 | $2,226.00 | $80.00 |
Academic Year 2023-2024
Premium Rates per Month for SHIP, UIGRADCare, and Dental
Rates effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2024
| Plan Coverage option | SHIP Rate/month | UIGRADCare Rate/Month | Dental Rate/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Only | $273.00 | $463.00 | $25.00 |
| Student + Spouse/Partner | $1,080.00 | $858.00 | $47.00 |
| Student + Child(ren) | $839.00 | N/A | $67.00 |
| Family | $1,171.00 | $2,042.00 | $80.00 |
How to Enroll & What Happens Next
How to Enroll/Cancel/Change
You may enroll during the student insurance open enrollment periods throughout the year or, if outside the open enrollment period, with a qualifying event.
Open enrollment periods:
Fall, Aug. 1 to Sep. 9; | Spring, Jan. 1 to Feb. 9 (EXTENDED to Feb. 19, 2024) | Summer, May 1 to Jun. 9
Enroll, cancel, or change your insurance
Enrolling, canceling, or changing your UI student insurance is an easy process that you can do online through MyUI. Follow the steps below:
- Log in to MyUI.
- Under STUDENT INFORMATION, select the "+More" button
- Under STUDENT LIFE MANAGEMENT, select "Student Insurance."
- Choose the button related to your request.
- Continue to fill out the online form and submit it to University Benefits for processing.
(Postdocs and Research Scholars/Fellows, please contact the Student Insurance Team for enrollment, cancelations, or changes)
Adding and removing dependent(s):
If you have dependents (spouse/partner or children) who will need insurance or to be removed from your coverage, you must complete an enrollment form in MyUI to add or remove them from your policy. You will have 30 days from the date of arrival or date of eligibility and 60 days from the date of birth to add dependent(s) to your policy.
Congrats! You are officially on your way to being enrolled in the UI Student Insurance plans!
Notification of enrollment completion
After submitting your online enrollment form through MyUI, you will receive an email confirmation from the University's workflow system. This is an initial notice that we have received your request.
Your form will be processed in the order it was received. You may check the status of your previously submitted insurance requests by visiting your My Initiated Packages in workflow.
Once the Benefits Office has processed your request, you will receive another workflow email that states your "transaction has completed routing."
Verify your contact information in MyUI
Please ensure your residing address is up-to-date in MyUI, as this is where your insurance card(s) are sent. You will need these when you visit a provider.
When will you get your health and dental insurance cards?
The Benefits Office sends a weekly file of new enrollees to Wellmark and Delta Dental over the weekend. It will take 4-5 days to process all of our enrollments.
University Benefits will not be able to see your member information until Thursday or Friday following your completed enrollment. Once we see you in the system, we can download a coverage letter that will give you all your policy info until your insurance cards arrive.
Insurance cards will be mailed out to the address we have in MyUI within 10-14 days after you submit your enrollment.
Forms - Online & Other
Online Forms (MyUI)
Many student insurance-related forms must be completed and submitted through MyUI.
Log in to MyUI with your HawkID and password, select the "+ More" button under the STUDENT INFORMATION section, and then under STUDENT LIFE MANAGEMENT, select the "Student Insurance" link.
Not all student groups will use the online forms.
Under each form listed is a list of which group fills out the MyUI forms and who will contact our office directly.
FORMS
This form will begin the enrollment process for both health and dental insurance.
Who will fill out the MyUI form - Green "Enroll in Insurance" button.
- Undergraduate students
- International students
- Graduate & Health Science students
- Employed Grad students
- Departing students
Who will contact our student insurance team for an enrollment form to be emailed, if you have not already received one?
- Postdoctoral Research Scholars and Fellows
- Research Interns
If you are covered by another insurance policy (i.e., parent/legal guardian, spouse), you will want to fill out the Proof of Coverage form.
Online in MyUI - Green "Submit Proof"
- Undergraduate students
- International students (must be done annually)
- Grad and Health Science students (must be done annually)
- Employed Grad students
If you have a qualifying life event, loss of coverage, marriage, birth/adoption, etc., you may submit a request to add or remove dependents outside one of the three enrollment periods through the year.
This form must be submitted to the student insurance team within 30 days of the qualifying life event.
Who will submit through MyUI - orange "Student Insurance - Life Event" button?
- Undergraduate students
- International students
- Grad and Health Science students
- Employed Grad students
Who will contact our student insurance team to make a change?
- Postdoctoral Research Scholars and Fellows
- Departing Students
If you have student insurance with the University of Iowa and wish to cancel coverage or you no longer need coverage.
Who should fill out the online MyUI form - Red "Cancel Student Insurance" button?
- Undergraduate students
- Grad and Health Science students
- International students
- Employed Grad students
- Departing students
Who will contact our student insurance team?
- Postdoctoral Research Scholars and Fellows
- Wellmark Member Submitted Claim Form (pdf)
- If you can access MyUI or Employee Self-Service, you do not need to complete the ACH form on the UI Billing website. You can update billing and payment information under the "FINANCIAL AID & BILLING" tab in MyUI or under the "Time & Pay" section of Employee Self-Service.
- Domestic Partner Affidavit (pdf)
Frequently Asked Questions
Student Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
Coming soon!
Common Medical Terms & Definitions
Deductible
Amount of money you pay out-of-pocket for care before the plan begins to pay for benefits.
Premium
The monthly cost that the student will pay for an insurance policy.
Copay
Flat dollar amount you'll pay for covered services at the time of service.
Coinsurance
Percentage you pay for covered services after you've reached your deductible.
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
Most you pay for covered services in plan year after paying deductibles, copays & coinsurance.
Network
A group of doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers contracting with a health or dental plan.
Preventative Care
Type of care such as routine physical exams and immunizations. The emphasis is on preventing illnesses before they occur.
Additional Common Medical Terms
Claim
A request for payment under the terms of an insurance policy.
Covered Expenses
Health care expenses incurred by an insured or covered person that qualify for reimbursement under the terms of a policy contract.
Dependent
A person for who the insured has some legal obligation. For most plans, it is the insured's spouse and/or children.
Drug Formulary
A schedule of prescription drugs approved for use, which will be covered by the plan and dispensed through participating pharmacies.
Enrollment Period
The amount of time a student has to confirm or waive enrollment. There are three student insurance enrollment periods per calendar year.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
The abbreviation for Explanation of Benefits forms that the student receives from Wellmark or Delta Dental once a claim has been processed. The EOB for sets out exactly how the claim was paid and to whom.
Generic (Medication)
When a new drug is put on the market, the pharmaceutical company patents it under a brand name. The company has exclusive right to sell the drug under this name, but once its patent expires, other companies can sell the same drug under its chemical, or generic, name. Generic drugs are typically cheaper than brand-name drugs but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires generic drug manufacturers to show that a generic drug "delivers the same amount of active ingredient in the same time frame as the original product."
In-Patient
A patient is admitted to a hospital or other similar medical facility as a resident patient.
Non-Preferred Provider (Out of Network Provider)
A provider who has not signed a contract with Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Iowa or Delta Dental of Iowa.
Office Visit
Services provided in the Physicians office.
Out-of-Network
Health care services that are received outside the PPO network.
Outpatient
A patient who is not a bed patient in the hospital in which they're receiving treatment.
Over-the-Counter Drugs (OTC)
A drug that can be purchased without a prescription.
Preferred Provider (In-Network Provider)
A provider who has signed a contract with Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Delta Dental.
Primary Care
Basic health care provided by doctors who are in the practice of family care, pediatrics, and internal medicine.
Referral
Occurs when a physician or other health plan provider receives permission to consult another physician or hospital.