Health Insurance

Health insurance guarantees that you can obtain necessary treatment if you develop a serious illness or injury. It also guarantees that you can obtain preventative medical services like immunizations and physical exams. The George Washington University (GW) offers a comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through Aetna Student Health.

In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, some of the benefits that are offered by the GW SHIP include:

  • An unlimited lifetime maximum benefit
  • Prescription coverage after $100 deductible
  • Preventative services covered at 100% (at preferred providers)
  • Contraception covered 100% (at preferred providers)

New for 2023-2024: Mandatory GW SHIP Enrollment

Mandatory Eligibility: All undergraduate, graduate, law, medical, and doctoral students, who are matriculated in a degree-granting on campus program and all international students on a J1 or F1 Visa are required to have health insurance while they study at GW. This includes students on the Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, VSTC, and Corcoran campuses.  These students will be automatically charged and enrolled in the GW SHIP and must submit a waiver form if they have another insurance plan that meets the required waiver criteria. If you have other acceptable coverage you must waive by April 30th,2024 at University Health Plans.

Voluntary Eligibility: All undergraduate and graduate student on Arlington or Alexandria campus, all non-degree seeking students with 9 or more credit hours, students on continuous enrollment, students on a school-approved leave of absence, and all online Medical and Nursing students who participate in clinical rotation on campus are eligible to enroll on a voluntary basis in the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan directly with University Health Plans.  

2023-2024 GW SHIP Plan Details and Benefits Summary (pdf).


coverage periods & Waiver deadline

GW SHIP is an annual plan and students enrolling in the Spring must waive by April 30, 2024 for the Spring/Summer semesters. Students must waive each academic year they remain enrolled at GW.

Coverage Period

Coverage Start Date

Coverage End Date

Enrollment/Waive Deadline

Annual

August 12, 2023 August 11, 2024 September 12, 2023
Fall August 12, 2023 December 31, 2023 September 12, 2023
Spring January 1, 2024 August 11, 2024 April 30, 2024
Summer Only May 1, 2024 August 11, 2024 May 20, 2024

SHIP Waivers

If you are covered by a parent’s or guardian’s health plan, or have your own employer health coverage and want to continue using that health insurance plan you must waive out of GW SHIP each academic year you remain enrolled at GW.

Students who wish to opt out of GW SHIP must have health insurance coverage that meets certain domestic or international coverage requirements. More information is available from University Health PlansPlease note, you must complete a waiver every academic year you remain enrolled at GW. Students who wish to opt out of GW SHIP must have health insurance coverage that meets certain domestic or international coverage requirements.

Waive GW SHIP

Domestic Students
  • Plan provides comprehensive coverage in the George Washington campus area (Washington metropolitan area of Washington D.C. and parts MD, VA, and WV). Emergency only coverage does not satisfy this requirement.
  • Plan is owned, operated, and based in the United States, and fully compliant with an Affordable Care Act benefit regulations for individual or group health insurance plans filed in the United States.
  • Plan is currently active and provides coverage for the entire academic year while a registered student.
  • Annual deductible does not exceed $2,500, or have the personal or family means or a health savings account to pay for a higher deductible.
International Students
  • Plan provides comprehensive coverage in the George Washington campus area (Washington metropolitan area of Washington D.C. and parts MD, VA, and WV). Emergency only coverage does not satisfy this requirement.
  • Plan is owned, operated, and based in the United States, and fully compliant with an Affordable Care Act benefit regulations for individual or group health insurance plans filed in the United States.
  • Plan is currently active and provides coverage for the entire academic year while a registered student.
  • Annual deductible does not exceed $500.
  • My plan provides at least $7,500 coverage for Repatriation (repatriation provides transportation to your home country in the event of death).

Additional Information 

 

Questions & Contact

For waiver, enrollment, eligibility, general benefit questions or plan issues, please contact University Health Plans at 1-833-251-1721.

For specific benefit or claims questions, contact Aetna Student Health at 1-877-480-4161.

For all other questions or concerns, check out our SHIP Frequently Asked Questions, or email [email protected].