Welcome to UMass and to University Health Services! Our Patient Services staff are here to support you in understanding and navigating your health insurance options. If, after reviewing the information at the links below, you have questions or need assistance, contact us at patientservices@uhs.umass.edu or 413-577-5192.
Get health insurance information for…
- Graduate students taking under 5 credits
- Graduate CE students
- Spouses/domestic partners and children of graduate students
- Graduate students taking 5 or more credits
- SHBP Dates and Costs
New Students Entering UMass Fall 2023:
The Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) waiver will become available in mid-July 2023.
The deadline to enroll yourself or family members, or to waive the SHBP, is 9/19/2023. Enrollments must be submitted annually each fall by the add/drop deadline.
Enrollments and waivers may take up to 20 business days to process, depending on volume.
SHBP members must print out a new insurance card every academic year!
Patients who pay out of pocket for services or for prescriptions can fill out the Wellfleet Reimbursement Form and send it to Wellfleet. Questions? Call Wellfleet at 1-877-657-5027.
Graduate students taking under 5 credits/Graduate CE students
- New students who are under 5 credits, CE students and those that need family coverage will need to manually enroll for SHBP every fall semester for the annual coverage (incoming spring students who met this criteria will need to enroll manually for spring)
- Returning Graduate and CE Students who are under 5 credits or those needing family coverage will NOT need to re-enroll for spring coverage as long as students remain enrolled in University credits this must be done by the spring add drop date to avoid losing annual coverage.
- Enrollments may take up to 20 business days to process, depending on volume.
- For any optional enrollment, the Enrollment Form must be completed annually each fall by the add/drop deadline. For plan details, visit the Wellfleet website.
- Eligible GEO members receive an exemption of 95% of the plan rates for the Individual SHBP and Individual Graduate Student Health Fee, as well as the SHBP Family Plan and Family Student Health Fee for those electing family health plan coverage. New in 2021: Graduate students will automatically receive the 95% exemption; you no longer need to opt-in in SPIRE.
Optional Enrollment Eligibility
Optional enrollment is available for graduate students who are:
- Matriculated in a day academic program and who have paid the Continuous Enrollment Fee for the semester
- Matriculated into a graduate program through Continuing Education, are legal residents of Massachusetts, and are taking six or more credits per semester
- Online students matriculated into a graduate program through Continuing Education, are legal residents of Massachusetts, and are taking six or more credits per semester
- Matriculated Continuing Education students participating in off-campus programs
Non-matriculated students are not eligible for health plan enrollment.
How to Enroll: Bring the Enrollment Form to University Health Services, mail it to us at the address below, or fax it to 413-577-5023.
Our Mailing Address:
University Health Services
Attn: Patient Services
150 Infirmary Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9288
When to Enroll
The Enrollment Form must be submitted every fall by the add/drop deadline for those who are not automatically enrolled and/or those who need family plans. It's highly recommended that you submit the Enrollment Form in late June or early July. Fall semester coverage begins August 1. Students who opt into the SHBP and/or enroll in a family plan only have to do so annually in the fall. The coverage will carry over to the spring semester as long as you are a UMass student enrolled in credit(s). Students who are annually enrolled during the fall semester who wish to drop the SHBP for the spring semester can do so by filling out the Alternative Waiver form and sending the form to Patient Services by the spring add/drop deadline. Students who need to enroll for the spring semester only should submit the Enrollment Form in December; coverage begins mid-January.
Please Note: You must be registered for at least one credit or have paid the Continuous Enrollment Fee for your enrollment form to be processed. If you haven't registered yet, Patient Services will hold your enrollment form until you do, but processing will be delayed. Processing can take up to 20 business days. If you submit the enrollment form before the semester's add/drop deadline, enrollment will backdate to the start date of that semester's SHBP. You'll be able to be seen at UHS right away; if you're seen elsewhere or try to obtain prescriptions, you may encounter difficulties until the enrollment is fully processed.
- Members not enrolled with credit(s) by the start of the spring semester will need to complete a manual enrollment, as the Bursar’s office needs to have students enrolled to be able to bill for the SHBP
- Billing for the Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) will still be per semester
- Members who wish to terminate the spring coverage will need to complete the Alternative Waiver form, which will be available on our website in January, so that the Bursar’s office knows to remove the fee from your bill. This needs to be done by the spring semester graduate add/drop deadline.
Family Plan Enrollment
The available SHBP Family Plan covers a student’s spouse or same-sex domestic partner, and/or unmarried dependent children under age 26. To purchase the family plan and enroll eligible family members, you must be personally enrolled in the SHBP. A marriage certificate and birth certificates for qualifying dependents are required to enroll in the family plan. Enrollments may take up to 20 business days to process.
Family plan enrollments must be renewed annually each fall by filling out the Enrollment Form and the Affidavit of Domestic Partnership. Before the end of the add/drop period, bring these forms to University Health Services, mail them to us at the address below, or fax them to 413-577-5023.
Our Mailing Address:
University Health Services
Attn: Patient Services
150 Infirmary Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9288
Eligible GEO members receive an exemption of 95% of the plan rates for the Individual SHBP and Individual Graduate Student Health Fee, as well as the SHBP Family Plan and Family Student Health Fee for those electing family health plan coverage. New in 2021: Eligible GEO members will automatically receive the 95% exemption; you no longer need to opt-in in SPIRE.
Graduate students taking 5 or more credits
Massachusetts requires full-time college students to have primary health care insurance. Graduate students taking 5 or more credits in an academic semester are automatically enrolled in, and billed for, the UMass-sponsored Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP). This is an excellent option for students who need insurance. A waiver system is in place for students already covered under another insurance plan. For plan details, visit the Wellfleet website.
The SHBP Family Plan is available to students whose spouses/domestic partners and/or children need health insurance coverage. Family plan enrollments must be renewed each semester by the add/drop deadline.
Eligible GEO members receive an exemption of 95% of the plan rates for the Individual SHBP and Individual Graduate Student Health Fee, as well as the SHBP Family Plan and Family Student Health Fee for those electing family health plan coverage. New in 2021: Eligible GEO members will automatically receive the 95% exemption; you no longer need to opt-in in SPIRE.
Waiver System
International graduate students taking 5 or more credits: International students residing on campus or anywhere in the United States are not automatically eligible to waive the SHBP. However, international students enrolled in an employer- or embassy-based health insurance plan from the United States may be eligible for a waiver. Eligibility is based on federal and state guidelines for the minimum essential coverage needed in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. International students seeking a waiver must complete an individual insurance plan review before the end of the add/drop period. To request a review, email documents to patientservices@uhs.umass.edu or mail health plan documentation to:
Patient Services
University Health Services, UMass Amherst
150 Infirmary Way, Amherst, MA 01003
Be sure to include your name and contact information in all emails. UHS's Student Health Benefits Coordinator will review the health plan documentation and notify applicants of their status via email. If approved, UHS will process a paper waiver allowing removal of SHBP charges from the tuition bill.
SHBP Coverage Dates and Costs - Graduate Students
SHBP Coverage Dates
The SHBP provides coverage on a semester basis with yearly coverage. Effective dates for the 2022 - 2023 coverage period are:
- Fall 2022 Semester: Aug. 1, 2022 - Feb. 5, 2023
- Spring 2023 Semester: Feb. 6, 2023 - July 31, 2023
SHBP Costs
Student Health Benefit Plan Rates: 2022-2023
- Fall 2022 Individual SHBP: $1,920.00
- Spring 2023 Individual SHBP: $1,920.00
- Fall 2022 SHBP Family Plan: $3,450.00
- Spring 2023 SHBP Family Plan: $3,450.00
Graduate Student Health Fee Rates: 2022-2023
- Fall 2022 Individual Graduate Student Health Fee: $417.50
- Spring 2023Individual Graduate Student Health Fee: $417.50
- Fall 2022 Family Student Health Fee: $1,382.00
- Spring 2022 Family Student Health Fee: $1,382.00
Student Health Plan Totals: 2022-2023
-
Fall 2022 Individual Plan Total: $2,337.50
- Includes Individual SHBP + Individual Graduate Student Health Fee
-
Spring 2023 Individual Plan Total: $2,337.50
- Includes Individual SHBP + Individual Graduate Student Health Fee
-
Fall 2022 Family Plan Total: $7,169.50
- Includes Individual Plan Total, SHBP Family Plan + Family Student Health Fee
-
Spring 2023 Family Plan Total: $7,169.50
- Includes Individual Plan Total, SHBP Family Plan + Family Student Health Fee
For Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) rates or other questions, call UHS Patient Services: 413-577-5192
