Health Insurance Waiver Process

All full-time, degree-seeking students on the Danforth Campus are required to have health insurance.

Washington University in St. Louis offers a comprehensive student health insurance plan that is a robust, cost-effective, Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plan through United Healthcare Student Resources.

The student health insurance premium is added to all eligible students’ accounting statement in the fall of each year. Eligible students are considered full-time, degree-seeking students in a day program on the Danforth Campus. This year the premium is estimated to be $2,500 for the entire year. Coverage begins 8/1 and ends 7/31. Eligible students must pay the premium or complete the online waiver process prior to the deadline. After completion of the online waiver process, the waiver will be verified and approved, after which, the premium will be removed from the student’s accounting statement. The insurance waiver must be completed annually.

Complete the Waiver Here

The health insurance waiver can be located in the student WebSTAC account located under Billing and Bear Bucks.

Fall Health Insurance Waiver

The Fall waiver link in WebSTAC is available July 1 through September 5 for students entering the fall semester at WashU and may be used once the student has received their WUSTL Key. The waiver process MUST be completed by September 5. This is a hard deadline, no exceptions will be made.

Spring Health Insurance Waiver

The spring semester waiver link in WebSTAC is available December 1 through February 12 for NEW students entering the Spring semester at WashU and may be used once the student has received their WUSTL Key. The waiver process MUST be completed by February 12. This is a hard deadline, no exceptions will be made.

Please note that you have two attempts to waive out of the student health insurance. If you are denied after two attempts, and are locked out of the system, please email for further assistance if your insurance meets our criteria.

Waivers for Remote Study Students

Students who are enrolled in only online courses AND will not be residing in the St. Louis area are able to waive from the Student Health Insurance Plan, regardless of whether or not their current insurance plan is in network with Barnes Jewish Hospital and/or Washington University Physician’s Network. ALL other waiver criteria must be met. Students should first complete the typical waiver process and then, if denied, submit an appeal in writing to studentinsurance@wustl.edu.

International students who plan to remain in their home nation are also eligible for this conditional waiver. These students  do not have access to the waiver tool and should simply email studentinsurance@wustl.edu.

Insurance Waiver Criteria

All degree seeking full time registered students must have insurance that meet the following criteria:

  • The plan must be provided by a company licensed to do business in the United States, with a U.S. claims payment office, and a U.S. phone number.
    (RATIONALE: Health plans licensed outside of the U.S. or without a U.S. claims payment office/U.S. phone number rarely meet U.S. standards for insurance, and usually have restrictions that create barriers to students accessing care.)
  • The plan must meet the Affordable Care Act “Federal Bronze Level” or better coverage for health care in St. Louis, Mo, including:
    • Maximum 40% coinsurance (meaning the plan pays AT LEAST 60%)
    • Unlimited annual and lifetime benefits
    • Coverage must include:
      • Inpatient care
      • Emergency Care
      • Urgent Care
      • Specialty Care
      • Prescription Drug
      • Diagnostic Imaging and Testing
      • Outpatient Mental Health Care
    • Preventative care services covered in-network at no cost to the patient
      (RATIONALE: Bronze is the minimum ACA-compliant coverage level)
  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital AND Washington University Physician’s Network must be in-network providers*.
    (RATIONALE: This eliminates the unnecessary burdens of both off-campus transportation and identifying medical care in an unfamiliar region as the WUPN credentialed physicians of Habif Health & Wellness can provide for most of our student’s basic medical needs. Additionally, for students needing specialized and/or emergency care, Barnes Jewish is a conveniently located hospital for Washington University students and their relationship with Washington University allows for increased collaboration with Habif providers. For in-network verification, insurance companies may look up Washington University Physician’s Network by searching under the Tax ID 43-0653611 or Habif Health & Wellness NPI 1558601518. View special notes concerning Anthem/BlueCross BlueShield plans.)
  • An individual deductible of $3,000 or less per person (or a Family Deductible of no more than $3,000 x the number of people covered by the plan)**
    (RATIONALE: High deductibles with no contingency plans can present risk for large out of pocket medical expenses and medical debt. This extra stress can impact a student’s academic performance and put at risk them completing their degree).

 

Plan cannot be the following:

  • A Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan without an “away from home” rider
    (RATIONALE: HMOs effectively provide “emergency only” coverage for students when they are away from home, unless the student requests an away from home rider. Not all HMOs offer such riders, and some charge additional premiums for riders.)
  • A Medicaid or Medicare plan***
    (RATIONALE: Out of state Medicaid provides “emergency only” coverage when the student is away from home. Habif is not able to bill any Medicaid or Medicare plans).
  • A catastrophic coverage plan, International travel plan, or Medical Cost Sharing Plan or HealthCare Sharing Ministry
    (RATIONALE: These plans provide limited coverage for the services outlined above)

* Students who are from St. Louis and have established medical care can request an exception to this criteria through the appeals process. If exception is granted, these students may experience additional out of pocket expenses if they choose to utilize Habif Health & Wellness.

**Individuals with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and associated Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) may be eligible for an exception to the deductible criteria through the appeals process. To request such an exception, email Student Insurance.

*** Students with Missouri Medicaid or Medicare who have established healthcare in the St. Louis region can request an exception through the appeals process, however, if granted, these students would be required to pay out of pocket at the time of service for any medical care received at Habif Health & Wellness.

Waiver Denial Appeals Process

  • Students who wish to appeal their waiver denial must submit an appeal request in writing to Student Insurance no later than September 12 for the fall waiver, and no later than February 19 for the spring waiver.
  • Final Appeals will be considered by a committee consisting of Habif Manager of Operations, Habif Executive Director, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Support and Wellness.

F-1 or J-1 Visa Students

Students on an F-1 or J-1 visa are not allowed to waive out of the plan unless they are on a U.S.-based employer plan through a U.S.-based insurance company.

Waiver Deadline

A completed, verified and approved waiver is required yearly if you do not wish to participate in the university’s insurance plan. September 5 is the deadline for the completion of the fall waiver process, and February 12 is the deadline for the completion of the spring waiver process. This is a hard deadline and no exceptions will be made.

Partial Year Students

Students on exchange programs only at WashU for one semester will be charged for one semester only.

Students intending to graduate in December will receive notification from Habif Health and Wellness Center once they file an intent to graduate outlining their options for continuation of coverage. Students not wishing to continue coverage after the first semester will be provided a refund for the second semester of coverage at that time.

Health Insurance Charge Reimbursement

Once your waiver is approved a credit will be applied to the student account in 1-3 business days.  Students may view this credit on WebSTAC under Billing – Account Inquiry.  Parents may view this credit on the parent portal under Your Account – Click here to view transactions since your last bill. Please note the existing bills will not change. The bills are a PDF of your account as of the last business day of each month.  On your next bill that will generate at the end of the month you will see your credit for the student health insurance fee.

Questions About Your Waiver

Please be sure to include your six digit Student ID when submitting any questions about the waiver process via email.​​​​​​​​

See our WashU Insurance Waiver Process (PDF) document for additional information on how to waive out of the student insurance plan.