Undergraduates
Health Insurance Information for Undergraduates and Their Families
Health Insurance for Your Health and Education
Your health is essential to achieving your goals at Cornell. Access to health care and health insurance are essential to your health. Without adequate coverage, unexpected medical expenses could alter your future dramatically. That is why Cornell requires all students to have quality health insurance.
We hope this website will answer many of your questions. If you need more information,
please e-mail, call, or stop by our Collegetown office. We’re eager to be of assistance.
Do you know what you need?
Health insurance plans vary in the coverage they offer. Some provide excellent protection at home, but do not cover students while they are at school, studying abroad, traveling, or vacationing. Others are a bargain up front but leave students without access to medical or mental health services, or with bills they cannot afford (e.g., high deductible health care plans). Most parent's plans will not cover children after a certain age or who are no longer enrolled in college. When a student takes a leave of absence from college, even for medical reasons, many insurance plans discontinue coverage, leaving the individual and/or family with no coverage at a time when health care expenses can be significant. Carefully review any plan you might consider (your parent's plan or any other) to make sure it meets Cornell's requirements and will provide adequate coverage for you and your health care needs, both known needs and needs not yet known.
Over half of all Cornell students enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), and they do so for good reasons.
Highlights of the SHIP
The SHIP has been developed especially for Cornell students (and their dependents) to provide access to convenient and efficient care that complements the quality health services offered on campus.
The details of the plan are reviewed and recommended each year by Cornell’s Student Insurance Advisory Committee (made up of students, faculty, and staff, including health services staff). This ensures that the coverage is well-suited to the needs of the Cornell students and respectful of their budgets. The SHIP is managed by The Chickering Group and underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company. The Plan meets all of the student health insurance standards developed by the American College Health Association.
- The SHIP is an accident and sickness policy that:
- Provides extensive coverage at a reasonable cost for most on- or off-campus medical
care from
August 17 through August 16. - Provides coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, anywhere in the world.
- When plan members are in
Ithaca - Covers pre-existing medical conditions.
- Guards against catastrophic expenses.
- Covers inpatient and outpatient mental health care in the Ithaca area
- Continues coverage when students have to take a leave of absence.
- Meets or exceeds all F-1 and J-1 visa requirements.
- Includes world-wide travel assistance and emergency air transportation services.
- Offers optional dental and vision plans for members.
- Provides convenient assistance with enrollment and claims submission through the Cornell University Office of Student Health Insurance.