Cornell University requires all students to have quality health insurance. All registered students in the Graduate School are automatically enrolled in Cornell's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). The SHIP is an accident and illness policy that offers extensive coverage for most on- or off-campus medical care from August 17 to August 16 each year (January 16 to August 16 for spring entrants). Optional dental and vision plans are also available for an additional fee.
The Graduate School will pay the premium for all graduate students registered with the Graduate School who are receiving full tuition and a full stipend from or through Cornell. All students registered with the Graduate School who are not receiving full tuition and a full stipend will be charged the mandatory premium for the SHIP. Only those students who can demonstrate that they have other insurance that meets all of Cornell's requirements will be allowed to appeal the charge for the SHIP.
Students who are responsible for the premium can choose to pay in monthly installments (with a small service charge). The deadline for signing up for this service is September 30 for Fall entrants, and February 28 for Spring entrants.
You can enroll dependents in the SHIP for an additional fee. Eligible dependents include a spouse, same-sex partner, and unmarried children age 19 and under. Dependents are not enrolled automatically. If you wish to enroll one or more dependents, complete the necessary enrollment forms at the Office of Student Health Insurance (in Collegetown, next to Ruloff's) before September 30 for Fall entrants, and February 28 for Spring entrants. Dependents of international students must be enrolled within thirty days of their arrival in the United States.
Complete, current details of the SHIP and the appeal process are mailed annually in July for Fall entrants and January for Spring entrants.
Cornell's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) has been developed especially for Cornell University students (and their eligible dependents), and provides access to convenient, high-quality health care that complements services offered on campus. Cornell's SHIP is an accident and sickness policy designed to: -provide extensive coverage at a reasonable cost for most on- or off-campus medical care. -guard against catastrophic expenses. -cover pre-existing medical conditions. -provide coverage 24 hours a day 365 days a year anywhere in the world from August 17 through August 16. -provide medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. -provide optional dental and vision plans. -provide convenient insurance assistance -meet or exceed all F-1 and J-1 visa requirements
For students and dependents (over the age of 14) enrolled in the SHIP, Gannett Health Services is your primary care provider. Except in emergencies or for OBGYN services, whenever you need health care, you must begin at Gannett to receive the maximum benefit for services. If your care cannot be provided by Gannett, your primary care provider may refer you to a preferred provider. (To receive the maximum benefit for services covered by the SHIP, you must have a written referral to a preferred provider for specialty care. Referrals have to be re-written each plan year.)
Emergency services are typically covered by the SHIP, but make sure you notify the Chickering Group as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of receiving care in order to make sure you understand any payment obligations.
Outside of Ithaca, the situation is somewhat different for non-emergency care. (Emergency care is still fully covered, though you will need to notify the Chickering group ASAP.) If you are away from Ithaca for a prolonged period of time and are in need of medical care, you will not need a referral. However, there are a couple of limitations. First, in order to reduce your medical costs, it is preferable to go to an Aetna ``in-network provider". To find a list of such providers in your area, go to CLICK HERE, enter your geographic information, and specify ``OpenChoice PPO" as your health plan. Usually, the list of Aetna in-network providers is rather extensive, so finding one near you is likely to be quite easy. However, out-of-area care is not fully covered by SHIP - in most cases, you will be responsible for 20 percent of the bill. Since medical costs in the US tend to be very high, 20 percent can quickly translate into a significant amount. So if you need to receive non-emergency medical care outside of the Ithaca area, be sure check with your provider and find out the cost of their services.
The SHIP health insurance plan also covers prescription drugs (up to $2000 in 07-08). As with health care providers, in order to receive full benefits from SHIP, your pharmacy must be in the Aetna network. Fortunately, virtually all pharmacies in Ithaca are ``in-network", as are most major pharmacy chains throughout the United States. (See section 4.3.4 for more information on Ithaca pharmacies.) There is no difference in cost between filling your prescription in and out of the Ithaca area, so you can fill them from anywhere you go, as long as you have your insurance card with you. The co-pays for filling your prescription are $25 for brand-name drugs, and $10 generic drugs. Since the difference in co-pays is rather large, make sure to ask your provider if any generic alternatives are available when they prescribe brand-name drugs.
Be sure to read the SHIP brochure, as it describes in detail the situations under which you are covered by SHIP, as well as the type of coverage you have. For more information, contact the Office of Student Health Insurance, 409 College Avenue (Suite 211), Ithaca, NY 14850-3101, USA; Web: CLICK HERE; e-mail: sicu@cornell.edu; phone: (607) 255-6363.