Barnard College Barnard College
Primary Care Health Services

Student Insurance

2024 - 2025 Insurance Information:

All Barnard students (domestic and international) are automatically charged for and enrolled in the Barnard College Aetna Student Health Insurance plan (SHIP). If you are covered by a comprehensive health insurance plan, you may opt out of SHIP by completing the waiver request form on the University Health Plans webpage.* Before submitting the waiver request form, we encourage students to  compare the cost, coverage, and benefits of the SHIP to your existing plan. Your comprehensive health insurance plan must meet the below requirements.

* J visa holders: The U.S. Department of State (USDOS) requires that all J-1 visa holders have health and accident insurance during the entire length of their stay.  Accordingly, international students on a J visa are not eligible to waive The Barnard Aetna Student Health Insurance plan. (SHIP)F visa holders may be eligible for a waiver.

  • The policy must be a US-filed and approved, ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant plan. International and travel insurance plans and short-term limited-duration plans are not accepted.
  • The plan must provide access to doctors, specialists, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and behavioral health providers in NYC without restriction or limitation. Please note, if you are enrolled in an out-of-state Medicaid, HMO, or EPO your coverage may not be sufficient in NYC. Many out-of-state plans do not provide comprehensive benefits outside of the home service area. Emergency/urgent-only coverage does not meet the waiver requirements.

For insurance questions only, please contact Elliot Wasserman at ewasserman@barnard.edu or 212-854-8305.

Questions?

See answers to frequently asked questions about the Aetna Student Health Insurance plan and waiver.