Student Health Insurance
PNW is pleased to offer health insurance options to students through UnitedHealthcare Student Resources. Learn more about enrollment options and requirements.
Eligibility
- Domestic Students (US Citizens and Permanent Residents): All registered undergraduate and graduate domestic students taking six or more credit hours and degree-seeking are eligible to enroll in the University Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan.
- International Students: All international undergraduate and graduate students who are registered, regardless of credit hours, or in an approved professional certificate program must enroll in the Mandatory University health insurance plan unless you meet the criteria for a waiver.
- Online-only students are not eligible for Purdue University student insurance.
- Students must actively attend classes for at least the first 31 days after the date for which coverage is purchased. AHP maintains its right to investigate eligibility to verify that the policy eligibility requirements have been met. If the eligibility requirements have not been met, the only obligation of AHP is to refund the premium.
- Eligible students may add/drop dependents on their plans either during open enrollment or within 30 days of a life event. Life events consist of: loss of coverage on another plan, marriage, birth, adoption, death, entering or leaving the U.S.
Summary of Benefits and Brochures
Insurance coverage includes medical and prescription drugs. Anyone that enrolls in the medical plan will automatically be enrolled in the dental plan. Dental coverage is through Delta Dental. More detailed information on plan coverages can be found here at pnw.myahpcare.com/.
The new insurance carrier for 2022-2023 is UnitedHealthcare Student Resources.
Health insurance is especially important because of the high cost of medical care in the United States. If you do not have health insurance and become sick or injured while in the US, you may need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for your medical and hospital care.
Purdue University requires all international graduate students who are registered for classes, regardless of credit hours, to enroll in the Academic Health Program (AHP) insurance plan unless an approved waiver is on file. Eligible students who enroll may also insure their eligible dependents. Failure to enroll or obtain an approved waiver may negatively impact your legal status per federal immigration regulations.
See Waiver Eligibility/Apply for Waiver
Failure to provide proof of health insurance coverage by February 1, 2023 may result in students being charged a Late Fee of $150.
Policy Coverage Information – Domestic and International Students
PNW is pleased to offer health insurance options to students through UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, administered by Academic Health Programs (AHP). Explore more about enrollment options and requirements.
Students may see providers that participate in the network.
- You can search for participating doctors, facilities, pharmacies, and dentists by visiting this link and expanding the “find a provider” section.
Most US Providers will file claims for services received. All claims must be submitted to insurance within 90 days of the date of service.
Need help? Please visit https://pnw.myahpcare.com/contact.
Medical Services
A $200 deductible for in-network preferred providers and a $400 deductible for out-of-network providers will apply. Preventive care services are only covered if performed by a United Healthcare in-network provider.
Prescription Drug Services
Can only be filled at a pharmacy contracted with United Healthcare. Walgreens on the corner of 169th Street and Kennedy Avenue is located less than one mile from the Hammond campus, and Walgreens on the corner of 421 and 20 in Michigan City is located six miles from the Westville campus. Both are in-network pharmacies.
Dental Services
A $50 Deductible per Member per Benefit Year limited to a maximum Deductible of $150 per family per Benefit Year. Maximum insurance coverage $750 per member per benefit year.
2022/2023 Policy Coverage Periods
- Annual: August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023
- Fall: August 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
- Spring and Summer: January 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023
2022/2023 Costs
| Annual | Fall | Spring/Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Only | $1,487 | $619.58 | $867.42 |
| Student & Spouse | $2,939.00 | $1,224.58 | $1,714.42 |
| Student & Child | $2,987 | $1,244.58 | $1,742.42 |
| Student, Spouse & Child | $4,469 | $1,862.08 | $2,606.92 |
| Student & Children | $4,396 | $1,831.66 | $2,564.34 |
| Student, Spouse & Children | $5,878 | $2,449.17 | $3,428.83 |
The new insurance carrier for 2022-2023 is UnitedHealthcare Student Resources. For more information, please visit Benefits & Cost.
Change Coverage
A Qualifying Event is a major life change that may affect your health insurance needs. Qualifying life events may make you eligible for a special enrollment period outside of the school’s scheduled open enrollment period. Enrollment is typically required within 30 days of the qualifying event and supporting documentation is required. Examples of qualifying life events are:
- Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan
- Losing existing health coverage under another plan, including job-based, individual, and student plans
- Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
- Losing existing health coverage as a dependent on a family member’s plan through divorce, death, job loss
- Eligible students actively enrolled arriving in the US from another country mid-semester
Changes in household which impact a dependent being able to enroll under your coverage:
- Getting married
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Spouse and/or dependents arriving to the US from another country
- Spouse and/or dependents losing other health insurance coverage due to aging off parents’ plan, loss of employee benefits, losing eligibility under Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
If you have a Qualifying Even, please click here to enroll/make changes.
Coverage Continuation
Continuation of coverage of the student health insurance plan (along with the dental insurance) is for those who are no longer eligible for student insurance because they have graduated or are no longer taking classes. To be eligible for continuation coverage, you must have been insured for at least 3 continuous months on the Purdue Student Health Insurance Plan. To continue your plan, you must decide how many months of coverage you want to continue (up to three) and submit the entire premium for those months within 30 days after your existing coverage terminates/you lose eligibility. To enroll, please visit Continuation Coverage.
Open Enrollment
- Open Enrollment for health insurance coverage during the 2022-2023 academic year is from July 1, 2022 (8:00 am ET) to September 6, 2022 (5:00 pm ET)
Annual v. Semester Enrollments
We encourage students to enroll and pay for the Annual plan. Though a student has the option of enrolling separately for Fall and Spring/Summer, it is more advantageous to purchase the Annual plan. Students must meet the eligibility requirements only once if the annual plan is purchased.
When purchasing Fall and Spring/Summer separately, the eligibility must be met at the beginning of each coverage period. In the event of a serious illness or injury prohibiting a student from returning to class for Spring/Summer, charges incurred after January 1 would not be covered due to ineligibility for insurance if the Fall Semester Plan was purchased instead of the Annual Plan.
What is the Deadline for Submitting a Waiver?
- September 6, 2022 (4:00pm CST)
- Failure to provide proof of insurance coverage by February 1, 2023 may result in the student being charged a Graduate Late Fee of $150 USD. A hold will also be placed on the student’s record which would prevent the student from registering for class, obtaining a transcript and graduating.
How to qualify for a waiver
Purdue University requires all F-1 international students, to participate in a University-sponsored medical insurance plan or to obtain an approved waiver of coverage.
You will be able to apply for a waiver during the following enrollment period:
Fall Semester: 7/1/2022 – 9/6/2022 (4:00pm CST)
Student Health Insurance Plan Waiver Criteria
Purdue University- Northwest has established circumstances in which an international student can request a waiver to the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) by providing alternative health insurance coverage. To be approved for a waiver, your health plan must meet the requirements and be submitted with proof of documentation prior to the September 6, 2022, deadline, by 4PM CST.
Limited waivers may be granted to international students who satisfy one of the criteria listed below:
- Government-sponsored students whose home government pays 100% for tuition and insurance for students and does not just supply funds to purchase an insurance plan of their choice.
- Student is 100% financially sponsored (including tuition, living expenses, medical expenses, etc.) under a select international organization as listed on the waiver form.
- Student is covered as a U.S. based employee, or as a dependent of a U.S. based employee, under a U.S. based health insurance provided through that employment.
- Student studying in an approved exchange program.
If you determine that you satisfy one of the criteria for a waiver, you must purchase an insurance plan that meets all five of the following:
- Coverage must be in effect as of the date of entry into the U.S.
- Medical benefits of at least $100,000.00 USD per accident or illness
- Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000.00 USD
- Medical evacuation coverage in the amount of $50,000.00 USD
- Annual deductible not to exceed $500.00 USD per illness per person
*Amounts must be in US dollars ($)
Appropriate documentation MUST be submitted to waiver out of the Purdue University sponsored plan. These include:
- I20 or DS2019
- Front and Back of your insurance card
- Summary of Benefits
Obtain this information prior to leaving your home country. If you are not able to obtain this information in the format requested, DO NOT purchase the plan as it will not be accepted.
Students must submit their own claims to their insurance company for reimbursement.
Be sure to check the FAQs for questions and answers around waivers.
Failure to provide proof of health insurance coverage by February 1, 2023 may result in the student being charged a Late Fee of $150.
The student will also have a hold placed on their account that will prevent you from future class registration or may cause you to be unregistered from your current classes. International graduate students may not be employed as graduate staff and may not receive fee remission without proof of health insurance.
Proof of health insurance is required for the term or the entire academic year (from August to May, unless you are graduating in December, in which case you will need to provide proof of coverage through your graduation date).
The Center for Healthy Living (CHL) on the Hammond Campus is now available PNW students!
Students are now able to utilize the Center for Healthy Living which is located on the Hammond campus in the Riley Center.