Cornell University Student Health Insurance Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

Cornell University prioritizes the health and well-being of its students, recognizing that access to quality healthcare is essential for academic success. To ensure that all students have adequate medical coverage, the university has established specific health insurance requirements. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these requirements, the Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP), and other relevant information regarding student health insurance at Cornell.

University Health Insurance Policy

Since 1974, Cornell University's Board of Trustees has mandated that all students have quality health insurance. This policy ensures that access to healthcare is not a barrier to any student's success during their academic journey. All matriculated, degree-seeking students are required to have health insurance coverage. Each year, all full-time registered students are automatically enrolled in Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP).

Student Health Benefits is responsible for ensuring that all Cornell students meet the university's health insurance requirements. They also manage and provide support for those enrolled in Cornell's Student Health Plan (SHP), Dental Plan, and Vision Plan.

Meeting the Health Insurance Requirement

Cornell requires students to have health insurance that meets the university's requirements or enroll in Cornell's Student Health Plan (SHP). Students can meet this requirement in one of two ways:

Enroll in the Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP): SHP offers platinum-level health insurance coverage to undergraduate, graduate, professional, and medical students, as well as their dependents.
Waive SHP Coverage by Demonstrating Equivalent Coverage: Students who have existing health insurance that meets Cornell's specific requirements can apply to waive enrollment in SHP.

Requirements for Alternative Insurance Plans

To be eligible for a waiver from SHP, a student's alternative health insurance plan must meet the following criteria:

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Active for the Entire Academic Year: The policy must be active for the entire academic year or until the end of the student's program. Students cannot have gaps in coverage, so we require that the policy is in place year-round.
Unlimited Benefits: Has unlimited annual and lifetime benefits for the 10 essential health benefits (as defined by the ACA).
Comprehensive Coverage: The plan must include coverage for:
- Inpatient (overnight hospital) care
- Emergency and urgent care
- Specialist and outpatient care
- Diagnostic imaging and testing
- Mental health and substance abuse care
Acceptable Coinsurance Levels: Does not have member coinsurance levels higher than 40% in the zip code where the student is attending school.
- The zip code for the Ithaca campus is 14850
- The zip code for the Cornell Tech campus is 10044

Plans That Do Not Meet Requirements

Certain types of health insurance plans do not meet Cornell's requirements and will not be approved for a waiver. Examples of such plans include:

Medicaid plans that do not provide comprehensive coverage at your campus location.
Regionally limited EPO and HMO plans that do not provide access to comprehensive care where you are attending school.
New York State Essential Plans 3 or 4.
International travel plans.
Bronze level coverage means the health insurance plan pays 60% of the cost of care and the insured pays 40%.
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. Emergency only coverage does not allow for prescriptions or care outside of the emergency room.
Out of state Medicaid provides ‘emergency only’ coverage when the student is away from home. Emergency only coverage does not allow for prescriptions or care outside of the emergency room.

Waiving SHP Coverage

Login on these partner sites to enroll in or waive SHP (and check status), see your summary of benefits, download/print ID cards, find providers, and download current plan documents. Contact Student Health Benefits with questions and concerns about the waiver process, plan coverage, etc.

Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP)

The Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP) is administered by Aetna and offers comprehensive, platinum-level coverage. It is designed to meet the specific healthcare needs of Cornell students. Insurance coverage is administered by Aetna and comes with a variety of benefits. Visit their Virtual Office Hours for any specific questions Live on Zoom 12pm to 1pm on Wednesdays. We strongly recommend that all students carry a copy of their insurance card. To print a copy of your card, visit aetnastudenthealth.com/en/school/867890/members/print-id-card.html. Alternative insurance options for dependents can also be found here.

SHP Coverage for Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Students

Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP) is only available to enrolled WCM students and their eligible dependents. The SHP plan year is July 1 to June 30. Your coverage termination date will depend on your individual program dates. If you graduate from the MD program in the spring semester, your SHP coverage will end June 30. If you graduate from the PhD program, your SHP coverage will end on the last day of your stipend termination month.

If you are graduating or separating from WCM, you (and your dependents) are no longer eligible for coverage from Weill Cornell Medicine. The coverage will expire on the last day of the month in which you exit/terminate/graduate. If you paid out of pocket for your coverage, the insurance charges will be prorated and you will be reimbursed for any credit left on your account. As addresses are subject to change, we strongly recommend that you sign up for direct deposit to receive the credits directly to your bank account. Direct Deposit instructions can be found here.

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To purchase health insurance on the exchange, graduates will need to provide proof of residency (e.g. a local address, prior year tax information, and social security number). Important: Health insurance purchased through the exchange CANNOT be secured in advanced of the SHP plan end date. To purchase insurance via the exchange prior to your termination/graduation date, you will need to terminate your SHP coverage. All plans on the exchange have tax credit eligibility depending on the applicant’s income. Some income thresholds will make the applicant eligible for a Medicaid or an Essential plan. Both of these plan types have the lowest cost-shares associated with the plan in recognition of the limited access to disposable income.

New York State residents: If you plan to live in New York State after graduation, please note that New York State does not allow the purchase of short-term insurance plans on the exchange. (A short-term plan is a health plan for a limited number of months.) If you are seeing insurance through nystateofhealth.ny.gov, you will need to enroll in a full-year plan. If you gain employment after enrolling in a full-year plan, typically you will be eligible to enroll in the company’s group insurance policy and can cancel the health exchange plan. Alternatively, you may choose to retain your purchased plan and not opt into your employer group plan.

*To be eligible for another insurance you will need to submit to them a 'Verification of Coverage' letter which includes your enrollment termination date for the plan. This letter is available through the 'Student Health Plan (SHP)' link on the Financial Aid & Billing tab of LEARN. The letter is available on the Plan Summary box for the specific plan year.

Cornell Health Services

Cornell Health provides a wide range of medical and mental health services to students. For those services, students are responsible for any costs that their insurance doesn't cover.

Insurance Billing at Cornell Health

Cornell Health bills students’ insurance plans (SHP or in-network private insurance) as the primary payer for medical and psychiatry services. (Counseling services and sexually transmitted infection [STI] screenings are excluded from insurance billing.) When charges are billed to your insurance, your insurance plan’s explanation of benefits (EOB) statement will contain some brief information about your visit, including a “diagnostic code” that is required by insurance companies to process reimbursements. For students who are on a parent’s or guardian’s insurance plan, the policyholder (parent/guardian) is the EOB recipient and may see that information. SHP members: You are the primary policyholder for your plan and the sole recipient of your EOBs.

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When privacy is a concern, you can request a “pause for privacy” from your Cornell Health provider to have your insurance billing delayed by 30 days (requests must be made no later than the day of the visit). Some insurance plans have provisions for adult dependents to receive their own EOB when covered by a parent’s / guardian’s plan. Some exceptions exist for students with pre-existing chronic health conditions that require extended treatment. For instance, birth control pills would show as “Pharmacy” on your Bursar bill (and as “Rx” on your invoice/bill from Cornell Health). Charges for medical / sexual health visits are listed as "Cornell Health services."

The date on the Bursar bill is the date Cornell Health sent the charge to the Bursar’s Office, not the date of service. If you have any questions regarding the actual date of the appointment being billed or about the charges in question, please contact our Billing Office at 607-255-7492.

In most cases, Cornell Health covers these costs automatically (see our Cost for Service page for details) and the student / parent is NOT responsible for the charge(s).

Insurance Coverage at Cornell Health

Medicaid & Medicare: Cornell Health can bill Medicaid for all services received at Cornell Health, with the exception of pharmacy services. (NY State does not allow pharmacies embedded in outpatient health centers like Cornell Health to participate in Medicaid.) Cornell Health can bill Medicare for all services received at Cornell Health.
Automobile No Fault claims & Workers Compensation: Cornell Health can submit claims on your behalf to No-Fault for medical or physical therapy services (you must provide all case information to your Cornell Health provider). Cornell Health does not participate with Worker’s Compensation insurance. Worker’s Compensation requires all providers to be registered with the Worker’s Compensation Board, and specialized administrative and clinical support is needed that is not available at Cornell Health. For emergent situations only, your medical provider can assess your injury/illness; please tell both the receptionist and your provider if you are seeking care for a work-related injury. You will need to seek follow up/ongoing care with a community Worker’s Compensation provider.

Billing and Payment Options

Enrolled students: Students have three options for paying for Cornell Health charges* [see Cost for Service]:

Automatic Bursar billing (default payment method): Your costs will be automatically applied to your Bursar bill, unless you instruct us differently. (Charges will appear on your Bursar bill with a generic description - such as “Cornell Health services” or “Rx” - that will not reveal any confidential health information.)
Online payment (optional): If you prefer that charges not be applied to your Bursar bill - for privacy or other reasons - you may request to pay online by logging in to myCornellHealth.
Pharmacy only: pay in person (optional): You may pay for pharmacy charges by debit/credit card or Apple Pay if you do not wish charges to be applied to your Bursar bill. If you pay by credit card, you acknowledge that your credit card balance will not receive state and federal protections available for medical debt, such as: interest rate limits; reporting to credit bureaus; wage garnishment; and property liens.Labcorp bills: Labcorp, which provides services at Cornell Health, bills students separately. Labcorp lab tests are billed to your insurance by Labcorp, and you will receive a bill from Labcorp for your cost share (as determined by your insurance plan). Learn more on our Lab Testing & X-Ray page.

Non-students: If you have a Cornell NetID, you may pay online through myCornellHealth. You may also pay by phone by calling our Billing Office at 607-255-7492. If you pay by credit card, you acknowledge that your credit card balance will not receive state and federal protections available for medical debt, such as: interest rate limits; reporting to credit bureaus; wage garnishment; and property liens.

You can view and print billing statements - and access your appointment history and other information - by logging in to Cornell Health’s secure patient portal, myCornellHealth (Cornell NetID required). Please note that it may take 3-5 business days for all charges associated with a visit to appear on your statement.

Billing FAQs

Inability to pay should never be a barrier to receiving care at Cornell Health. Options include a copay fee waiver for the visits that typically include a $10 copay. Other resources include First Generation & Low-income Student Support, offered through the Office of the Dean of Students. Undergraduate students may also consult with the Office of Financial Aid. International students may consult with the Office of Global Learning.

Students who have concerns with medical costs accrued from a non-Cornell healthcare provider in the community may benefit from support from the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County's Community Health Advocates.

Confidentiality

All information about your health and health care at Cornell Health is confidential. However, please be aware of the following: Cornell Health Bursar charges: Cornell Health charges are automatically applied to your Bursar account, unless you request to pay online through myCornellHealth (pharmacy payments may also be made in person at the pharmacy). Charges will appear as “Cornell Health services” on your Bursar bill and will not include any information about the type of service you received, or any personal health information.

Cost of Services

When requested, health care providers must provide patients who don’t have health insurance - or who are not using their health insurance - with a "Good Faith Estimate" for how much their health care will cost before receiving care.

Who this applies to: At Cornell Health, most health care costs for Ithaca/Geneva students are covered by a combination of their insurance coverage and the health fee, with students only responsible for the $10 visit charge. However, a Good Faith Estimate for the cost of Cornell Health services might be appropriate for: students receiving immunizations, which are not included in the $10 visit charge (with the exception of flu and COVID vaccination, which have no cost) students who request that their health insurance not be charged for a specific service due to privacy concerns student spouses/partners students not enrolled on the Ithaca/Geneva campuses who seek care while visiting the Ithaca campus

To request a Good Faith Estimate: Call our Billing Office at 607-255-7492 Or send us a secure message (log in to myCornellHealth and go to Messages > New Message > Send a message or attachment to Cornell Health Billing.

More about Good Faith Estimates: Under the No Surprises Act….You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any health care items or services upon request or when scheduling such items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. If you schedule a health care item or service at least 3 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule a health care item or service at least 10 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after scheduling. You can also ask any health care provider or facility for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

If you still have questions, please call our Billing Office at 607-255-7492. We will be happy to give you current prices on any service we provide or product we sell. If you want to know about the availability or price of a particular medication or other pharmacy product, you can call the Cornell Health Pharmacy at 607-254-6337.

Visiting Students & Non-Students

Cornell students visiting from other campuses and some non-students are eligible for a limited scope of services (see Who We Serve for details). If Cornell Health is in-network with your insurance plan, we will bill and submit claims directly to your plan, and you will be responsible for remaining costs (copayment, coinsurance, & deductibles).

Cornell Health is in-network with: all Aetna plans and TRICARE. We are currently negotiating to be in-network with most major insurance carriers (more detail will be available soon). Cornell Health's pharmacy is in-network with: Aetna US Healthcare, Advance Pharmacy, Advance Rx, Advance PCS, Caremark, Cornell Student Health Plan, Express Scripts, FL Rx. Medimpact, and OptumRX.

If we are NOT in-network with your insurance, you will be asked to pay or Bursar your charges at the time of care. We can provide you with a receipt so you can submit a claim to your insurance company for possible reimbursement (Cornell Health’s tax ID number is 15-0532082). Please note: It may take 3-5 business days for all charges associated with your visit to appear in your statement (e.g. lab tests ordered during your visit may generate further charges if they are sent to outside labs or if they necessitate follow-up testing). If you obtain a printed receipt from a Cornell Health cashier before then, it may not reflect all charges.

Medicare and Medicaid: Cornell Health can bill Medicaid for services received at Cornell Health, with the exception of pharmacy services. We are not able to bill directly to Medicare, but we can help connect you to Medicare participating providers (if you choose to receive care at Cornell Health, you will be responsible for the charges).
Workers Compensation: Cornell Health does not participate with Worker’s Compensation insurance. Worker’s Compensation requires all providers to be registered with the Worker’s Compensation Board and specialized administrative and clinical support is needed that is not available at Cornell Health.
Students: For emergent situations only, your medical provider can assess your injury/illness; please tell both the receptionist and your provider if you are seeking care for a work-related injury. You will need to seek follow up/ongoing care with a community Worker’s Compensation provider.
Faculty & staff: You should seek care with a community provider that accepts Worker’s Compensation insurance.
Automobile No Fault claims: Cornell Health participates with and can submit claims to No-Fault for medical or physical therapy services.

Tax ID

If you have private insurance and need to complete billing paperwork, it is likely that you will be asked for Cornell Health’s tax ID number. It is 15-0532082.

Addressing and Contact Information

The student contact information in Cornell Health’s database is automatically updated every week by the Cornell Registrar. While we are able to change an address in our system, the change will be overwritten by the Registrar’s information the following week unless you change it there, too. In order to fix the problem at the source, take two minutes to go to the CU Registrar’s Student Essentials page and confirm or change your address information. Be sure to update this information whenever you move. IMPORTANT: Please enter and designate as your “preferred phone number” the phone number you'd like Cornell Health to use when communicating health information.

Special Considerations for Ithaca and Cornell Tech Students

Ithaca Campus Students

While Ithaca is a "gorges" area, we are also in a centrally-isolated and rural region of upstate New York. If you plan to opt-out/waive SHP coverage, please check with your current health insurance provider to learn about coverage levels and providers in the Ithaca area (zip code 14850). You may need to use out-of-network benefits in Ithaca if your insurance plan does not have Cayuga Health as a participating or in-network provider. Cayuga Medical Center, operated by Cayuga Health/Centralus Health, is the only hospital in Ithaca and is the parent organization for many primary and specialty medical providers in the Ithaca area.

The Cayuga Health System does not accept some common health insurance networks, including United Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente. This is a list of participating insurances at Cayuga Health. If necessary, students sometimes need to find private transportation to other regional centers near Ithaca for medical care, the closest of which are about an hour's drive from Ithaca. There are no regularly scheduled public transportation options to more metropolitan areas such as Binghamton, NY and Syracuse, NY. Local bus services provided by TCAT operate about every 30-60 minutes to local medical offices and facilities.

Some insurance plans do not meet the requirements listed at the top of this page, within a reasonable distance of Cornell's Ithaca campus and will not be approved for a waiver.

Cornell Tech Students

Students at Cornell Tech must meet the same 5 insurance requirements either by enrolling in SHP or, if eligible, opt-out/waive SHP coverage. employer-sponsored insurance plans that offer in-network comprehensive coverage in NYC. Please search for participating providers in the NYC Metropolitan area, in zip code 10044, or in New York County.

Additional Insurance Information

Student Personal Property Insurance

Please note that Cornell does not provide insurance coverage for personal property belonging to students in the event of damage or theft while they are enrolled at Cornell. Students are advised to obtain a separate insurance policy to cover their personal belongings or review the terms of any applicable homeowner’s insurance policy.

It is strongly recommended that students obtain insurance coverage for their personal belongings. Student Personal Property Insurance, which safeguards student possessions worldwide against specified causes of loss, is available through Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Please be advised that Cornell does NOT receive any form of compensation for offering this service to its students.

International Travel Insurance

Cornell University provides comprehensive accident, sickness, and emergency care insurance coverage, coupled with 24/7 travel assistance, at no charge to registered travelers participating in Cornell-related international trips. This coverage applies to students, faculty, and staff registered in the travel registry who are traveling outside their home country. citizens, “home country” refers to their current country of residence or domicile. Please note that this insurance excludes coverage for preventative or routine care, as well as treatment of pre-existing conditions. All individuals-students, faculty, and staff-engaged in Cornell travel are eligible for this insurance, provided they are registered in the travel registry and not residing in their home country at the time of travel.

See Travel Insurance Certificate Letter and other insurance coverage information

GeoBlue Health Insurance for Exchange Visitors

According to US Government regulations, all exchange visitors (J1 visa holders) and their dependents (J2) must maintain health and accident insurance to be eligible for participation in Cornell’s Exchange Visitor Program. Additionally, federal regulations prohibit the extension of J1 status beyond the dates specified on the DS-2019 form without adequate insurance coverage for both the J1 visa holder and their family members.

Cornell offers a health insurance plan that is available to many international scholars holding academic appointments, subject to the specific conditions of their appointment. For eligibility details, individuals are advised to consult with their university department’s human resources or hiring manager. Additional information can be accessed at Working at Cornell.

For those who are ineligible for Cornell insurance, the university offers a health insurance plan through GeoBlue. This plan surpasses the minimum requirements set by the Department of State and is accepted by medical providers in the Ithaca area. Exchange Visitors should consider addressing their dental and eye care needs before departing from their home country.

Conclusion

Cornell University's health insurance requirements are in place to ensure that all students have access to the healthcare they need to succeed academically and thrive personally. By understanding these requirements and the options available, students can make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage and access the resources available to them at Cornell Health. Whether students choose to enroll in the Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP) or waive coverage with an equivalent plan, the university is committed to supporting their health and well-being throughout their time at Cornell.

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