Student Health Insurance Plan FAQs

Yes, at CC we want to make sure our students are safe and healthy; therefore, we require enrolled students to have Health Insurance.

If you do not have health insurance or have health insurance with minimal coverage, you may enroll in our Student Health Insurance Plan. 

SHIP is a Student Health Insurance Plan designed specifically for Colorado College students. CC's SHIP is a comprehensive insurance plan through Anthem that provides ACA compliant coverage not only at the student health center but worldwide 24/7.

Before the beginning of each academic year, you will be required to enroll or waive your insurance.  

You will receive emails from our waiver/enrollment administrator, Academic HealthPlans (AHP), directly to your CC email address detailing instructions during each open enrollment/waiver period, prior to each semester.  

It is the student’s responsibility to check their CC email address and complete this process by August 31st, or they will be auto enrolled.  

You will be eligible to enroll/waive at the beginning of every year, before the all semester starts. Eligibility starts in July and is open until August 31^st. You will receive an email from AHP as soon as you are eligible to enroll. Your selection is for the entire year August 1-July 31.

If you need to change your coverage status for Spring/Summer, there is an opportunity to do so in December and January.

If you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), which is defined as a sudden loss of insurance coverage outside of your control, you can apply for a QLE through the CARE26 online portal to obtain SHIP coverage on a monthly basis until the next enrollment period begins.

No. Once you are enrolled, you cannot unenroll. You may waive your coverage at the end of the semester during the open enrollment period.  You will receive emails from AHP letting you know when the winter open enrollment period begins. 

 If you have been auto enrolled, you have a grace period of two weeks after the open enrollment deadline to unenroll. Even within this time, you cannot unenroll if you have used your SHIP coverage at all.  

Once you submit your enrollment form, you will receive an email via your CC email address, letting you know that your enrollment has been processed by AHP. This means your enrollment form has been successfully submitted. Within 5-7 business days, you should receive confirmation that it has been accepted by SHIP. 

Your coverage will begin on August 1st. 

An insurance waiver is an application that you fill out to let us know you have health insurance and do not want to be enrolled in SHIP at CC.

To submit a waiver, you must provide information about your current insurance coverage. The coverage will be reviewed by a third-party audit company to make sure it meets CC's insurance criteria.

If you wish to enroll in SHIP, then you will not need to fill out a waiver but instead fill out an enrollment form.

Before the beginning of each academic year, you will be required to enroll or waive your insurance. 

You will receive emails from our waiver/enrollment administrator, Academic HealthPlans (AHP), directly to your CC email address detailing instructions during each open enrollment period. Communications regarding the process will start prior to each school year.

To complete the waiver process, you will need your insurance ID card. Most of the information needed can be found on the insurance ID card.

Depending on your card, you may need to access your insurance company's website, contact the plan administrator, or insurance carrier for additional information.

Please make sure the information you provide on your waiver application is accurate, as incorrect or incomplete information may cause your waiver application to be denied.

Information provided on waiver applications will be verified by Academic HealthPlans (AHP).

Yes, once you have submitted your waiver Academic HealthPlans will verify that the plan provides current and active coverage. 

To be eligible for a waiver, the insurance plans must include: 

• Essential Health Benefits 

• Plans must include unlimited medical and prescription drug benefits 

• Have NO pre-existing condition limitation 

• Non-emergency (full coverage) in Colorado 

• Coverage on the first day of classes and remain active the full academic year  

• Provided by an insurance company that is owned and operated in the United States 

If they find it does not meet the above requirements, a waiver may be denied.  

If this happens you will receive a Waiver Application Denied email and you will be automatically enrolled in and charged for SHIP. 

If you feel the denial was an error, you may appeal the waiver denial by contacting the Wellness Resource Center at wellness@coloradocollege.edu. Appeals must be received within 7 business days of your waiver denial notification to be considered. 

Once you submit a waiver application, you will receive an "Application Received” email via your CC email address. This means your waiver has been successfully submitted.

Your waiver is not final until you receive a “Waiver Approval” or “Waiver Denial” email. Please check your student email account for these messages.

It is your responsibility to check your student email account for waiver status updates and to send in additional documentation if requested.

Approval of your waiver means that you will not be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan for the academic year and that medical costs you incur will be your responsibility.

Yes, SHIP covers the Student Health Center. There is no co-pay for Student Health Center visits, although there may be a co-pay for tests that are run at the clinic. 

If you receive care at another UCHealth location or other health care institution, you may be charged a co-pay. We encourage students to reach out to their insurance provider and/or the clinician prior to receiving care to understand what co-pay or other fees they may be responsible for. 

Yes, SHIP is a national plan. Meaning there are clinics that are in-network across the United States, and SHIP can be used anywhere in the U.S. Please refer to the Summary of Benefits and Coverage for more details on exactly what is covered in-network.

Yes. Students with SHIP are covered internationally by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Program. While SHIP covers medical expenses abroad at the same rate as within the United States, coverage abroad is based on reimbursement.

Please note that because other countries do not have a PPO system; students often need to pay out-of-pocket when receiving care and then file a claim with Anthem via the for reimbursement.

However, if you know you will need care while abroad, you can pre-authorize your visit by calling 1-800-810-2583 (BLUE) to prevent needing to pay in full upfront. They can help you set up a doctor visit or hospital stay.

It depends.

Your partner study abroad program may include an international insurance policy that you are covered on while you are in the host country.

If your program does not offer international insurance, we recommend SHIP as a good coverage option.

Or you may wish to maintain uninterrupted coverage of SHIP both while you are studying abroad, as well as before and after your study abroad dates (since most students are not outside the U.S. August 1 through December 31, the fall term of SHIP coverage).

Students participating in a CC-led study abroad program will be given the standard options to enroll in SHIP that you are used to. Students who will be studying abroad with a partner program for a full semester or year will need to opt in for manual re-enrollment in the SHIP plan for uninterrupted coverage while they are studying away. These students will receive an important email from Global Education & the CC Wellness Resource Center, and you will need to reply with your intent to opt-in to SHIP for your semester abroad on a partner program.