All J-1 international students are enrolled into SSHIP and charged through their tuition and fees bill. This plan meets or exceeds all requirements set in Department of State or university regulation.
Information on SSHIP can be found below based on your campus:
As a J-1 student you are required to enroll all of your dependents in qualifying health coverage such as SSHIP. Willful failure to do so, or material misrepresentations of your health coverage will result in the termination of the student from their program.
Graduate Student Employees are eligible to enroll in Texas A&M employee health plans, including Grad Plan. Grad Plan is a health insurance plan that you can pay for through your paycheck. If you enroll in Grad Plan your SSHIP fee will be removed if you fulfill the below criteria:
- Have a coverage begin date of September 1st for Fall or with in the month of January for Spring/Summer term.
- Enroll for Grad Plan within 7 days of your hire date.
If you do not enroll in Grad Plan but have equivalent alternate coverage instead you must go through ordinary waiver process even if you chose a different plan offered by Texas A&M University.
Waiver Process
If you have equivalent alternative coverage such as that provided by an employer or a spouse's employer you must apply for a waiver to have the charge removed. You will need to show proof of current coverage and proof that the coverage is equivalent to SSHIP. Typically, this includes the front and back of your insurance card and a copy of your insurance policy including coverage dates, the benefits schedule, and exclusions and limitations. A list of requirements for the Equivalent Alternative Coverage can be found at https://iss.tamu.edu/Health-Insurance/Health-Insurance-Basics-%E2%80%93-A-M-Student-Health-Insur#0-WaiverCriteria. You must fit ONE of the Eligibility Criteria and ALL of the Health Insurance Requirements and Waiver ACA Essential Health Benefits to have your waiver approved.
- Students who are physically present and enrolled at Texas A&M University Main Campus in College Station, Texas will apply for a waiver though the College Station Waiver website at https://tamu.myahpcare.com/waiver
- Students who are physically present and enrolled at Texas A&M University at Galveston will apply for a waiver though the Galveston Waiver website at https://tamug.myahpcare.com/waiver
ISS does not approve or deny waiver applications. Questions about your waiver should be directed to AHP at support@ahpcare.com or 1-877-624-7911. Many employer sponsored health insurance plans will not meet the medical evacuation and repatriation requirements. If your employer health insurance coverage otherwise meets all criteria you may meet this requirement by purchasing Academic Emergency Services separately. See the "Academic Emergency Services" section below for more information.
Instructions on how to submit your waiver application can be found at tamu.myahpcare.com/waiver. There are strict deadlines for applying for a waiver. Late applications will not be considered and you will be responsible for SSHIP fees. If your claim of equivalent alternate coverage is found to be insufficient for waiver you will be responsible for SSHIP fees. The waiver process must be completed at the beginning of each coverage period, typically early August to early September for the Fall period, and early December to early February for the Spring/Summer coverage period.
AHP will process the waiver application within 7-10 business days. If it has been less than 10 business days please wait for AHP to process the application. If 10 business days have elapsed contact AHP at support@ahpcare.com or 1-877-624-7911. ISS does not process applications and cannot answer questions about the status of your waiver.
If your waiver application is successful your SSHIP fee should be removed within 7-10 business days. If it does not contact ISS at iss@tamu.edu. Please include your full name and your UIN in your message along with any details relevant to your case.
Academic Emergency Services
AES is designed to fill the medical evacuation and repatriation gap in most employer sponsored health insurance coverage. If your employer sponsored coverage does not already provide this benefit then you will need to buy it to receive your waiver for SSHIP. You can buy this coverage providing these benefits from AHP, if you are not sure if medical evacuation and repatriation is covered you may submit a waiver application and AHP will contact you to purchase AES if necessary.
Dental Coverage
Dentail insurance is not included in SSHIP or Grad Plan. You may purchase it separately for yourself and your dependents. If you are enrolling during the Open Enrollment period, please visit https://tamusahpdental.myahpcare.com/enrollment
If you are enrolling a dependent after a Qualifying Event, please complete the following:
- Complete the qualifying event form https://tamusahpdental.myahpcare.com/enrollment
- Payment Methods:
- If paying by check mail the completed form to: Academic HealthPlans, P.O. Box 1605, Colleyville, TX 76034-1605
- If paying by credit card call or fax 1-855-858-1964
What should I do if I lose my Grad Plan?
If you lose your Grad Plan coverage for any reason in the middle of the semester OR if you lose Grad Plan at the end of a semester AND will not be enrolled in classes in the next semester (the most common example is Spring GSEs neither working nor studying over the Summer) then you should enroll in SSHIP using a Qualifying Event enrollment. You can find more information on how to enroll at the following link.
https://tamu.myahpcare.com/enrollment
If you lose Grad Plan coverage at the end of a semester and will be enrolled in the next semester then you do not need to do anything to be enrolled in the SSHIP. You will be enrolled and charged when you register for classes.