Enroll in or Waive Health Insurance
All new and continuing students are required by the University to have quality health insurance.
Columbia Health is the on-campus resource that provides extensive health care programs and services for you while you are at the University*. The coverage provided by Columbia Health and a comparable insurance plan work together to meet your health care needs.
To meet the insurance requirement, students must confirm their enrollment in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan OR request a waiver and provide proof of comparable coverage that meets the University requirements (instructions).
Open enrollment period
Open enrollment for health insurance, voluntary vision insurance, and voluntary dental insurance for new Summer term students starts May 1 to June 30, 2024. (Coverage period: May 1, 2024 to August 14, 2024).
Students must submit their waiver request by June 15, 2024 to ensure adequate time for processing and to avoid unintended fees.
Why enroll in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan?
Columbia University wants you to have good coverage so that health needs and concerns--including unanticipated health care costs--are not a barrier to the achievement of your personal and academic goals. Here are a few key reasons to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan:
- No co-pays for medical and mental health services with Columbia Health providers
- Plan optimized to the needs of students
- Global coverage for routine, urgent, and emergency care
- Dental service discounts
- Premiums billed to your student account (no upfront payments)
- Dedicated insurance team to provide support (onsite at John Jay, 3rd Floor and virtual)
Please visit the Columbia Health website for detailed information about the Plan, eligibility, optional dental and vision plans, contact information, and more.
*The Columbia Health and Related Services Fee covers access to all of Columbia Health's programs and services (Alice! Health Promotion, Counseling and Psychological Services, Disability Services, Medical Services, Sexual Violence Response, the Student Health Insurance Office, and Immunization Compliance Office).
Students who DO NOT take action before the deadline will be automatically enrolled in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan.
Action items:
30 days before you register for classes, all new students must:
June 15, 2024:
- All new full-time domestic students and all international students wishing to use an alternate health insurance plan must submit a waiver request (instructions) via the Columbia Health Patient Portal.
June 30, 2024:
- All new full-time domestic students and all international students must confirm their insurance enrollment.
- All new part-time domestic students can choose to enroll in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan.
- All new and returning students can choose to enroll in optional dental and vision plans.