[2023 updated] UNC Student Insurance Waiver Guide

UNC Fall 2023 Deadline to Waive

September 11,2023 11:59:59 pm EDT

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“ Simply submit your waiver with us,

save up to $1,952 a year from your insurance cost！ ”

Navigation：

What is an Insurance Waiver?
Why are Alternative Health Insurance Plans More Affordable?
How to Pick a Health Insurance Plan?
Student Medicover Insurance Plan vs. UNC Insurance Plan
Limited Time Summer Campaign – The More You Refer The More You Get!
How do UNC Students Stay Covered with Student Medicover?
How to Enroll and Waive?

1. What is an Insurance Waiver?

The university requires all international students to enroll in medical insurance while studying abroad in the United States. In your UNC student account, you will see that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has automatically posted fees for the university’s Student Health Insurance Plan.

However, international students can enroll in a surprisingly more affordable plan designed specifically for them. UNC’s insurance plan costs $3,573 a year. Alternatively, health coverage for international students can be as low as $833 a year.

An insurance waiver is an application to opt out of the school-provided plan and go with the plan that better fits your needs. For school-specific waiver regulations, please refer to your school’s website.

2. Why are Alternative Health Insurance Plans More Affordable?

The insurance costs are calculated based on the risk factors; demographic factors are essential to the health insurance cost. Health insurance plans offered by universities or colleges are usually more expensive because the plans serve a broader range of the population, including international and domestic students.

In comparison, Student Medicover provides medical insurance specifically for international F1 students and J1 Scholars. While offering quality health insurance, Student Medicover insurance plans can often save students $1,000-$3,000 per year, with comparable or better benefits.

3. How to Pick a Health Insurance Plan?

A good insurance plan protects you from minor illnesses, as well as serious injuries and diseases. When you’re looking for a plan, consider the following factors:

The Cost

Some plans are much more cost-effective than others. But the cost is not the only factor you need to take into consideration. Cost should be compared at the same level of coverage and benefits. A plan with limited coverage can lead to catastrophic financial loss.

Insurance benefits

Read the insurance policies carefully, especially the schedule of benefit and exclusion sections. A good insurance plan should have a low deductible, high coinsurance, low copays, and a low out-of-pocket maximum.

Provider network

The Provider network is a group of care providers partnering with the insurance company to provide you with pre-negotiated rates. A powerful network allows you to find trustworthy doctors, clinics, urgent care centers, pharmacies, and hospitals wherever you need them.

Overall, it’s important to carefully compare the coverage and benefits of any health insurance plan before making a decision, as lower costs may come with trade-offs in terms of coverage or access to care.

4. Student Medicover Insurance Plans vs. UNC Insurance Plan

By waiving UNC-sponsored Student Health Insurance with Student Medicover you can save up to $1,952!

Note: the premium rates are shown for insured under the age of 25, please contact us for the premium rates or plan options for other age groups.

5. Limited Time Summer Campaign – The More You Refer The More You Get!

6. How do UNC Students Stay Covered with Student Medicover?

SM Elite Users Insurance Claims Cases

Other Student Medicover Insureds Testmonials

My accident happened in May, and by May end/June beginning, I had multiple claims that came from an ER visit. I sent all my claims to UHCSR.By the first two weeks of June, most of the claims were processed. The bigger one however took 3 weeks. I talked to people in Student Medicover and with their guidance and my trust in the process, by July mid, everything came into place. I think you CANNOT go wrong with SM guys! The people, the services are great and if you have any issues, they are always ready to help you.

VT F1 Student Prime Plan

I went to the CVS on University Ave for the 2nd shot of HPV. The distance between my dorm and the CVS store is only 0.2 miles. Approximately a 10-minute walk. It is very convenient. I was asked by CVS to provide my insurance ID card and passport to check-in. The doctor said that I don’t need to pay in advance. The plan I enrolled with Student Medicover covers HPV vaccines, so I didn't receive any bills afterward. Personally, the experience with the Student Medicover Prime plan is excellent. The customer service representative basically takes care of everything for me, and the insurance covered most of my medical costs. I will definitely recommend it to my peers.

UVA F1 StduentPrime Plan

I am allergic to peanuts and my face was severely swollen after I accidentally ate a peanut pie at the party. However, There’s no available appointments when I visited Student Health Center, so I found an in-network urgent care center through SM website for instant treatment. This walk-in experience was super convenient. I didn’t pay the bill of the period, the clinic said they would bill to UHCSR directly.I received an email from UHCSR in about 10 business days, saying that my claims had been completed. The total bill is $595, which is crazy. However, since the clinic is contracted with UnitedHealthcare, the discounted price is $325. The amount I am responsible for is $54. With the premium I spend on my insurance, it's a good deal to spend a little bit more to lower the future risk.

UPenn J1 StudentElite Plan

I used to have UCSHIP, and everything was fine except for the high rate, but health insurance for me is primarily used for vaccinations, such as Flu shots, so I switched to SM insurance for its similar coverage and better rate. SM insurance allows me to get a flu shot at CVS without a prior referral, while UCSHIP requires a referral for care outside of SHC. Looking for health insurance similar to UCSHIP but has a lower rate and better service, never miss Student Medicover！

UCI F1-OPT StudentElite Plan

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STEP 1

Enroll in an insurance plan

Visit smcovered.com, scroll down to "Enrollment"

- Choose your Birthday

- School: Choose University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

- Student Category: F1 International

- Coverage Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2024

Supreme, Elite, Prime100, Prime 500 meet the school's requirements to ensure the success of waive! Supreme and Elite plans are the most popular plans with the lowest deductible and the highest coinsurance.

Note:

-If you find duplicate charges or your payment has been canceled, please contact us as soon as possible.

-To avoid incurring additional fees, we recommend selecting alternative bank cards when making payments, as both BOA and PNC banks charge a handling fee for transactions.

STEP 2

Prepare Waiver Required Documents

1.Download Your Confirmation Letter and Temporary Insurance ID Card

-Go to smcovered.com to log in:

click "MY ENROLLMENTS" to download the confirmation letter.

click "DOWNLOAD ID CARD" to download the temporary insurance ID Card.

*If you are in urgent need of submitting the waiver, you can do so by providing a temporary insurance ID card.

*The temporary insurance ID card is for insurance waiver and registering insurance accounts only.

2.Download Your Insurance Certificate

-Go to smcovered.com and find "Review Certificates" in the "ENROLLMENT".

-Download the certificate of the insurance plan you enrolled.

STEP 3

Waive school insurance

1. Visit the school website:
https://studentblue.bcbsnc.com/unc/login?tab=Login

log in to your account on the left.
If you are a freshman, please click on request waiver on the right, register an account, and then return to this page to log in to the account for waive.

2. Enter the Waver process and fill in the applicant's information

3. Fill in the account information

Fill in the form according to the insurance information in the figure below:

5. Select Yes, and click Continue

6. Submit after confirming the information:

Submit!

The waiver will be reviewed and approved in 5-7 business days. Once approved, pending insurance charge will be removed from your student account balance. Any paid school insurance premium will be refunded to your student account if any.

STEP 4

Register for Your HealthSafe ID Insurance Account.

To get your official Insurance ID card, you need to register for the HeathSafe ID insurance account.

*Due to a recent system upgrade in UHCSR, it will take 1-2 business days after the enrollment to be able to register for a HealthSafe ID insurance account and download the official insurance card.

1.Go to UHCSR.com and select "Create My Account” at the bottom to register for the HeathSafe ID insurance account

2.Select “Register Now”

3.Enter your name, date of birth, and choose the Identification Type

-SR ID: the SR ID on the temporary insurance card.

-Student ID: either the student ID provided during enrollment or the student ID on the confirmation letter.

Enroll Now

[2023 updated] Insurance Waiver Guide for UNC