[2023 updated] Insurance Waiver Guide for UPitt

[2023 updated] UPitt Student Insurance Waiver Guide 

UPitt

UPitt Fall 2023 Deadline to Waive

October 15, 2023 11:59:59 pm EDT

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“ Simply submit your waiver with us

save up to $2,098 a year from your insurance cost! ”

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 UPitt student account, you will see that the University of Pittsburgh has automatically posted fee for the university’s Student Health Insurance Plan. 

However, international students have the option to enroll in a  more affordable plan designed specifically for them. This year, UPitt’s insurance plan costs up to $5,102 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.

waive-guide

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.

insurance waiver

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. UPitt Insurance Plan

UPitt en 2023 updated

By waiving UPitt Student Health Insurance with Student Medicover you can save up to $2,098!

Note: the premium rates shown are for insureds under the age of 25, please contact us or visit our home page www.smcovered.com 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 UPitt Students Stay Covered with Student Medicover?

SM Elite Users Insurance Claims Cases
Other Student Medicover Insureds Testmonials

7. How to Enroll and Waive?

STEP 1

Enroll In an Insurance Plan

Visit smcovered.com, scroll down to "Enrollment"

- Choose your Date of Birth

- School: Choose University of Pittsburgh

- Student Category: F1 International

- Coverage Period: 9/1/2023-8/31/2024

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Supreme, Elite, Prime 100, Prime 500 and GC Basic 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.

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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.

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*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".

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-Download the certificate of the insurance plan you enrolled.

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STEP 3

Waive School Insurance

1.Visit the School Insurance Waiver System website: https://my.pitt.edu/

-log in to the account for waive.

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2. Enter the Waiver Portal.

-Choose Start Here-Start Enrollment.

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3. Fill out the form according to the information below.

-Confirm your personal info.

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-Choose "No".

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-Choose "No,Waive Coverage.

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-Click "View",fill out the insurance info.

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4. Fill out the insurance information.

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5. Choose whether you need additional coverage.

-- The following two coverage for Dental and Vision are provided separately by the school and can be selected on demand.

dental and vision

6. Review your insurance info.

- View Benefit Summary.

pitt review1 pitt review2 pitt review3

Done!

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



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2.Select “Register Now”

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

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-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.