UC SHIP (USHIP)

Visit our New Student page to learn about the non-academic admission health requirements and health insurance requirements that must be completed by all new students.

As a registered student at UCI, you are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP when your registration fees are assessed and appear on your campus billing or “ZOT” account. UC SHIP coverage begins on the first day of the academic term for your School. If you purchase other insurance coverage that meets all of the current UC SHIP Waiver Criteria, then you can waive enrollment in UC SHIP and receive a credit on your campus billing or “ZOT” account for the amount of the UC SHIP fees for that term.

If you are enrolled in UC SHIP, then you will be responsible for paying a portion of the costs for your medical care and UC SHIP will pay a portion. The vast majority of health insurance plans in the United States operate in a similar manner. Your portion of medical care costs are referred to as “copays”, “coinsurance” and “deductibles”.

Federal regulations require all J visa holders to carry health insurance throughout the period of participation in the Exchange Visitor Program as a condition of maintaining legal status. The University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) meets all J visa health insurance requirements, including coverage for medical evacuation and repatriation.

You are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP when your registration fees are assessed and appear on your campus billing or “ZOT” account. Since UC SHIP coverage does not begin until the first day of the academic term for your School and if you arrive in the United States before school starts, then it may be prudent for you to obtain short-term health insurance coverage in order to comply with the J visa requirements for that period.

Whether or not to purchase health insurance prior to arriving at UC Irvine depends upon many factors including the circumstances of each student’s unique situation. Some UC Irvine students, both domestic and international, have other health insurance that meets UC’s waiver criteria and, therefore, do not need UC SHIP. Insurance plans that are designed for international students must meet all of the UC SHIP Waiver Criteria and often they do not. In these cases, the student’s request to waive UC SHIP will not be approved. Please review your plan’s benefits in advance of completing the online UC SHIP waiver application to ensure that it complies with the waiver criteria.

Travel plans, reimbursement programs from your home country or home government, and plans owned, headquartered or operated outside of the United States will not qualify to be used to waive enrollment in UC SHIP.

Since UC SHIP coverage does not begin until the first day of the academic term for your School and if you arrive in the United States before school starts, then it may be prudent for you to obtain short-term health insurance coverage both to ensure access to medical care but also to comply with the J visa requirements for that period of time.

For students covered by UC SHIP

Following your visits, SHC will submit a claim to the UC SHIP insurance carrier for the services that you received at SHC. Once payment is received from the carrier (typically 2-3 weeks following the date of service), the portion for which you are responsible (e.g., co-pay, coinsurance, deductible) will be transferred to your campus billing or “Zot” account for payment. See ZOT Account Online to logon to your account; make payments and for other information regarding the Student Billing System.

For students with health insurance other than SHIP

SHC does not bill any health insurance plan other than the UC SHIP plans. SHC will transfer the charges for any services that you received and for which you are responsible to your campus billing account. You may submit a claim to your insurance carrier to seek reimbursement of these expenses and include an itemized statement of charges from SHC which you can view/print via the My Student Chart.

Billing for services outside SHC

When students receive care outside of Student Health Center, the health care provider may require you to pay the co-payment and/or coinsurance at the time of service, or they may send you a bill after the insurance company has paid the covered amount. Most providers will submit bills directly to the insurance company. If a student receives a bill for the full cost of services, the student should contact Anthem Blue Cross for assistance.

Preventive Care Services – No Copayment or Coinsurance Payment Required (UC SHIP Enrolled Students)

If you are enrolled in UC SHIP, there are many preventive care services for which you have no copayment and/or no coinsurance payment responsibility. Please refer to the UC SHIP Benefit Booklet for more information.

If you are NOT enrolled in UC SHIP, then you are responsible for payment of the entire fee related to any service rendered at SHC. However, you may seek reimbursement from your health insurance carrier. Please note that managed care/HMO insurance plans (e.g., Kaiser, Medi-Cal/Cal-Optima, Sutter Health, Blue Shield HMO, other HMO’s) will likely NOT reimburse you for non-urgent, routine and/or preventive care services.

For questions about claims or the Explanation of Benefits

Anthem Member Services: (866) 940-8306

For out of state claims: When you are outside of California and receive health care services, you should request that your provider bill the local Blue Cross – Blue Shield company in that state to ensure that your services are covered according to your UC SHIP benefits.

For out of country claims: Be sure to obtain a bill that contains all of the information listed below. You can print and use an “international claim form” from Anthem BlueCard Worldwide. To ensure proper payment or reimbursement of your claim, make sure that you receive an itemized bill from the provider. An itemized bill includes:

• Provider’s name, address, and tax identification number. Individual providers must also include their professional license number.
• Patient’s name, address, date of birth, and your insurance number.
• Dates of service.
• Procedure codes for service rendered.
• Charges for each service.
• Date of injury and description of how the injury occurred, if the claim is for treatment of an injury. This is especially important on claims for dental injury.

If any of this information is not included on a claim, the insurance payment may be delayed or denied. Most providers are aware of what is required for processing an insurance claim and will be happy to exchange an incomplete bill with one containing all of the required information.

• Voluntary and Dependent Enrollment in UC SHIP

• UC SHIP Optum Rx Plan Booklet for 2024-25 (Students and Dependents)
• OptumRx Managing your medications online
• OPTUMRx Claim Form
• OptumRx In-Network Pharmacies Near UC Irvine (20 mile radius)

• Dental Preventative Care Information

When you are traveling away from home and/or campus, you have access to care across the country through Anthem’s BlueCard® PPO Program. If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you have access to care through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Program. For assistance, please visit Anthem Blue Cross or contact the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Service Center at (800) 810-2583 (BLUE).

• UC SHIP Global Core Flyer

If you are enrolled in UC SHIP and will be graduating this term, you may purchase “continuation coverage” once your UC SHIP coverage expires. See Voluntary and Dependent Enrollment for additional information and to enroll in the plan.

Now Available: Special Enrollment-Period for Covered CA Health Care Coverage Due to COVID-19

Have you lost your health insurance due to COVID-19? If you’ve recently lost your coverage or will soon lose it, Covered California has established a special-enrollment period for those impacted by income changes, reduced hours or lay off due to COVID-19.

If the following circumstances apply to you, you may be eligible for health care coverage through Covered CA:

• You’ve lost Medi-Cal coverage
• You’ve lost your employer-sponsored coverage
• Your COBRA coverage is exhausted
• You are no longer eligible for UC SHIP coverage

To learn if you’re eligible or to apply for coverage, visit Covered CA or call (800) 300-1506 to speak with a Covered CA certified insurance agent or navigator for free and confidential enrollment assistance.

If you’re not eligible for Covered CA health coverage, you may be eligible for health insurance through LA County’s My Health LA (MHLA). MHLA is a no-cost health care program for individuals or families who do not have and cannot get health insurance. For assistance over the phone with MHLA, call (844) 744-6452 from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM (Monday through Friday).

Check with your local county health plan to determine if other health insurance coverage options are available to you. For other non-UC SHIP health insurance options, please visit HealthCare.gov.

The UC SHIP Reserve Fund Investment Committee (RFIC) granted funds to UC Irvine as well as to the other UC campuses for distribution to students experiencing financial hardship. These funds are intended to assist the student in paying their out-of-pocket medical and/or mental health expenses that exceed $500.00 up to the UC Family out-of-pocket maximum of $2,000.00 or the in-network individual out-of-pocket maximum of $3,000.00. Please note that these funds cannot be used to defray expenses related to dental or vision services. This program has been extended by UC SHIP’s Executive Oversight Board to cover expenses incurred through plan year 2024-25.

All graduate and undergraduate students and dependents who are currently enrolled in UC SHIP, and enrolled for at least one term before the date of the medical and/or mental health service, are eligible. To be eligible, a student must have no outstanding financial balance with UCI on their campus ZOT account and they must first apply for charity care from the provider of service. Each campus will be allotted a grant amount based upon their UC SHIP enrollment. Once the funds are exhausted, there will be no additional funds available for disbursement.

The following services are available for assistance, but services must be medically necessary:

• Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund Application
• Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund FAQ

Important Notice:

Applications contain protected health information and personally identifiable information. To ensure privacy and security of your health information, applications should be fax’d to UCI Student Health Center Insurance Services department at (949) 824-5062 or submitted via the My Student Chart:

How To Upload Your CMCAF Application Via The Patient Portal:

• Login to the Patient Portal
• Select “Upload Images/Clearance Forms” from the left sidebar
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page and upload documents in the “Insurance Services Department” box
• Click “Save” once all documents have been uploaded

Applications will be reviewed within seven (7) business days of submission. For questions, please contact the UCI Student Health Center Insurance Services department at (949) 824-2388 or by email at shc-insurance@uci.edu.

Pre-certification is required for all inpatient hospitalizations. Prior to a scheduled hospital admission or following an emergency admission, please call (800) 274-7767.

• UC SHIP In-Network Providers of Gender Affirming Health Services
• UC SHIP Gender Affirming Benefits Flyer

UC SHIP co-pays and/or coinsurance for medically necessary testing and treatment related to COVID-19 will apply. Cost sharing includes, but is not limited to, copays, deductibles or coinsurance. Medically necessary screening, testing and treatment for COVID-19 may include hospital services (including emergency department), urgent care visits, provider office visits, telehealth encounters (e.g., LiveHealth Online) and clinical labs where the purpose of the visit is to be screened, tested and/or treated for COVID-19.

Students will be financially responsible for any COVID-19 related services that are deemed NOT to be medically necessary.