(Last modified December 9, 2000.)
For the rules on who must purchase the BU Student Medical Insurance
Plan, see the Student Accounting Services page on Medical Insurance.
Less than 3/4-time Non-International Students
Students who are not international students and taking less than 75% of
a full-time* course load, aren't required to have medical insurance.
Thus, these students can take advantage of other options more easily. Some
students who are continuing-study, but normally qualify as
full-time, may be able to change their status to part-time.
*Remember that students who have completed all required courses and are
on "Continuing Study" are usually certified as studying full-time.
There are several issues students should be aware of concerning part-time
status:
-
Part-time status may not be available to students that must remain
full-time to defer paying student loans.
-
Being registered as part-time means that Medicare and Social Security
will be taken out of your BU paycheck, which isn't normally done with
those registered as full-time. You should compare the amount of these
withholdings to the premium for an insurance plan. Or, in the case of
assistance programs, which don't normally have a premium, you should
research whether they provide better coverage that would offset the
extra deductions.
-
Check with your department to see if there are any additional
repercussions or policies about being on part-time status.
The Waiving Procedure
If you choose another insurance plan that meets BU's requirements, you
must formally waive the BU Student Medical Insurance Plan. The state
program MassHealth does qualify as a student
insurance plan. To waive the BU plan, you should do the following:
-
Make sure the plan meets BU's qualifications for a student insurance
plan. You may wish to contact Student Account Services at 617-353-2264
if you are not sure.
-
Enroll in your alternative insurance plan.
-
Note the insurance company name and policy number
(you'll need this info for the BU insurance waiver form).
-
Fill out an insurance waiver with BU's Student Accounting Services
on the 4th floor of 881 Commonwealth Ave. The form only requires a few
pieces of information. There is even an online version of the
waiver form (available at the end of that web page).
See the Student Accounting Services Medical Insurance page
for the deadline for filing a waiver.
To contact the Graduate Student Organization on healthcare issues, send
mail to healthcare@gso.bu.edu.