General Insurance FAQs

Do I have to submit a new waiver every semester?

The insurance waiver you submit is valid for one year or 3 semesters from the time of submission.


How do I know when my waiver is about to expire?

Easy! You can log in to the Student Self-Service Portal and go to your Insurance page. The waivers on file will show an effective and and expiration date. Additionally, the Health Compliance Office will send reminder emails to the student email account advising that the waiver will expire and will need to be renewed prior to the following semester. This email is usually sent approximately 1 month prior to the expiration of the waiver.


I submitted a waiver, but the charge for Student Health Insurance Plan has appeared on my fee statement anyway.

Students must allow at least 3-5 business days for a transaction to process on their account.


What options do I have if my waiver is denied?

Purchase or remain in the Student Health Insurance Plan until the academic year is completed, then seek private health insurance or visit the health insurance marketplace at www.healthcare.gov and have insurance in place prior to the next academic year.


How will UF enforce the health insurance requirement?

If you submit a waiver, you agree that your current insurance plan may be contacted for confirmation that your coverage is in force for the applicable policy year and that it meets the school’s waiver requirements. The University will conduct random audits throughout the year to determine the accuracy of waiver submissions.


I paid for the school sponsored insurance plan through my student account and I need my insurance card for health services. How do I get it?

Please note that the school sponsored health insurance plan has a referral requirement. Typically, the first stop in accessing care is to the Student Health Care Center on campus. The staff there will not require that you present an insurance card to be seen. They are aware of the transition period described below.

If you need to access medical services outside of the UF Student Health Care Center at the beginning of the semester, please call us at (352) 294-2925 so that we can ask UnitedHealthcare to load your coverage and generate an ID card for you. 


I paid for the school sponsored insurance plan through my student account. When will I be issued an insurance card?

If you are charged for the school sponsored insurance plan then you will be auto-enrolled for the active semester. The University enrollment file does not get sent to United Healthcare until after fee payment deadline as that is the cut-off for students to opt out of the insurance. Once the file is sent to United and coverage is loaded, it will be retroactive to the start of the term (see UF Plan Rates & Dates). United Healthcare will then send welcome emails that include a copy of your insurance card and instructions to create your online account with them.


I am going to be enrolled in a study abroad program. Do I need to submit an insurance waiver?

If you are enrolled in a study abroad program you do not need to complete an insurance waiver. Study Abroad Services will enroll you in Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) coverage to meet your health care needs abroad. Study Abroad Services will provide us with a list of students enrolled in their programs that do not need the school sponsored insurance through United Healthcare. You would be waived from the insurance requirement for the time period you are abroad. To reach the Study Abroad Services, please call 352-273-1539.


I purchased the school sponsored insurance directly from UnitedHealthcare StudentResources (i.e. not through student account), but there is an insurance charge on my account. Do I need to complete an insurance waiver?

If you purchased the school sponsored insurance plan directly with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources but have been assessed an insurance charge on your student account the charge will be adjusted automatically. Leading up to fee payment deadline UnitedHealthcare StudentResources provides us with lists of students who enrolled directly with them and therefore do not need to be enrolled by the University. The list is processed and any charges are reversed.

Shortly after fee payment deadline the University will finalize our enrollment list. When this is sent to UnitedHealthcare StudentResources, it is compared to the list of people who directly enrolled. Any duplicate coverages are removed and the pending bursar account charges are adjusted.


I have the school sponsored insurance but I am not taking classes in the Summer. Do I have to renew my coverage? 

If you are a domestic student, the University will only auto-enroll you in the school sponsored insurance plan for the semesters that you are enrolled in classes at least half-time. If you wish to be enrolled in the school sponsored insurance for semesters that you are not taking classes you will need to enroll through the local servicing agent – contact Kim Wood at 352-377-2002.  UnitedHealthcare StudentResources requires that you are registered for classes at the time you purchase insurance so you would need to complete the enrollment before the end of the preceding semester.

If you are a domestic student you are not required to maintain health insurance over the Summer if you are not taking classes. A break in coverage over the Summer semester will not result in a tax penalty under the Affordable Care Act. You are considered covered any month you had minimum essential coverage for at least one day. A gap in health insurance for no more than 2 months would qualify for a short-gap exemption. For more information please see: https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions-tool/#/results/2015/details/short-gap .


General Requirement Information

Effective Spring 2017 the following types of health insurance do not meet the coverage requirements (this is not a comprehensive list but rather a helpful guide):

  • Geographic HMOs (examples include, but are not limited to: Humana HMOx, Coventry Carelink HMO, Kaiser Permanente, etc.
  • Short-term policies (examples include, but are not limited to: IHC Health Solutions, HCC Medical Insurance, Freedom Life Insurance Company etc.)