Kalamazoo College Health Insurance Waiver/Enrollment

In an effort to ensure all students have access to healthcare and are sufficiently covered by health insurance in case of illness or injury, Kalamazoo College requires students to carry adequate health insurance. To comply with Kalamazoo College’s Health Insurance Policy, the ANNUAL health insurance opt-in/waiver period is May-August.

Visit United Healthcare Videos for assistance with creating an account, medical terminology, and more!

On this page:

Important Annual Dates

  • MAY – The ANNUAL health insurance opt-in/waiver period is May-August
  • AUGUST 1 -DEADLINE
    • All students must waive the College health insurance plan by August 1 to avoid the charge being placed on the student account. All students default to enrolled in the College health insurance if no action is taken each academic year.
    • Health insurance coverage begins for enrolled students and students who have taken no action.
  • SEPTEMBER 24 – DEADLINE to waive and have the charge removed from the student account. Students who do not complete the waiver by the September 24 deadline will be enrolled and billed for the Kalamazoo College Student Health Insurance Plan for the entire policy year.
  • Friday 1st Week Fall Quarter; 5 pm – DEADLINE by which a student can appeal the decision if their waiver is denied.
  • JULY 31 – Date that coverage ends for students enrolled in the College Health Insurance Plan.

Opt-In/Enrolling in the College Health Insurance Plan

Please see full policy for details at United HealthCare or the At a Glance Policy

  • Visit United HealthCare.
  • Select the Opt-In Button.  Create your account.  It will ask for your date of birth and student ID (seven-digit number BEGINNING with 0).
  •  Download your insurance card to begin using 8/1.  You can also download the app at www.uhcsr.com/kzoo to have access to your information 24/7 anywhere!

Coverage at a Glance (refer to the plan for full information)

  • Yearly Enrollment: $1329 for coverage from 8/1/24-7/31/25.
  • Deductibles: $200/individual at a preferred provider. All visits/services performed in the Student Health Center have no copay and no deductible.
  • Co-payments/co-insurance: 20% coinsurance at preferred providers for covered benefits.
  • Out of pocket expenses maximum: $4,000/individual at preferred providers.
  • Covered medications tiered copays: $0, $10, $25, $75, $100; please see policy for details.
  • Preventative services covered 100% at the Student Health Center and preferred providers.
  • There are preferred providers including doctors, urgent care, hospital, and pharmacies throughout Kalamazoo and the US. There is out of network coverage abroad; please see policy for copay/coinsurance details.
  • The plan covers conditions or treatments such as pregnancy, psychiatric care, and physical therapy, the same as any illness.

Looking for 2022-23 health insurance information? Go to Wellfleet

Vision and dental care options

Personal Property/Rental Insurance Option

Waiving the Kalamazoo College Health Insurance Plan

Please note, to waive the Kalamazoo College Student Health Insurance Plan, your health insurance must meet the following requirements:

  1. Current and active health insurance which provides coverage for the entire academic year.
  2. Health insurance complies with all applicable Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements including: unlimited lifetime maximum, coverage for essential health benefits, and coverage for pre-existing conditions, not a short-term medical policy.
  3. Health insurance provides coverage for inpatient and outpatient medical services (Emergency/Urgent Care only coverage does NOT satisfy this requirement).
  4. Health insurance provides coverage for medical services in Kalamazoo—out of state Medicaid (Medicaid and CHIP program names in your state) and HMOs without coverage within 50 miles of Kalamazoo do not meet this requirement.

These requirements will be verified during the waiver process. If your insurance doesn’t meet the requirements, you will be enrolled in the Kalamazoo College Student Health Insurance Plan August 1. To begin the waiver process, visit United Health Care.

For tax form purposes, the Student Health Insurance website WILL ask for your Social Security number.

All international students are enrolled in the Kalamazoo College Student Health Insurance Plan and cannot waive off the plan.

Students on study abroad need to have either US based insurance that has passed the college’s waiver process or the College insurance. Insurances issued by the study abroad host country cannot be used in place of the College insurance or insurance that has passed the waiver process.

Please note: The college does not charge an administrative or processing fee. The cost is to purchase health insurance coverage for one year for the student.

How to Waive

If you have insurance, you must have an approved waiver or you will be responsible for the full school year premium. Insurance premiums cannot be prorated. To receive your approved waiver:

  1. Visit United Healthcare during the waiver period. It will ask for your date of birth and student ID (seven-digit number BEGINNING with 0).
  2. Continue to complete the Waiver form. Be sure to have your health insurance card (digital is acceptable).
  3. Upon completion of the waiver, you will receive a confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation by email, then you have not completed the waiver process.

Additional Health Insurance Resources

Students are given the opportunity each year before fall quarter starts to evaluate their health insurance coverage needs. Students can only change insurance coverage outside of this time if they have a qualifying event. It is your responsibility to review your health insurance coverage and become aware of special requirements and provisions of your plan, such as deductibles/copays, in-network versus out-of-network providers’ charges (the Student Health Center is “out of network” for all insurances, except for the Student Health Insurance Plan), and prescription coverage. Your health insurance provider’s reimbursement policies and preferred providers, pharmacies, laboratories, etc. should be well understood by the student prior to arrival at “K.” Each student will need to carry a copy of their insurance card with them and have knowledge of their prescription co-pay amount.

Additional resources for Health insurance include:

  • Healthcare.gov for Health Insurance Marketplace resources
  • Health Coverage Basics for the state of Michigan – includes links to apply for Medicaid (an individual cannot receive Medicaid benefits simultaneously in two states. This means you will no longer have benefits in your original state). You will need to request your campus box number to provide a local address.
  • Preventative Health Services covered under the Affordable Care Act

Suggested Questions

When choosing among different health care plans, you’ll need to read the fine print and ask lots of questions such as those listed below. For answers to these questions for the K College Health Insurance Plan view the Kalamazoo College Health Costs and Other Coverage section. You can also see the full Kalamazoo College Health Insurance plan at United HealthCare:

  • What are the deductibles?
  • What are the co-payments/co-insurance?
  • What is the most I will have to pay out of my own pocket to cover expenses?
  • Are preventative services covered at my primary care doctor, at the college health center, etc.?
  • Am I able to be covered at any doctor, urgent care, hospital, or pharmacy I choose in Kalamazoo, at home, throughout the US, abroad, etc.?
  • Does the plan cover special conditions or treatments such as pregnancy, psychiatric care and physical therapy?
  • Will the plan cover medications my physician might prescribe?
  • Are specialists such as eye doctors and dentists covered?