{"id":1985,"date":"2016-07-13T12:20:10","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T16:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/health\/?page_id=1985"},"modified":"2026-07-29T16:15:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T20:15:00","slug":"insurance-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/health-services\/insurance-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Insurance FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Health Insurance Policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Health Insurance Policy?<\/h3>
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ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College requires that all students have active, comprehensive health insurance coverage while enrolled, including coverage for both emergency and non-emergency care, to ensure that students have coverage for local care to meet their health care needs while at campus.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why does ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College require students to have comprehensive and non-emergency health insurance?<\/h3>
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Students are required to have comprehensive health insurance coverage to both help minimize catastrophic financial risk for students in the event of a health issue and to increase students\u2019 access to health care during their time at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The College partners with Central Maine Medical Center to provide health care on campus at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Health Services and bills insurance for services utilized, rather than charge a campus health fee. Therefore, to utilize services on campus you must have and provide proof of health insurance that covers primary care.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Annual Health Insurance Enroll-Waive Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the Student Health Insurance Plan Enroll-Waive process?<\/h3>
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Annually, all students must enroll or waive health insurance coverage under the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Student Health Insurance Plan<\/strong>. The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Student Health Insurance Plan is compliant with the Affordable Care Act (the ACA). In order to waive the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ SHIP, students must have comprehensive health insurance coverage that is considered to be \u201ccomparable coverage.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Enroll \u2013 Waive process for returning students opens on May 4, 2026 and closes on May 27, 2026. The process opens on June 9, 2026 and closes on June 29, 2026 for entering students. The Health Insurance Enroll \u2013 Waive process is accessed through Garnet Gateway and administered by the Wellfleet Insurance Group. To complete this process, click on the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) under the To-Do List on Garnet Gateway<\/a>. This process is completed annually during the spring and summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to request to waive the Wellfleet SHIP, students will be required to answer a few qualifying questions about their health insurance plan and upload a copy of the front and back of their health insurance card. Based on this information Wellfleet will determine if the insurance plan meets the criteria to waive the Wellfleet SHIP. If the plan doesn\u2019t meet the criteria listed below, students will receive an immediate email letting them know their waiver request has been declined with the reason, and the student will be enrolled in the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ SHIP. If their plan meets the criteria to waive the SHIP, students will receive an immediate email letting them know their waiver request is \u201cpending\u201d while their insurance information is being audited. Once the audit is complete, students will receive a second email notifying them if their request to waive has been approved or declined. If the waiver is declined, the email will state the reason for the declination, and they will be enrolled in the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ SHIP. The waiver process is completed on the website of the Wellfleet Insurance Group, which administers the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College SHIP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students who do not complete the Enroll-Waive process by the appropriate date listed above will be automatically enrolled in the SHIP and charged the premium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International students cannot decline coverage unless they are insured under a U.S. plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions about the Enroll-Waive process can be directed to the college\u2019s insurance broker, Lisa Farrington at Cross Insurance at Lisa.Farrington@crossagency.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What qualifies as “comparable health care coverage”? <\/h3>
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Comparable coverage is a medical plan from a company based in the United States that provides health insurance benefits without lifetime maximums or pre-existing condition limitations. International students cannot decline coverage unless they are insured under a U.S. plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, comparable coverage complies with the Affordable Care Act and provides equivalent or increased benefits than those provided under the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ SHIP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regional HMO plans may not have providers that provide non\u2010emergency health care services in Maine and would not be considered comparable coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparable coverage must include coverage for: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n