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Student Health Insurance Coverage Requirements

UT Southwestern Cares About Your Health and Well-Being

In order to establish you have appropriate health care coverage while you are a student, UT Southwestern and the UT System Board of Regents require all students at a UT System health-related institution to have and maintain valid major medical health insurance coverage while enrolled. This coverage may be with the UT System-sponsored plan or from another provider. For students who do not have their own health insurance policy, UT Southwestern has contracted with the AcademicBlue℠ Student Health Plan, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) plan.

Students Enrolling in AcademicBlue℠

UT Southwestern students will be automatically enrolled in the AcademicBlue℠ Student Health Plan unless a waiver is submitted online. The AcademicBlue℠ health insurance premium will be added to your student account. See student coverage costs. UT Southwestern will bill the cost of your insurance premium to your student account.

Alternatively, students can choose to submit a waiver to show evidence of health insurance coverage. If the waiver is not submitted, you will be enrolled in AcademicBlue℠ and the cost of the health insurance premium will be added to your student account. You will be responsible for the cost of that term’s insurance premium. Waivers must be submitted each term.

Submitting a Waiver

  • You will receive an email from UT Southwestern’s Office of Student Accounting when the waiver site opens. This will contain timelines and procedures for submitting a waiver indicating you have comparable health insurance through another provider.
  • If you have alternate coverage, go to the AcademicBlue℠ waiver site and submit a waiver.
  • If you are going to submit a waiver, we recommend you do so by the priority deadline three weeks before the start of classes for that term to ensure the AcademicBlue℠ semiannual premium cost won’t be added to your student account.
  • If you submit a waiver between the priority deadline and the first day of class for the semester, the AcademicBlue℠ premium cost will be removed from your student account 3-5 business days after we receive a status of "Verified" from AcademicBlue℠.
  • It’s important to know that students who do not submit a waiver by the priority deadline will be enrolled in AcademicBlue℠ by UT Southwestern and will be responsible for the cost of the semiannual AcademicBlue℠ insurance premium.
  • If the submitted alternate insurance plan is verified as inactive coverage or no coverage exists, Academic Health Plans will change the waiver status to “Denied.” The waiver system will send an auto-generated “Denied” email advising you that your waiver has been denied and you will be enrolled in the UTSW Student Health Plan.
  • If you request to cancel your waiver, the waiver status will be changed to “Cancelled” (for example, if your alternate coverage becomes inactive). The waiver system will send an auto-generated “Cancelled” email advising you that your waiver is no longer verified and you will be enrolled in the UTSW Student Health Plan.
  • You will need to submit a waiver for each semester of enrollment.
  • See details on how to submit a waiver showing evidence of alternate insurance coverage.

** No waivers will be accepted or reversal of charges will be made after the first day of classes each semester.