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Waive or Cancel SHP

All Cornell students* must either enroll in SHP or, if eligible to waive coverage, show that they have alternate health insurance coverage which meets university requirements.

Not sure if you want to waive? To compare your existing coverage to SHP, you can use this plan comparison checklist.

If you are eligible to waive and wish to do so, your health insurance must:

  • Be provided by a government agency, broker, or company licensed to do business in the United States, underwritten in the US, and have a claims payment office within the US with a US phone number.
  • Not have an annual or lifetime limit on essential health benefits (as defined by the ACA).
  • Be in force for the duration of the academic year, or until the end of your program.
  • Provide “federal bronze level” 40% coinsurance (meaning the plan pays 60%) or better coverage for health care at the campus location where the student is attending school.
  • Include coverage for:
    • Inpatient Care,
    • Emergency Care,
    • Urgent Care,
    • Specialist Care,
    • Diagnostic Imaging and Testing,
    • Outpatient Mental Health Care.

The following are examples of plans which do NOT meet Cornell’s Requirements:

  • Medicaid Plans which do not provide the above benefits in the location where the student is attending school. Please see waiving with Medicaid for more information.
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans without coverage where the student is attending school or an “away from home” rider.
  • Catastrophic ("young invincible") plans.
  • New York State Essential Plans 3 or 4. (See below for more information.)

Special Considerations For:

Ithaca Campus Students

The Cayuga Health System runs the only hospital provider in Ithaca as well as many primary and specialty providers in the area, and does not participate with some common health insurance networks, including United Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente. In addition, there are no regularly scheduled public transportation options to other metropolitan areas such as Binghamton and Syracuse. If you plan to waive coverage, please check with your current health insurance provider to ensure you will have adequate coverage in the Ithaca area. You may be required to utilize out-of-network benefits if your insurer does not include Cayuga Health or Cayuga Medical Center as a participating provider or find private transportation to other regional centers, the nearest of which are about an hour's drive from Ithaca.

Some plans do not provide adequate coverage, defined in the blue box above, within a reasonable distance of Cornell's Ithaca campus and will not be accepted for a waiver.

Weill-Cornell

Please refer to Weill Cornell’s Student Health Plan Information page.

Cornell Tech in New York City

In-person students at Cornell Tech are required to maintain health coverage, either by enrolling in SHP or, if eligible to waive, showing they have coverage which meets university requirements.

*Depending on the type of enrollment, limited exceptions apply.