Cornell University requires that all matriculated, degree-seeking students have health insurance coverage so that access to healthcare is not a barrier to the success of any student. Having quality health insurance aids in protecting the investment students and their families/supporters are making in pursuing an advanced degree.
To meet the insurance requirement, all Cornell students* must either enroll in SHP or, if eligible, opt-out/waive SHP coverage with an approved alternate health insurance coverage that meets university requirements.
What benefits should my insurance have?
If you are eligible to opt-out/waive SHP, and wish to do so, your health plan must have the following:
Is provided by a U.S. employer, government agency, or broker, is underwritten in the U.S., and has a U.S. claims payment office and phone number.
Will be active for the entire academic year, or until the end of your program.
Does not have coinsurance levels higher than 40% in the zip code where the student is attending school.
Are there insurance plans that do not meet the requirements?
Yes. The following are examples of plans that do not meet Cornell’s requirements and will not receive an approved waiver.
Medicaid plans that do not provide comprehensive coverage at your campus location. Please go to waiving with Medicaid to learn about which Medicaid Managed Care Networks are available at your campus location.
Regionally limited EPO and HMO plans that do not have an “away from home” rider.
Catastrophic ("young invincible") plans.
New York State Essential Plans 3 or 4.
Special Considerations For:
Ithaca Campus Students
While Ithaca is a "gorges" area, we are also in a centrally-isolated and rural region of upstate New York.
If you plan to opt-out/waive SHP coverage, please check with your current health insurance provider to learn about coverage levels and providers in the Ithaca area (zip code 14850). You may need to use out-of-network benefits in Ithaca if your insurance plan does not have Cayuga Health as a participating or in-network provider.
Cayuga Health is the only hospital in Ithaca and is the parent organization for many primary and specialty medical providers in the Ithaca area.
Cayuga Health does not accept some common health insurance networks, including United Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente. This is a list of participating insurances at Cayuga Health.
If necessary, students sometimes need to find private transportation to other regional centers near Ithaca for medical care, the closest of which are about an hour's drive from Ithaca. There are no regularly scheduled public transportation options to more metropolitan areas such as Binghamton, NY and Syracuse, NY. Local bus services provided by TCAT operate about every 30-60 minutes to local medical offices and facilities.
Some insurance plans do not provide adequate coverage, defined as the 5 requirements above, within a reasonable distance of Cornell's Ithaca campus. Students with inadequate insurance coverage will not receive an approved waiver.
Cornell Tech Students
In-person students at Cornell Tech must meet the same 5 insurance requirements either by enrolling in SHP or, if eligible, opt-out/waive SHP coverage. Due to its metropolitan location, there are more U.S. employer-sponsored insurance plans that offer in-network comprehensive coverage in NYC.
Please search for participating providers in the NYC Metropolitan area, in zip code 10044, or in New York County. You may need to use out-of-network benefits in NYC if your insurance plan does not have participating providers in this location.
