For the 2023–24 academic year, Ithaca College will be changing its Student Health Insurance Plan from MVP Health Care to Aetna Student Health. 

According to the college’s website on University Health Plans — an expert risk management brokerage that oversees insurance enrollment for the college —  the insurance costs $3,066 from Aug. 10 to Aug. 9, 2024. For incoming students attending the college in Spring 2024, the coverage will last from Jan. 1, 2024 to Aug. 9, 2024, but the cost of insurance for this time period has not been determined yet. 

The college will be billing students for the SHIP, the insurance plan provided by Aetna Student Health, to make sure that all students have at least some form of health insurance. However, students will be able to opt out by submitting a waiver form — which will be available on the college’s UHP website — to prove that their insurance plan is comparable to the SHIP. 

According to a June 13 Intercom post, the enrollments and waivers for the insurance plan will begin July 10 and students have until Sept. 15 to submit a waiver form to opt out of the SHIP. 

In the Intercom post, Prunty encouraged students to visit the college’s UHP website and reminded students to keep a tab on important dates regarding the enrollment and waiving process.

“Please be aware that each academic year brings its own insurance enrollment/waiver process and that an election to enroll in/waive coverage does not carry over from year-to-year,” Prunty wrote. 

While the college does partner with third-party organizations like Aetna Student Health and UHP, it does not earn any money from the partnership. 

“The College does not make any money from the SHIP; it is offered solely as an option for students and families who do not have the appropriate health insurance coverage,” the college’s UHP website says. “Our goal is to provide students the opportunity to receive quality health care services while minimizing the risk for unsurmountable medical bills.”  

A student’s non-SHIP insurance plan must provide certain basic benefits, the full list for which can be found here. UHP also encourages students that wish to purchase a non-SHIP plan to have Cayuga Medical Center included in their provider network and purchase a plan that lasts year-round. 

If students decide to use health services that are not covered by their insurance from the Hammond Health Center, they will be charged for it.

According to the website, the college’s SHIP is meant to provide students and their families with an affordable and comprehensive insurance plan. 

“Ithaca College strives to provide a safe and healthy educational experience to its students,” the website says. “Unexpected illness or injury can cause a significant, and sometimes irrecoverable, financial burden to students and families. Ithaca College works with insurers to obtain a quality health insurance plan that balances initial premium costs with out-of-pocket expenses for medical services.”