Health Insurance
Health Insurance
Take care of your health and well-being with GW's comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan.
Health insurance guarantees that you can obtain necessary treatment if you develop a serious illness or injury. It also guarantees that you can obtain preventative medical services like immunizations and physical exams. The George Washington University (GW) offers a comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through Aetna Student Health.
In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, some of the benefits that are offered by the GW SHIP include:
- An unlimited lifetime maximum benefit
- Prescription coverage after $100 deductible
- Preventative services covered at 100% (at preferred providers)
- Contraception covered 100% (at preferred providers)
New for 2024-2025: Mandatory GW SHIP Enrollment
Mandatory Eligibility: Mandatory Eligibility: All Undergraduate, Graduate, Law, Health sciences, and Doctoral students, who are enrolled in classes on the Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, VSTC, and Corcoran campuses, all medical students, and all International students on a J1 or F1 Visa are required to have health insurance while they study at GW. These students will be automatically charged and enrolled in the GW SHIP and must submit a waiver form if they have another insurance plan that meets the required waiver criteria. You must waive coverage by September 12, 2025 at University Health Plans.
Voluntary Eligibility: All undergraduate and graduate student on all remaining campuses including Arlington or Alexandria campus, all non-degree seeking students with 9 or more credit hours, students on continuous enrollment, graduate students enrolled in continuous research, students on a school-approved leave of absence, and all online Medical and Nursing students who participate in clinical rotation on campus are eligible to enroll on a voluntary basis in GW SHIP directly with University Health Plans.
2024-2025 GW SHIP Plan Details and Benefits Summary (PDF)
Coverage Periods & Waiver Deadline
- 2024 - 2025
GW SHIP is an annual plan, and students enrolling in the Fall must waive by September 12, 2024 for the Spring/Summer semesters. Students must waive each academic year they remain enrolled at GW.
Coverage Period Coverage Start Date Coverage End Date Enrollment/Waive Deadline Annual August 12, 2024 August 11, 2025 September 12, 2024 Fall August 12, 2024 December 31, 2024 September 12, 2024 Spring January 1, 2025 August 11, 2025 February 1, 2025 Summer Only May 1, 2025 August 11, 2025 May 20, 2025 - 2025 - 2026
GW SHIP is an annual plan, and students enrolling in the Fall must waive by September 12, 2025 for the Spring/Summer semesters. Students must waive each academic year they remain enrolled at GW. The waiver period for the 2025 - 2026 Academic Year opens on August 1, 2025.
Coverage Period Coverage Start Date Coverage End Date Enrollment/Waive Deadline Annual August 12, 2025 August 11, 2026 September 12, 2025 Fall August 12, 2025 December 31, 2025 September 12, 2025 Spring January 1, 2026 August 11, 2026 February 1, 2026 Summer Only May 1, 2026 August 11, 2026 May 20, 2026
SHIP Waivers
Students who wish to opt out of GW SHIP must have health insurance coverage that meets certain domestic or international coverage requirements. More information is available from University Health Plans. Please note, you must complete a waiver every academic year you remain enrolled at GW.
- Domestic Students
- Plan provides comprehensive coverage in the George Washington campus area (Washington metropolitan area of Washington D.C. and parts MD, VA, and WV). Emergency only coverage does not satisfy this requirement.
- Plan is owned, operated, and based in the United States, and fully compliant with an Affordable Care Act benefit regulations for individual or group health insurance plans filed in the United States.
- Plan is currently active and provides coverage for the entire academic year while a registered student.
- Annual deductible does not exceed $2,500, or have the personal or family means or a health savings account to pay for a higher deductible.
- International Students
- Plan provides comprehensive coverage in the George Washington campus area (Washington metropolitan area of Washington D.C. and parts MD, VA, and WV). Emergency only coverage does not satisfy this requirement.
- Plan is owned, operated, and based in the United States, and fully compliant with an Affordable Care Act benefit regulations for individual or group health insurance plans filed and approved in the United States.
- Plan is currently active and provides coverage for the entire academic year while a registered student.
- Annual deductible does not exceed $500.
- My plan provides at least $25,000 coverage for Repatriation (repatriation provides transportation to your home country in the event of death).
Additional Information
Printing Your ID Card
You can access your insurance ID card by going to the University Health Plans website.
Questions & Contact
For waiver, enrollment, eligibility, general benefit questions or plan issues, please contact University Health Plans at 1-833-251-1721.
For specific benefit or claims questions, contact Aetna Student Health at 1-877-480-4161.
For all other questions or concerns, check out our SHIP Frequently Asked Questions, or email ship@gwu.edu.
