Health Insurance

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: All undergraduate, graduate, law, medical, Health sciences, and doctoral students, who are enrolled in classes on the Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, VSTC, and Corcoran campuses, 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. If you have other acceptable coverage you must waive by February 1, 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 the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan directly with University Health Plans.  

2024-2025 GW SHIP Plan Details and Benefits Summary. (pdf).

coverage periods & Waiver deadline

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.

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. 

Waive GW SHIP

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