Requirements for Hershey College of Medicine Students

Penn State College of Medicine Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State Requirement

In accordance with recommendations of the Association of American Medical Colleges and standards of the Licensing Committee on Medical Education, the Penn State College of Medicine requires all medical students to have continuous health insurance coverage.

This policy is in place to maintain the health and wellness of our students and provide protection from the financial risk of health care expenses.

The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State is billed to the student’s account along with fall tuition. At the beginning of each fall and spring semester, all students will be charged for the SHIP for Penn State unless they are enrolled in the SHIP for Penn State plan (MD/PhD students) through Workday or have their own insurance that meets the requirement and has an approved waiver.

Students who are married and/or have eligible dependents may elect to enroll their dependents in the insurance plan by completing an online application and personally paying the required premium.

Students have the option of enrolling in the SHIP for Penn State or submitting a waiver for an alternative health insurance plan. If a waiver is approved, the selected insurance policy will provide the same minimum care as the University’s SHIP for Penn State and provide uninterrupted coverage throughout the academic year. Requirements are listed on the Waiver Requirements for Penn State College of Medicine Domestic Students site.

Enrollment Procedure

New and Continuing Students

At the beginning of each academic year, new and continuing students will need to complete the following steps: 

• Register for Classes in LionPATH.
• 24 – 48 hours later, log back in to LionPATH.
• Navigate to the Health Insurance page.
• Under the current coverage year, select Enroll or Waive.
• Follow additional steps to enroll or waiver.

Students requesting not to participate in the SHIP for Penn State must complete an Insurance Waiver through LionPATH at the beginning of each academic year to ensure that the College of Medicine has documented appropriate insurance coverage. Waivers are not automatically renewed from one year to the next. If a Waiver is not submitted by the assigned insurance deadline (see below), students will be enrolled and charged for the SHIP for Penn State. If no waiver is received by the deadline, students are responsible for the insurance charges and cannot be removed from the University’s Insurance Plan. Additionally, if students are enrolled in the University’s plan and use the benefits within the first thirty days of coverage and also present a waiver, they will not be permitted to be dropped from the University’s plan and are responsible for the premium charges.

Deadline and Where to Submit Forms

The deadline for the Enroll or Waive via LionPATH, must be completed by the established deadlines of the University as communicated through emails.

An Enrollment or Waiver must be completed by the established deadline date to avoid being charged for the SHIP for Penn State.

Premiums Payment Schedule

Student premiums will be charged to the student account to coordinate with fall/spring tuition and fee charges and fall/spring financial aid disbursement.

Dependent Coverage

Students enrolled for coverage in the SHIP for Penn State may also enroll eligible dependents. An eligible dependent is a spouse, domestic partner, and/or any unmarried child(ren) under the age of 26 who are not self-supporting. Dependent eligibility expires concurrently with that of the insured student. Students must personally pay premiums for dependent coverage.