UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — To avoid out-of-pocket fees, Penn State graduate assistants, graduate fellows and eligible dependents enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) are encouraged to schedule critical appointments before the end of the calendar year or wait to schedule maintenance appointments after mid-February 2017. Appointments scheduled outside of this window may result in up-front payment requests by the provider.
Vision, health and dental benefits for all graduate assistants, graduate fellows and eligible dependents enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan for the fall 2016 enrollment period will end Dec. 31, 2016. Spring and summer benefits will begin Jan. 1, 2017, however, a one-month vendor delay is expected to occur for all vision and dental services.
There is no gap in health insurance coverage. Insurance coverage is effective back to the date of enrollment. If emergency medical care is needed, University Health Services will send an "emergency add" notification to the insurance company to ensure that the student is added to the system. The Student Health Insurance office works very closely with medical vendors to ensure that students will be treated during such critical times.
For more information on graduate assistant vision and dental benefits, review the Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow Insurance Policies online, or contact the office of Student Health Insurance in University Health Services, a unit of Student Affairs, at 814-865-7467.