Health Insurance

• All F-1 and J-1 international students are required to enroll in The Texas A&M University System Student Health Insurance Plan (SSHIP).
• The SSHIP is through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) of Texas, and Academic Health Plans (AHP) provides management and administrative services for East Texas A&M.
• Students are automatically enrolled each semester, and the insurance premium charge is placed on an international student’s account as a separate charge during the second week of classes.
• The Office of International Programs does not set the cost of the insurance.
• The cost of the insurance is set by criteria and a bidding process at the A&M System. The SSHIP is for all universities within the A&M System.

• For general questions, please email [email protected].
• Students also may find important information about SSHIP by going to ETAMU MyAHPCare.
• BCBSTX 24/7 Nurseline
• Blue Access for Members
• Find a Doctor or Hospital
• Find a Pharmacy
• Summary of Benefits

The Texas A&M University System has established the following circumstances in which an F-1 or J-1 international student can request a waiver of SSHIP and provide alternative health insurance coverage that is comparable to SSHIP:

• You are sponsored by the United States government.
• You are sponsored by a foreign government recognized by the United States or certain international government-sponsored or non-governmental organizations and are covered under a health plan that is compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If the health plan does not include medical evacuation and repatriation, a rider must be purchased providing coverage at equal limits to the SSHIP.
• You are enrolled in an employer-provided group health plan that is compliant with the ACA. If the health plan does not include medical evacuation and repatriation, a rider must be purchased providing coverage at equal limits to the SSHIP.
• You are involved in intercollegiate athletics and coverage for all medical insurance is provided through a policy as part of the current sports accident medical policy approved by System Risk Management.

Only students who meet one of the A&M System-allowed exceptions on the Opt-Out/Waiver page may apply for a waiver.

Although a student may have alternate health insurance coverage, the student is not necessarily eligible for a waiver.

Insurance Waiver Dates

Please note the following:

• Students will need to allow Academic Health Plans (AHP) up to ten business days to process waiver requests
• It is the student’s responsibility to provide any additional documents to AHP regarding a waiver request
• Failure to respond to any document request from AHP or failure to submit documentation will result in a denial of a waiver
• The ISSS will not review waiver requests
• Students who fail to submit a waiver by the deadline will be required to pay the SSHIP charge on their student account and no refunds will be issued for the student

To submit a waiver, visit the Opt-Out/Waiver page.