Student employees must be appointed in eligible .5 FTE position(s) and actively working to be eligible for funded insurance. Student employee positions which qualify to be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) with the student premium paid by UTD will include the following job titles/codes:

• Research Assistant – S00634
• Teaching Assistant – S00061
• Teaching Associate – S00041
• Graduate Assistant – Sl00071

After the student’s employment has been updated in the HR System (Job Data), the student employee will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan. No action is required of the student employee to be enrolled into SHIP*; however, it is imperative that the hiring department submit the ePAR in a timely manner. UTD will cover the medical premium for eligible student employees only, not dependents.

*Eligible student employees should not go out to the Academic HealthPlans website to obtain the funded insurance for themselves. The university must send the file of funded students to Academic HealthPlans. If an eligible student enrolled themselves in SHIP, Academic HealthPlans will refund that premium once they receive the funded file.

Here is what eligible students should expect:

• An email from the UT Dallas Benefits Office, informing you of the employee insurance options.
• An email sent to your UT Dallas email from Academic HealthPlans on or after your hire date, informing you of your automatic enrollment in SHIP including information regarding the SHIP waiver period and information on enrolling dependents. Emails will also be sent to you weekly reminding you of the waiver period as well as emails for incomplete waiver submission or further waiver requirements.
• If you do not already have one or if there is a change in your dependent enrollment, BCBSTX will mail an insurance card to the address on file. It is imperative your address is correct in the HR system. To change it, please log into galaxy.utdallas.edu > Gemini for Departments > Self Service > Personal Details. You may also email payroll@utdallas.edu with help in making address changes.
• This non-taxable student benefit will appear under the “employer paid benefits” section of your paycheck for premiums paid by UTD.
• The following financial transactions on your student financial account:
  • Eligible international students who might already be charged the required term-based SHIP charge as an F1, F2, J1, or J2 visa holder will have that term-based insurance charge waived with a transaction called “RA / TA Ship Waiver” once the department has updated your position in job data. This is posted only so the student does not owe the term-based charge automatically posted during course enrollment and so you are not enrolled in SHIP coverage twice. This waiver credit is not refundable.
  • All eligible students will see a “RA / TA Student Insurance” charge on their Bursar student account. (This is for UTD internal accounting purposes only and is not a guarantee of period or dates of insurance coverage.)
  • A credit called “UTD Payment – RA / TA Insurance” will be posted on to the Bursar student account to offset the “RA / TA Student Insurance” charge. (This is for UTD internal accounting purposes only and is not a guarantee of a payment of a period or dates of insurance coverage. This is not a refundable payment to the student.)

Eligible RA / TA / GA may enroll dependents in SHIP coverage using the “RA/TA Part Time Employees – Enroll Dependents” link on the  Academic HealthPlans enrollment page within 31 days of their hire date. Academic HealthPlans will send registration emails with a link to enroll dependents after the student has been enrolled in SHIP as a RA / TA / GA, normally on or after their hire date. Cost sheets are located on the Academic HealthPlans enrollment page. Monthly premiums for dependents are paid directly to Academic HealthPlans. Those RA /TA /GA working from summer into fall and actively working on 8/1 must reenroll dependents during SHIP annual open enrollment (see Annual Dependent Enrollment section below).

All RA / TA / GA who are eligible for SHIP on 8/1 including all continuing RA / TA / GA who previously waived SHIP, will be automatically enrolled in SHIP for the new policy year starting 8/1. Those wanting to request to waive SHIP again for the new plan year must submit a new waiver request on the Academic HealthPlans website after you receive the waiver link from Academic HealthPlans (see Annual SHIP Waiver Period section below for more details). The current waiver period for those continuing employment from summer into fall is 8/1/2024 – 8/31/2024. More information will be communicated by the RA/TA SHIP Team in July. Academic HealthPlans will send an email when the waiver system is active for you to submit your waiver request. Failing to submit a waiver request and meeting all waiver requirements by the 8/31/2024 deadline will result in you remaining in SHIP coverage until you lose funded SHIP eligibility or until the next annual waiver period.

Those with dependents enrolled in SHIP through 7/31 must reenroll their dependent(s) in SHIP each plan year. The open enrollment period to enroll dependents is 7/25/2024 through 8/31/2024 for coverage effective 8/1/2024. UTD will email all eligible RA / TA / GA on 7/25/2024 with the link to enroll dependents when the enrollment period opens. Failing to enroll dependents into the new plan year by 8/31/2024 will result in their dependent coverage ending 7/31/2024. Dependent premiums are paid directly to Academic HealthPlans.

UTD will pay the Student Health Insurance Plan student premium for the months they are an eligible RA / TA / GA at .5 FTE and have worked at least one day of the month. Students lose eligibility for funded SHIP when they are not actively working in an eligible RA / TA / GA position including when on leave of absence, short work break, change to a non-eligible position, have any gap in eligible employment or falling below .5 FTE. If you lose eligibility, your funded insurance coverage will end on the last day of the month you were actively working, and we will email you possible options to continue your Student Health Insurance Plan when your status changes in job data.

SHIP is a student benefit and your eligibility to continue coverage is dependent on your student status at the time you lose coverage. Your domestic or international visa status, how many credit hours you are registered in on census day for that term, and when you lose coverage will determine if you qualify to enroll in Student Health Insurance through Academic HealthPlans directly when you lose eligibility for funded SHIP. Information on your enrollment options will be sent to you at the time your department updates your assignment in job data.

International students (F-1, F-2, J-1, or J-2 visa) losing coverage in the middle of a term they are registered students will be enrolled in SHIP by the Bursar Office as required by UT System for the months no longer eligible for funded SHIP. The premium cost for the months you are not working as an eligible employee will be added to your Bursar student account as a partial term insurance charge. The RA/TA SHIP Team will email you when the charge is reflected on your student account. The student must contact Academic HealthPlans to continue dependent enrollment in coverage within 31 days from enrollment in partial term insurance. For insurance purposes, term dates are 8/1-12/31 (Fall), 1/1-5/31 (Spring),  and 6/1-7/31 (Summer).

International students continuing at UTD who lose funded SHIP coverage in May who are not registering for courses or internship for the summer term can enroll in SHIP coverage directly through the Academic HealthPlans website for summer (6/1-7/31) if they choose and will pay Academic HealthPlans directly. The “International Students Not Enrolled in Summer Courses” link on the Academic HealthPlans enrollment page will be available during the SHIP summer enrollment period along with deadlines to do so.

Domestic students losing coverage in the middle of a term may enroll in SHIP for the remainder of the term via qualified event (QE) if they meet student eligibility requirements on census day of that term.  The deadline to enroll via qualified event is 30 days from the date your funded coverage ended.

Those no longer meeting student eligibility requirements may enroll in 3 months of continuation coverage if they were enrolled in SHIP coverage for at least the last four months prior to enrolling in continuation coverage. The deadline to enroll in continuation coverage is 31 days from the date your funded coverage ended.

Note: SHIP is a student benefit, not an employee benefit, therefore not included in COBRA coverage offered when you leave UTD employment.

Funded Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) coverage will be effective retroactively to the first day of the month hired for all eligible student employees. Funded coverage ends the last day of the month you were actively working in an eligible RA /TA / GA position. (See Loss of Eligibility section) The SHIP policy year for UT Dallas is 8/1-7/31.  Your Academic HealthPlans and BCBSTX account may show coverage through the end of the plan year on 7/31, but that date will change if you are no longer eligible for funded SHIP.

Coverage Start Date: Eligible RA / TA / GA will have coverage retroactive to the 1^st day of the month in which they are hired. Example:  An Eligible RA / TA / GA hired to start working on 9/15 will have SHIP coverage retroactive to 09/01. Eligible student employees will be able to submit claims to the carrier retroactively after their hire date and have been enrolled in SHIP after their department has submitted an ePAR and their assignment is reflected in job data. Academic HealthPlans will email registration and waiver information on or after your hire date.

• Coverage End Date: Eligible student employees will lose funded coverage at the end of the month were actively working. Example: Students who are terminated in December will have SHIP coverage paid by UT Dallas through December 31^st. Students on short work break during summer who last worked in May would have funded SHIP insurance through May 31^st. (See the Loss of Coverage section)
• Continuous Coverage: Eligible student employees enrolled in SHIP who are actively working through summer into the new policy year will be automatically enrolled in SHIP again effective 8/1. No action is required of the student to continue SHIP, but dependents must be reenrolled during SHIP annual open enrollment to continue SHIP coverage after 7/31. (See Annual Dependent Enrollment and Annual SHIP Waiver Period Sections)

Note: International students (F1, F2, J1, J2 visa) will be responsible for SHIP insurance premiums the months they were ineligible for funded SHIP coverage during the same term. Example: If hired in September, the international student would be charged for the August SHIP premium on their Bursar student account. If the eligible position ends in November, the international student would be charged for the December SHIP premium on their Bursar student account. Those international students not working in an eligible position during the summer term who do not enroll in classes or internship may enroll themselves in SHIP if they choose through the Academic HealthPlans website under the “International Students Not Enrolled in Summer Courses” option.

Eligible students employees will have 31 days of their hire date to request to decline / waive out of the funded Student Health Insurance Plan. International students must have insurance which meets UT System requirements effective the first day of the month they are hired to waive SHIP.

All waiver requests must be submitted through Academic HealthPlans via the “RA/TA Part-Time Employee” waiver link sent by Academic HealthPlans in your RA / TA / GA waiver registration email after we have enrolled you. An approved RA / TA / GA waiver is effective through 7/31 while continuously working in an eligible position. If you become ineligible and are rehired with a gap in employment and want SHIP at that time, you may email rataship@utdallas.edu to request the RA/TA waiver to be cancelled for the remainder of the plan year.

You MUST request to waive free SHIP if you choose to enroll in and pay for employee UT Select medical coverage during your UT Benefits Enrollment for employees. See the HR Benefits webpage for Graduate Student Employee Insurance & Benefits for more information on the employee side of benefits or contact HR Benefits at benefits@utdallas.edu.  UTD does not allow for enrollment in both the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) medical coverage and the employee UT Select medical insurance plan coverage. If you choose UT Select medical insurance during your employee benefit enrollment, you must complete the “RA/TA Part-Time Employees Waiver”  on the Academic HealthPlans website within 31 days of your hire date. International students whose hire date is after the first of the month who choose to enroll in and pay for UT Select medical insurance during their UT Benefits enrollment for employees in lieu of free SHIP coverage will be charged for one month of Student Health Insurance on their Bursar student account and will need to purchase Academic Emergency Services (AES) insurance through Academic HealthPlans as UT Select medical does not meet UT System requirements for emergency services. Please contact rataship@utdallas.edu before your enrollment deadline if choosing to enroll in and pay for UT Select medical insurance so we can help you with your SHIP waiver process. (UT Select medical insurance is separate from the dental and the vision offered on the UT Benefits website. Enrolling in dental or vision does not affect your enrollment in SHIP.) SHIP is a student benefit. Questions on enrollment of any employee benefits on the UT Benefit website should be directed to HR Benefits at benefits@utdallas.edu.

Note: If an international student has an approved term-based student insurance waiver, they will be required to submit an additional waiver form to waive SHIP insurance as a RA / TA / GA by their deadline or they will remain enrolled in SHIP as an RA / TA / GA. Eligible international student employees (F1, F2, J1, or J2 visa) who had already been enrolled in and charged the required term-based SHIP insurance on their Bursar student account will have that term-based insurance cancelled and the charge waived. No action is required by the student to waive term insurance. International students will be responsible for a partial term insurance charge if hired after the first month the term insurance was effective or lose eligibility for funded SHIP before the end of the term.

The annual Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) waiver period for eligible RA / TA / GA will be held 8/1 – 8/31 for changes effective 8/1. The RA/TA SHIP Team will send out information regarding the annual waiver period each July before the waiver period begins. Academic HealthPlans will send out waiver information to those eligible to waive at the time late in the evening of 8/1 after you are active in the waiver system. The deadline to waive SHIP for the new plan year is 8/31. Those not completing the waiver request and all waiver requirements by 8/31 will remain enrolled in SHIP coverage effective 8/1 until they are no longer eligible for funded SHIP. The RA/TA SHIP waiver will stay in effect through 7/31 or until you lose eligibility to be enrolled in funded SHIP as an RA / TA / GA.

Domestic students may waive SHIP for the new plan year effective 8/1 by submitting the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver on Academic HealthPlans waiver page during the annual RA/TA waiver period from 8/1 -8/31. Academic HealthPlans will email the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver link late in the evening of 8/1 after you are active in the waiver system.  The annual SHIP waiver deadline is 8/31. If you have alternative insurance and decide to keep SHIP, you may want to contact your insurance carrier and ask how they would coordinate benefits between the two policies before the waiver deadline.

Domestic students enrolling in UT Select medical insurance during annual UT Benefits Enrollment for employees (7/15 – 7/31) MUST waive SHIP as UTD does not allow for dual enrollment in both.  SHIP is student health insurance, so you will not see it listed on the UT Benefits website. Academic HealthPlans will email the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees” waiver link late in the evening of 8/1 after you are active in the waiver system.  The annual SHIP waiver deadline is 8/31.  If you enrolled in UT Select medical insurance during annual UT Benefit Enrollment for employees (7/15 – 7/31), please submit the SHIP waiver as early as possible in August and contact benefits@utdallas.edu and rataship@utdallas.edu so we may coordinate your August medical insurance enrollment and funded SHIP waiver requirement. UT Select medical insurance is employee insurance and you will be responsible for the employee portion of the medical insurance premium. The UT Select medical premium is not free will be deducted from your paycheck. Questions regarding UT Select should be directed to benefits@utdallas.edu.

Domestic students wishing to keep SHIP enrollment effective 8/1 who were previously enrolled in employee UT Select Medical insurance and decline it during  the Annual UT Benefits Enrollment for employees (7/15-7/31) should contact benefits@utdallas.edu and rataship@utdallas.edu as soon as possible before 8/31 so we can coordinate your medical insurance enrollment for August.

International students (F1, F2, J1, J2 visa) who have other alternative insurance effective 8/1 that meets UT System requirements may waive SHIP as a RA / TA / GA for the new plan year effective 8/1 by submitting the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver form on Academic HealthPlans waiver page during the annual RA/TA waiver period from 8/1 -8/31. Academic HealthPlans will email the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver link late in the evening of 8/1 after you are active in the waiver system.  The annual RA/TA SHIP waiver deadline is 8/31. Waiver requirements must be met before the RA/TA SHIP waiver deadline of 8/31 or you will remain enrolled in SHIP until you are no longer eligible for funded SHIP. UT Select medical insurance is separate from the dental and the vision offered on the UT Benefits website. Enrolling in dental or vision on the UT Benefits website does not affect your enrollment in SHIP. You only need to waive SHIP as a RA / TA / GA if you enroll in UT Select medical insurance.

International students (F1, F2, J1, J2 visa) who choose to enroll in UT Select medical insurance during the Annual UT Benefits Enrollment for employees (7/15-7/31) in lieu of keeping their free SHIP coverage MUST waive the free SHIP coverage as an RA / TA / GA for the plan year starting 8/1 using the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver form on Academic HealthPlans waiver page during the annual RA/TA waiver period from 8/1 -8/31. International students enrolling in UT Select medical insurance during annual UT Benefits enrollment for employees will be enrolled in and charged for one month of Student Health Insurance on their Bursar student account for the month of August ($287.00). You will then be required to submit the August SHIP coverage documentation which rataship@utdallas.edu can provide to you.  You must also submit the UT Benefits summary page showing the UT Select medical insurance effective date of coverage. After you have submitted the “RA/TA Part -Time Employees”  waiver including all required documentation, Academic HealthPlans will email you a link to purchase Academic Emergency Services (AES) insurance as it will be required to waive SHIP as UT Select medical insurance does not offer the minimum AES coverage required by UT System for international students.

Please contact rataship@utdallas.edu before 7/31 if choosing to enroll in and pay for UT Select medical insurance instead of keeping your funded SHIP enrollment so we can help you with your SHIP waiver process. The “RA/TA Part -Time Employees” SHIP waiver must be approved by Academic HealthPlans by 8/31. UT Select medical insurance is separate from the dental and the vision offered on the UT Benefits website. Enrolling in dental or vision on the UT Benefits website does not affect your enrollment in SHIP. You only need to waive SHIP as a RA / TA / GA if you enroll in UT Select medical insurance.

UT Select medical insurance is employee insurance and you will be responsible for the medical insurance premium which will be deducted monthly from your paycheck. Questions on enrollment of any employee benefits on the UT Benefit website should be directed to HR Benefits at benefits@utdallas.edu.

Eligible RA / TA / GA student employees will still have the option to choose their medical insurance plan.

Please keep in mind you are in a hybrid role due to your student status and benefits eligible employee status. This means you are eligible for two different categories of benefits: Student Benefits, and Employee Benefits. SHIP is the student medical insurance benefit. For more information regarding Employee Benefits, please refer to Office of Human Resources website hr.utdallas.edu/employees/benefits/insurance/graduate-students or contact Benefits at benefits@utdallas.edu. Eligible RA / TA / GA may remain enrolled under SHIP coverage or waive it and enroll themselves in UT Select medical insurance but can’t be enrolled in both. Either SHIP must be waived, or UT Select health insurance on the employee side must be declined. (See the Waiving SHIP for New Hires and the Annual SHIP Waiver Period sections)

If an eligible student employee decides to keep the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) student benefit, there is no medical premium to be paid for the student while eligible. On the employee side, they then have the option within 31 days from gaining SHIP to be eligible to enroll in Premium Sharing Credit when declining UT Select employee medical insurance and apply it toward dental, vision, and AD&D through My UTD Benefits. For more information and instructions on how to enroll in Premium Sharing Credit, please see the Graduate Student Employee Insurance & Benefits webpage. Questions regarding Premium Sharing Credit and enrollment into benefits other than SHIP should be directed to benefits@utdallas.edu.

If the RA / TA / GA elects UT Select medical insurance during their UT Benefit enrollment period on the employee side, they will be responsible for the employee portion of the medical insurance premium. The approximate amount is $390.12 * per month.

When choosing to enroll in UT Select medical insurance instead of keeping SHIP, the student employee MUST also waive the RA / TA / GA SHIP insurance using the waiver form link provided by Academic HealthPlans in the registration email sent to you. UTD does not allow for enrollment in both the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) medical coverage and the employee UT Select medical insurance plan coverage. If you choose UT Select medical insurance during your employee benefit enrollment, you must complete the “RA/TA Part-Time Employees Waiver” request on the Academic HealthPlans waiver page within 31 days of your hire date. (See the Waiving SHIP for New Hires and the Annual SHIP Waiver Period sections)

International students whose hire date is after the first of the month who choose to enroll in and pay for UT Select medical insurance in lieu of free SHIP coverage will be charged for one month of Student Health Insurance on their Bursar student account and will need to purchase Academic Emergency Services (AES) insurance through Academic HealthPlans. Please contact rataship@utdallas.edu if choosing to enroll in and pay for UT Select medical insurance so we can help you with your SHIP waiver process. (UT Select medical insurance is separate from the dental and the vision offered on the UT Benefits website. Enrolling in dental or vison does not affect your enrollment in SHIP.) SHIP is a student benefit. Questions on enrollment of any employee benefits on the UT Benefit website should be directed to HR Benefits at benefits@utdallas.edu.

*Based on 2024-2025 plan year.

Note: Dental and vision insurance offered on the Academic HealthPlans website are not included in the funded SHIP program and is not an option to select through Academic HealthPlans as part of the funded SHIP insurance program. Please refer to options of enrolling in Premium Sharing Credit on the HR Benefits webpage for Graduate Student Employee Insurance & Benefits. HR Benefits may also be contacted at benefits@utdallas.edu to help with employee benefit enrollment.

Insurance cards will be mailed by BCBSTX to your local address if you have not previously received one or if there is a change in your dependent enrollment. If you do not receive a card by mail, you may print one or access it via mobile app. At Academic HealthPlans , under Additional Resources, students can access their ID card by clicking on Account Information, the Blue Access for Members Find Group and Member ID then go to Blue Access for Members (BAM). Contact Academic HealthPlans at 1-855-247-7587 if you have issues logging into your Academic HealthPlans account. You may also contact BCBSTX and request a new ID card by calling 1 (855) 267-0214. You will need your member ID when you call.

rataship@utdallas.edu

• RA / TA / GA Student Health Insurance (SHIP) enrollment questions
• RA / TA / GA Student Health Insurance (SHIP) waiver questions

Academic HealthPlans

• utdallas.myahpcare.com
• BCBSTX contact information
• SHIP insurance benefits coverage information
• Plan Information (i.e., highlight flyer, brochure, telemedicine, other carrier flyers, etc.)
• Information and link to waive the AcademicBlue Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as an RA /TA / GA (Please use RA/TA link)
• Enroll dependents in the AcademicBlue Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as an RA / TA / GA (Please use RA/TA link)
• Enroll the student or dependent under a qualifying event
• Instructions to obtaining ID cards
• Instructions for filing a claim
• Instructions on downloading the 1099-B tax form from BCBSTX
• Other pertinent plan and carrier information
• Option to get online help from Academic HealthPlans team – “do you need help?” Academic HealthPlans Help and chat feature available
• Dedicated service line: 1-855-247-7587

stuhealthinsurance@utdallas.edu

• SHIP Explanation of Benefits
• SHIP Questions regarding claims
• SHIP Verification of Claims
• Student Health Center Service information is available at https://insurance.utdallas.edu/

benefits@utdallas.edu and hr.utdallas.edu/employees/benefits/insurance/graduate-students

• UTD HR Benefits Team
• Benefit specific questions regarding enrolling in employee benefits such as UT Select medical insurance
• Premium Sharing Credit enrollment
• UT Select medical, UT Select Dental, Vision, and AD&D enrollment through UT Benefit selection