Eligible domestic students who are automatically enrolled in the Columbia Plan may request to waive coverage by the deadline by completing the waiver form online in myTC Portal. As a domestic student, if you plan on dropping below 9 billable credits (and you are not living in the dorms) DO NOT submit a waiver. The Insurance and Columbia Health & Related Services Fee will reverse off within 24 hours of you dropping.
Please note that domestic students will not have the option to waive until they are (1) registered for classes and (2) the enrollment/waiver portal has been opened. Students will be notified when the option to waive is available.
The deadlines to submit waiver requests are September 30 for continuing and new students entering in the Fall and February 15 for new students admitted for the Spring.
PLEASE NOTE: A valid waiver request must be submitted each year during the fall semester by the specified deadline to substitute other comparable coverage for the Columbia Plan.
Even if you plan to waive participation in the Columbia Plan because you currently have comparable coverage, you are strongly encouraged to review the coverage your current plan offers and compare it to the coverage provided by the Columbia Plan, which has been designed specifically for students. For information about comparing your plan with the Columbia Student Health Insurance please refer to the resources provided by Columbia Health. For additional information, please see our brochures and guides web page.
Teachers College international students are automatically enrolled in the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan but may apply for an exception:
| Fall Term |
September 30 via myTC Portal
|
| Spring Term (for newly admitted Spring students only) |
February 15 via myTC Portal |
The waiver criteria have been aligned to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Therefore, all plans must meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act including, but not limited to, coverage for pre-existing conditions, coverage minimum & maximums, and deductibles. This applies to international plans in addition to domestic plan offerings.
Please go to New York State of Health (NY’s Health Insurance Marketplace) for specific, detailed information about the plans available on the marketplace.
Columbia Insurance Plans & the Affordable Care Act
Teachers College requires all full time students taking 9 billable credits, and/or living in the Teachers College residence halls, and/or all international students to have health insurance. Domestic students that choose coverage from a non-University provider must be in a plan that offers comparable coverage. For more details on the Columbia Student Health Insurance-specific requirements, please refer to the information on Columbia Health's website.
The current 2021-2022 Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan offered through Aetna Student Health already meets many of the regulations. The Columbia Plan is reviewed and renewed annually and will continue to meet or exceed all applicable regulations.
For more information about the Affordable Care Act and student health insurance, please visit the American College Health Association website.
All full-time domestic students (9 billable credits or more and/or living in the Residence Halls) and all international students are by default enrolled in to the Columbia Student Health Insurance plan.
Domestic full-time students (9 Billable credits or more and/or living in the Residence Halls) can request a waiver from enrollment by submitting a request online before September 30th for Fall semester and February 15th for new Spring students only.
All requests are considered but approval is not guaranteed. International students are not permitted to waive the Columbia Plan unless covered by a US-based, ACA Compliant, employer-sponsored plan that meets all of the waiver criteria below.
Please review your alternate coverage to determine whether it meets all of the following criteria:
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Information regarding ACA regulations: http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/ https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/aca_implementation_faqs18.html https://www.healthcare.gov/what-does-marketplace-health-insurance-cover/ |
| 2 |
The plan must be effective, and remain in force, for the duration of the following schedule: New Students
Continuing Students
Graduating Students
|
| 3 | The plan must be licensed to do business in the United States. |
The Columbia Health & Related Services Fee is mandatory for all students living in Teachers College residence halls, all students registered for 9 or more billable credits in the Fall or Spring term, an/or International students, regardless of the type of insurance coverage carried. This fee cannot be waived. The Columbia Health & Related Services Fee is applied during the Fall and Spring semester on an annual basis. For additional questions about the Columbia Health Fee, please refer to our FAQs.
Teachers College, Columbia University
Address: 525 West 120th Street New York, NY 10027