Dear Graduate Student,
We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Tufts for the new academic year. Before the year begins, there are several important health information requirements that must be completed before you can register for classes.
Immunization Requirements
Prior to registration, your complete medical records must be on file with Tufts, including your medical history, a TB risk assessment, and proof of required immunizations. For more information about immunization requirements, visit: http://go.tufts.edu/healthrequirements.
To verify that you have met these requirements, please visit the Patient Portal (http://go.tufts.edu/portal) and review the immunization tab, the Forms tab, and the Messages tab.
You will not be allowed to register for classes if these requirements are not met before your registration date or July 1, whichever comes first. Tufts University Health Service (TUHS) will place an immunization hold on your student account and will need up to 10 business days to review your submitted records. Once approved, TUHS will lift your account’s immunization hold within 48 hours.
If TUHS needs to contact you with questions or ask for more information about the documents submitted, we will contact you via the Patient Portal (http://go.tufts.edu/portal) message inbox. You will receive a confirmation letter via the Portal once your record has been approved.
For questions about pre-entrance requirements and immunizations, please send a message via the Patient Portal to the Immunization Reviewer.
Health Insurance Requirements
Full-time students as well as part-time students taking 7 or more credits are automatically enrolled in the student insurance plan via UHCSR Student Resources unless an online waiver is submitted. For information about student health insurance requirements, visit: http://go.tufts.edu/studenthealthinsurance.
Once you meet tuition charges for your program, you are considered a continuing graduate student and will not be automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan. At that time, if you would like to enroll in the student health insurance as a continuing graduate student, please email us at studenthealthinsurance@tufts.edu. Please contact the Bursar's Office if you are not sure whether you have met the tuition charges for your program.
Health Insurance Enrollment is automatic for most returning graduate students, unless they have comparable coverage and waive the UHCSR plan.
If you will enroll in the student health insurance plan via UHCSR Student Resources, you should not waive the insurance, and you do not need to do anything further. UHCSR Student Resources provides coverage for 365 days anywhere in the world. UHCSR provides a robust network of providers in the USA.
In July, you will be enrolled in and billed for the student health insurance, which provides coverage for August 20, 2022 through August 19, 2023.
After August 15, you need to create your UHCSR account on the UHCSR portal (http://www.uhcsr.com) and download your insurance ID card. Once you have created your account, you can contact UHCSR to enroll any dependents.
If you decide to keep your own insurance and also enroll in UHCSR, please note you will have to present your UHCSR insurance card as your primary insurance and the other one would be processed as a secondary insurance. For more information you can contact your insurance company to understand how the coordination of benefits would work.
If you have your own health insurance and do not want UCHSR’s plan, you must complete the Health Insurance Waiver before July 31.
If you already have coverage and do not wish to be enrolled in the student health insurance, please complete the Health Insurance Waiver on your SIS account on the “Bills and Balances” tab between June 1 and July 31.
The Health Insurance Waiver must be submitted annually between June 1 and July 31 while you are a graduate student at Tufts.
Waivers are subject to audit to determine that your coverage is comparable to what is required. If your waiver is denied, you will be enrolled in and billed for the student health insurance plan from UHCSR. If you need assistance in responding to the waiver questions, please contact your insurance company for guidance. You can use the waiver questions as a guide.
If you waive the student health insurance and your insurance coverage changes during the academic year, we can enroll you in the student health insurance and pro-rate your insurance premium if you have a qualifying life event and provide us with a letter from your insurance company showing your last day of coverage.
If you are planning to waive the student health insurance, we suggest you investigate how your insurance will work in Massachusetts. Here are some questions to consider:
- How do you find specialists in the area?
- What are your out-of-pocket costs in Massachusetts (deductibles, copays, coinsurance, prescription copays, etc.)?
- What are the preferred pharmacies in the area that you will need to contact to transfer any prescriptions
- Health Service sends non-urgent and complex labs to Quest Diagnostics. Is your insurance an in-network provider with Quest Diagnostics?
How to waive the student health insurance plan
- Please note that you will need to have set up your Tufts email, UTLN, and password to complete the waiver process.
- Visit your SIS account.
- Click on the Bills & Balances tab to access the Health Insurance Waiver.
- Clicking on the Submit Waiver hyperlink will transfer you to the UnitedHealthcare Student Center where you will answer questions and provide your insurance policy information.
- Once the waiver is approved, a credit will be applied to your SIS account within one business day.
- If your waiver is denied, you can send an email to studenthealthinsurance@tufts.edu with the appeal reason for review and determination.
Can my parent or guardian complete the Health Insurance Waiver?
If you would like a parent or guardian to complete the Health Insurance Waiver on your behalf, you can provide them with "invited viewer" access to your SIS account. You must grant them access to both Bills & Balances and Insurance Waiver. For more information about this process, please visit the Registrar's Invited Viewer Access web page.
Health and Wellness Fee
In addition to the student health insurance, you will pay a health and wellness fee. The health and wellness fee is mandatory for all full-time students; part-time students taking 7 or more credits; international students enrolled in matriculated programs regardless of registration credits; and students enrolled in the student health insurance.
The health and wellness fee supports health promotion and prevention programming, student engagement, compliance with state and federal public health requirements, and allows Tufts to fulfill its public health mission by providing medical, counseling, and health promotion at no charge to students and access to medical insurance and medical bills support regardless of the health insurance you decide to buy.
A Note about Optional Tuition Insurance
While we are on the subject of insurance, we would like to remind you that Tufts offers an Optional Tuition Insurance plan that many of our families have found attractive.
The TRP works in concert with the Tufts University refund policy as published in the University Bulletin. Subscribers are eligible for a 75% refund of insured fees throughout the term even though the University refund schedule may have expired at the time of withdrawal. For withdrawals occurring during the first six weeks of the semester, the TRP benefits are coordinated with and reduced by the University's refund policy.
Participation in the Tuition Refund Plan is entirely optional, but we strongly encourage you to consider enrolling. If you wish to enroll online, please submit the application and payment by the first day of classes. Applications cannot be accepted after that date. Questions can be directed to Dewar at 617-774-1555.
With all best wishes,
Marie Caggiano, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Health Service
Jennifer M. Berrios, MHA
Director of Administration and Operations, Health Service
