To waive, or not to waive? The question you must answer every term, since your term Registration fees include the cost of the campus health insurance plan SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan). This decision, and its impact, confuse many. The following are "bytes" of information to help you decide.

• The reason that insurance is a condition of enrollment (mandatory) is to ensure (a) you will have access to medical care anytime you need it, (b) you will not experience a financial catastrophe in receiving the care you need and (c) that you will have the help you need to avoid compromising your academic progress.
  
• The University is not in the "insurance business" but each campus serves students by negotiating a plan specifically designed to meet the unique needs of students on that campus.
  
• Even if you waive SHIP, you will STILL have the use of the campus health service...the Ashe Center. Although the Ashe Center is the primary provider for SHIP, it is still a service for ALL registered students, regardless of your insurance choice.
  
• The Ashe Center is tailored to meet most of the campus’ needs, as defined by years of experience and tracking. The Ashe Center has consistent 90+% satisfaction ratings and the Ashe copays for services are pre-paid if you have SHIP. Services that carry fees, and are covered by SHIP, will be billed for you. The Ashe Center is accredited convenient, staffed by board certified/eligible and licensed clinicians.
  
• SHIP is designed to "complement" the Ashe Center services. This means that it provides what the Ashe Center cannot. Such things include emergency/after hours care, hospitalization, surgery, specialized care not provided in the Ashe Center, specialized testing, e.g. CT scans or MRI's. It would be ideal if your private plan did the same, without your having to leave the campus area.
  
• The 4 main criteria your private plan must meet to be sufficient to waive are:
  1. Be written by a US owned and based company
  2. Have no more than $5000 in out of pocket expenses. (To calculate this multiply your co-insurance if you are hospitalized, e.g. 20%, by $10,000, then add the amount of your annual deductible.)
  3. Have at least $100,000 in lifetime benefits.
  4. Have a facility (hospital) within 25 miles of UCLA where you can receive full services.

Other information related to this is:

• HMO's do not have lifetime maximums or out of pockets exceeding $5000. The answers to these criteria questions are $0 to $5000 for the out of pocket, and YES to the $100,000 in lifetime benefits.
  
• PPO's sometimes require you to have your Preferred Provider in the area for you to receive full benefits, i.e. more than just emergency care. Waiving out with a PPO with this requirement, may also necessitate your choosing a Primary Care provider at UCLA. This does NOT mean you cannot use the Ashe Center for primary care. It simply facilitates our referral to a place covered by your plan if we cannot provide the service.

If all your questions have not been answered, please contact us.