SHIP Waiver FAQs

All registered* students at the University of California are required to meet the university’s health insurance mandate as set by the UC Regents. Registered* UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as a way to meet this mandate. SHIP premiums are charged as part of registration fees.

*Registered students refers to students registered in programs eligible for SHIP. See the SHIP Fees and Enrollment for more details on who is eligible to enroll in SHIP.

If you have other major medical health insurance that meet the SHIP waiver criteria and do not wish to have dual coverage, you can submit an online waiver application to waive your enrollment in SHIP and receive a credit for the health insuance fee.

In order to waive SHIP, you must be enrolled in a medical health insurance plan that meets ALL of the waiver criteria for the entire SHIP term (Fall August 1-December 31, Spring January 1-July 31).

An online waiver application is available for Berkeley students. To complete the form, you will need your student ID number and details about your health insurance plan, including the company name and phone number, group number, the student's policy identification number, the policy holder's relationship to the student, and the summary of benefits. Please use the waiver worksheet to gather this information in advance of using the online waiver tool, as you will only be able to submit the waiver application one time (even if you make a mistake). You will receive a confirmation number upon completion of the online waiver application. Save or print the confirmation page for your records.

Fall 2023: The Fall 2023 waiver period is May 1, 2023 to July 17, 2023. Waivers must be received by July 17, 2023 to avoid a late fee of $75. All waivers received between July 18, 2023 and August 15, 2023 will be subject to a late fee of $75. No waivers will be accepted after August 15, 2023.

Spring 2024: The Spring 2024 waiver period is December 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024. Waivers must be received by January 1, 2024 to avoid a late fee of $75. All waivers received between January 2, 2024 and January 15, 2024 will be subject to a late fee of $75. No Spring waivers will be accepted after January 15, 2024.

• Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) - incoming March class only
• Master of Laws (Executive Track LLM)
• Incoming students in the following programs:
  • Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
  • Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
    • Principle Leadership Institue (PLI) 
    • Berkeley Teacher Education Program (BTEP)
    • Leaders for Equity and Democracy (LEAD)
  • Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D)
  • Master of Urban Design (MUD)
  • 11-month Master of Public Health (MPH)

If you have submitted your online waiver and it was denied, you may submit a waiver appeal if you believe your insurance does meet the criteria. Your appeal must be submitted within 10 business days in order for your waiver to be considered. You must have already completed the online waiver and received a denial to use this form.

To securely submit your SHIP Waiver Appeal, follow the instructions below: 

• Log in to the eTang patient portal with your Calnet ID and passphrase.
• From the welcome page, click "MESSAGES" on the left side menu.
• Click "New Message".
• Under "Student Health Insurance Office (SHIO)", select "Request Student Insurance Plan (SHIP) Waiver Forms".
• Select "SHIP Appeal Form".
• Fill out the form completely and click the "Send" button.

Note: 

• You may need to complete the Notice of Privacy Pratice before proceeding to the appeal form. Please go to the home page and click on "Medical Clearances" on the left to complete this form and then follow the instructions above.
• If you do not receive a response to your appeal within 30 days, please contact the insurance office at (510) 642-5700 or ship@berkeley.edu. Please note, you may be contacted via secure message in the eTang patient portal if additional documentation is needed to process your appeal. 

The credit for the SHIP fee will appear on your CalCentral account within five days from the date your waiver was approved. If you do not see this credit within five days, contact the SHIP office at (510) 642-5700, email ship@berkeley.edu, or send a secure message through the eTang patient portal. 

No. Academic year waivers approved for the Fall are automatically approved for the following Spring semester only. If you were unable to submit a waiver application for the Fall, you will have an opportunity to submit a waiver for the Spring semester only. If you submitted a waiver for the Spring semester only, you must also submit an academic-year waiver for the next school year in order to continue to receive the health insurance fee credit. Approved Spring waivers are valid for the Spring semester only.

The credit for the SHIP fee will appear in CalCentral beginning in mid-December. 

Please submit a waiver reversal by following the instructions below:

• Log in to the eTang patient portal with your Calnet ID and passphrase.
• From the welcome page, click "MESSAGES" on the left side menu. 
• Click "New Message". 
• Under "Student Health Insurance Office (SHIO)", select "Request Student Insurance Plan (SHIP) Waiver Forms".
• Select "SHIP Waiver REVERSAL Form".
• Fill out the form completely and click the "Send" button.

• You may need to complete the Notice of Privacy Pratice before proceeding to the appeal form. Please go to the home page and click on "Medical Clearances" on the left to complete this form and then follow the instructions above.
• You may be asked for verification from your former insurance company stating the date your coverage ended.

Yes, all registered UC Berkeley students can be seen at the University Health Services, regardless of the type of insurance they have.

Contact the Student Health Insurance Office at (510) 642-5700, email your questions to ship@berkeley.edu, or currently enrolled students can send a secure message to the SHIP office via the eTang patient portal. The ASUC Student Advocate Office contact information as the independent, student-run organization that may be able to advise on how to submit waivers and appeals.