Mandatory Student Health Insurance (Hard Waiver Process)

UNC-Chapel Hill students, who meet the following three criteria, are eligible for the UNC System Student Health Insurance Hard Waiver Plan (Mandatory Plan) and are required to have health insurance as of Fall Semester 2010. Listed below are the eligibility criteria:

• Have the Health Fee included with their tuition and fees AND
• Undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours or Graduate student enrolled in a minimum of 1 credit hour AND
• Enrolled in a degree-seeking program 

• International students who are on J‑1 visas will not be able to enroll in the 2026–2027 BCBS Student Blue Health Insurance Plan, as the plan’s deductible exceeds federal J‑1 visa requirements. J‑1 visa holders may instead purchase the BCBS Global Solutions Plan or choose an alternative policy that meets the 2026–2027 UNC System waiver guidelines. They must then submit a waiver request through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue portal.
• RA/TA students covered under the Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP)
• Postdocs
• Students who do not meet the credit hour requirement
• Most certificate program attendees
• Students enrolled in online-only programs
• Distance education students
• Any student not paying the Health Fee as part of their tuition and fees

Those who are not eligible for the mandatory student health insurance plan can find health insurance through other means as desired. Resources are available on this website.

To participate in the UNC System Student Health Insurance Plan, eligible students should ENROLL online at the Student Blue website for UNC-Chapel Hill each semester before August 1 or January 1 to activate the policy. The policy must be active if you need to see a doctor, fill a prescription or have an accident.

To review Student Blue Plan benefits and rates, please refer to the 2026-2027 Student Blue Health Plans (Brainshark video)⁠. You may also visit the Student Blue for UNC–Chapel Hill website and select Plan Benefits . For assistance with enrollment, waivers, or benefit questions, Student Blue customer service is available by email at email@studentbluenc.com  or by phone at 1‑888‑351‑8283.

When reviewing your pharmacy benefits, remember that your copay at the Campus Health Pharmacy and the Student Stores Pharmacy for the Student Blue plan will not exceed $15.00 for a 30-day supply regardless of which tier your drug falls into. Most contraception options are available at a $0 copay. 

The copay tier structure identified in the Student Blue RA/TA and Postdoc benefit brochures apply only to any other pharmacy.

If you want more information about a specific drug, review the Student Blue Essential Prescription Formulary by visiting the BCBS / Prime website and following these steps:

• Choose “Continue without sign in”
• Select BCBS North Carolina
• Select “No” for the question “Are you a Medicare Part D member?”
• Click Continue
• On the “Choose your drug list” dropdown, select the Essential Q formulary
• Click Apply
• Enter the name of the medication you want to verify coverage of into the text box
• Click Submit

If you are a Domestic Student:

A completed, verified and approved waiver is required each semester if you do not wish to participate in the UNC Student Health Insurance Plan.

To WAIVE, your insurance policy must

• be effective (active) by September 1 for the fall semester or by February 1 for the spring semester and
• must cover you for the entire semester you are waiving and
• must constitute creditable coverage

If your insurance is effective after those dates, you cannot waive out using that insurance until the waive/enroll period opens for the next semester.

If you are an International Student:

Please review the following information carefully, as the UNC System’s waiver and enrollment guidelines for international students have changed for 2026-2027 academic year.

• All International students are required to have health insurance.
• Now, all international students can waive enrollment in the UNC System plans for the 2026-27 academic year by submitting a waiver request through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue portal. Alternative policies must meet the following UNC System’s 2026-2027 waiver guidelines.

• Please note that sending insurance information to staff at Carolina does not satisfy the university’s waiver requirements. Students must confirm with their insurance carrier whether their policy meets the UNC System’s 2026–2027 waiver guidelines.

• International students who are on J‑1 visas will not be able to enroll in the 2026–2027 BCBS Student Blue Health Insurance Plan, as the plan’s deductible exceeds federal J‑1 visa requirements.
• J‑1 visa holders may instead purchase the BCBS Global Solutions Plan or choose an alternative policy that meets the 2026–2027 UNC System waiver guidelines. They must then submit a waiver request through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue portal.
• Once the waiver is approved by BCBS, the UNC Cashier’s Office will remove the health insurance premium from the student account within 5–10 business days.
• F‑1 visa holders may enroll in the BCBS Student Blue plan or waive with a policy that meets the UNC System’s 2026–2027 waiver guidelines.
• If international students do not have creditable health insurance or do not waive with acceptable coverage, international students will be added to a default plan. The default plans are:
  • BCBS Global Solutions Inbound plan for J1 visa holders
  • BCBS Student Blue Health Insurance Plan for F1 visa holders
• Semester deadlines for waive and enroll:  FALL – September 10   SPRING – January 31
• Students who wish to enroll in the university‑sponsored insurance must do so by August 1 for the fall semester (Fall coverage runs from August 1 through December 31) and by January 1st for the spring semester (Spring/Summer coverage runs from January 1 through July 31) to ensure their policy is active. If you wait for the default enrollment, you may not be able to see a doctor, fill a prescription, or receive care in the event of an accident until the policy becomes active, which may result in financial hardship.
• For assistance with waivers or enrollments, contact Student Blue at email@studentbluenc.com or 888‑351‑8283, or UNC Chapel Hill insurancerep@unc.edu
• For questions regarding BCBS Global Solutions Inbound Student Plan details or enrollment: Email: customerservice@bcbsglobalsolutions.com  Phone: 1-844-268-2686 (toll free inside US) or 1-610-263-2847 (outside the US).

Creditable coverage is defined as health insurance coverage under any of the following:

• a group health plan
• individual health insurance
• student health insurance
• Medicare
• Medicaid (Medicaid Family Planning Only is NOT considered Creditable Coverage for waiving Student Blue)
• CHAMPUS and TRICARE
• the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program;
• Indian Health Service
• the Peace Corps
• Public Health Plan (any plan established or maintained by a State, the U.S. government, a foreign country)
• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or
• a state health insurance high risk pool

Coverage for onsite medical clinics, such as UNC Charity Care, are not considered health insurance and therefore cannot be used to waive Student Blue.

When comparing insurance coverage benefits, consider:

• Prescription coverage
• Pre-existing conditions coverage
• Preventative care
• Pregnancy care
• Psychiatry
• Exclusions
• Waiting periods,
• If your preferred physician participates in the plan you select

Websites to compare insurance plans include 

• eHealthInsurance
• HealthCompare – click on Individual & Family

Many websites exist to help people research and find health insurance plans. 

• Affordable Care Act (ACA) – Marketplace Government Insurance For navigator assistance, call 800-318-2596. You may also want to visit NC Legal Aid or call 855-733-3711 to make an appointment with a navigator.
• Blue Cross / Blue Shield health insurance products or call 800-894-2880
• To compare Aetna, Assurant Health, Cigna, Coventry, Humana, or United HealthCare plans, visit HealthCompare or eHealthInsurance.
• Temporary Health Insurance:​ United Health Short Term Insurance ​| E Health Short Term Insurance | BCBSNC Temporary Plans
• Medicaid may be an option. Contact your county Medicaid office for assistance. If you are able to enroll in Medicaid, please allow enough time for Medicaid to process your enrollment before the waive deadline. It often takes 45-60 days to receive approval for Medicaid. Below is contact information for nearby counties:
  • Orange County | ​Chatham County | ​Person County | ​Alamance County | ​Durham County | Wake County

UNC System, UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Health do not endorse a specific plan. These websites are given as a resource only. Please be aware of the policy benefits and exclusions before you purchase a plan.  

Students enrolled in 100% remote instruction are those who are continuing their education remotely and will not be on campus. These students identified 100% Remote when enrolling in classes prior to the semester beginning.

These students are paying fees with tuition eligible to enroll online in the Student Blue plan for UNC Chapel Hill administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina as long as you meet the eligibility criteria:   

• Eligible to Pay the Health Fee AND
• Undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours or Graduate student enrolled in a minimum of 1 credit hour AND
• Enrolled in a degree-seeking program 

The insurance premium has been added to your student account.  If you enroll in the plan, the premium will remain.  If you complete a waiver, the premium will be removed.  If you do not take an action, the premium will remain and you will be automatically enrolled in Student Blue Health Insurance on the deadline.

Distance Education Learners do not pay fees with their tuition and are completely online learners. They continue to not be eligible for Student Health Insurance and are not required to meet the health insurance requirement by submitting a waiver.