Graduate School

Health & Dental Insurance

Students enrolled in an online graduate program will have the ability to opt into the robust Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) provided by United Healthcare Student Resources, should they not have current medical health insurance.

SHIP allows access to all United Healthcare providers nationwide.

When

Visit Student Health Insurance Website for up to date deadlines.

Health Insurance

  • All Brown students (except those in fully online programs) are required to show proof of health insurance while they are enrolled at the University. 
  • All registered students (except those in fully online programs) are automatically enrolled in the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). 
  • Students enrolled in a fully online graduate program and residing in the United States can opt in to SHIP coverage and can enroll themselves through the our student health insurance broker’s website, Haylor, Freyer & Coon. website. 
  • Students who are currently enrolled in a plan with comparable coverage may waive SHIP (see "What does having Comparable Health Insurance mean?" in the FAQ section of the Health Services Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) webpage and the Health Insurance Waiver/Buyout section below; submit a waiver through the student health insurance broker’s website, Haylor, Freyer & Coon.  
  • As part of their funding support packages, doctoral and MFA students receive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage, including a health and dental dependent subsidy
  • Academic-year coverage is effective from August 15, 2024, to August 14, 2025.
  • Annual premium for the 2023-2024 academic year: $4,636 
  • Visit Student Health Insurance Website for up to date deadlines and coverage dates 
  • Spring-semester premium for the 2022-2023 academic year: $2,875. 
  • Deadline for waiving SHIP for students who matriculate in January 2024: Feb 1, 2024.

Dental Insurance

  • Brown University offers a Student Dental Insurance Plan through Delta Dental of Rhode Island. 
  • Academic-year coverage is effective from August 15, 2023, to August 14, 2024.
  • View rates and policy related information on our student health insurance broker’s website at Haylor, Freyer & Coon.
  • See the Health Services Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) webpage for additional information.

Vision Insurance

Brown University offers a voluntary Student Vision Insurance Plan through Delta Vision of Rhode Island. 

Academic-year coverage is effective from August 15, 20232, to August 14, 20243. View rates and policy related information on our student health insurance broker’s website at Haylor, Freyer & Coon.

See the Health Services Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) webpage for additional information.

 

Dependents

Students may enroll dependents in SHIP, dental, or vision  insurance at an additional cost. Eligible dependents include a legal spouse or domestic partner, children up to the age of 26, or a newborn infant born while the student is covered by SHIP, the Delta Dental, or Delta Vision plan. A spouse or partner is generally expected to be living with the covered student in order to be eligible for coverage.

Doctoral and MFA students who receive health or dental coverage through their financial support packages from the University are eligible to receive full coverage for the annual premium cost of enrolling a dependent child or international spouse in health or dental coverage.

Health Insurance Waiver/Buyout

Graduate students who are covered by another comparable health insurance plan may elect to waive SHIP. Find more information about waiving coverage on the Student Health Insurance Plan website. Doctoral and MFA students who receive health coverage through their financial support packages from the University and who opt to waive SHIP will receive a buyout of $400 ($200 for spring-semester coverage). This buyout will be distributed through the student account system. If students have a credit balance on their student account at the time the buyout is disbursed, they will be able to request a refund from the Bursar's Office. If they do not have a credit balance at this time, the $400/$200 will be applied to their student account. Students who choose coverage through both SHIP and an alternate plan should be aware that SHIP includes a “Coordination of Benefits” provision. A student may want to contact his or her other insurance company to inquire about a similar provision in that plan. “Double Coverage” may affect the timely processing of claims between the two plans.

More Information

The Student Health Insurance Office is located in the Health and Wellness Center at 450 Brook St. Brown University is proud to offer our students who do not have coverage through a comparable health insurance plan, coverage through United Healthcare Student Resources.