Student Health Insurance Options

What do I need to know about Health Insurance Marketplace?

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College students have several choices for health coverage:

A student health plan
If you’re covered by your school’s student health plan, in most cases you’re considered covered under the Affordable Care Act. You won’t have to pay the fee people without coverage must generally pay. Check with your student health plan to see if it qualifies as coverage under the health care law.

A Marketplace health plan
You can choose to buy a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Most people qualify for financial help to lower premium costs. Visit  HealthCare.gov to apply and find out if you can get lower costs for health coverage.

Coverage on a parent’s plan
You may be able to stay on or get added to your parent’s health plan until you turn 26.

Catastrophic health plans
If you’re under 30, you can buy a catastrophic health plan to protect yourself from the high costs of an accident or serious illness. These plans usually have lower monthly premiums, but high deductibles. You pay for most of your care yourself, up to a certain amount. After that, the insurance company pays its share for covered services.

Medicaid coverage
Medicaid is a combined state and federal program that provides coverage to people with limited income. When you apply for coverage at HealthCare.gov, you’ll find out if you qualify for coverage through Medicaid.

What if I don’t have health coverage?
If you can afford health insurance, but you don’t have it, you may have to pay a fee with your income tax return. There’s no special student exemption. However, you won’t have to pay the fee if you have a limited income and you don’t have to file a federal tax return.

For more information, visit HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325.

4 Ways to get Marketplace Coverage

1. Online: Visit Healthcare.gov to apply and enroll on the Web.

2. Over the phone: Call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325. A customer service representative can help you apply and enroll over the phone.

3. In-person help: Get help from people in your community trained and certified to help you apply and enroll in the Marketplace. Visit Local help. HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center.

4. Paper application: If you don’t have a computer or time to apply and enroll over the phone, you can fill out a paper application. Call the Marketplace Call Center to get an application or download a copy from HealthCare.gov.

The GRA Healthcare Plan Option is a medical plan offered by the University System of Georgia to graduate research assistants in compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Affordable Care Act requires that employers offer coverage to all full-time employees, as defined under the law. Even though USG considers graduate students part-time employees, because of the challenges in tracking time for graduate research assistants, it was decided an offer of coverage would be made to graduate students with a research component in their job responsibilities.

Graduate research assistants also have the option to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) underwritten by United Healthcare of Georgia or in other coverage available to them through a parent, spouse or through the Marketplace Exchange. For more information about the health insurance options available to graduate research assistants, click the tabs.

Carefully consider all of the options available to you before enrolling in coverage.

ENROLLMENT

To enroll in the GRA Healthcare Option log into the OneUSG Connect – Benefits Website through the USG Faculty & Staff portal using your Georgia State Campus ID and password. On the USG Faculty & Staff portal, Under MANAGE MY BENEFITS:

1. Click on Single Sign On
2. Enter your Campus ID and Password

If you need help with activating your Campus ID or password changes, go to http://technology.gsu.edu/technology-services/it-services/accounts/ or contact the Technology Service Desk at help@gsu.edu.

If you need help with completing your enrollment online, contact the OneUSG Connect – Benefits Call Center toll-free at 1-844-587-4236.  Call Center representatives can also help you understand your benefits and eligibility, connect you with benefits providers and update your coverage as a result of a life event.

WHEN COVERAGE ENDS

Coverage through the GRA Healthcare Option will continue through the calendar year unless you become ineligible for coverage ( for example, you graduate or move into another position) or experience a qualifying event. GRA plan coverage continues to the last day of the month in which your GRA position ends and at that time you will be offered the option to enroll in COBRA coverage.  

The GRA Healthcare Plan Option does not meet the federal guidelines for international students holding F-1 or J-1 visas. Students holding these visas are not eligible to enroll in the GRA Healthcare Plan.  The annual enrollment period for the GRA Healthcare Option is in January of each year.  

PLAN INFORMATION

See the Summary of Plan Benefits for the GRA Healthcare Plan Option and a comparison of the GRA plan to the Student Healthcare Insurance plan for more information about the GRA Healthcare Plan Option.     

• 2019 GRA Health Insurance Plan Summary
• 2019 Comparison of GRA Healthcare Plan Options
• 2019 GRA Healthcare Coverage Option Presentation

For general questions regarding the GRA Healthcare Option please call the Benefits Office at (404)413-3330.