To waive the MSU SHIP plan, your other form of health insurance coverage must meet the following criteria. Note, the criteria varies by student type. 

International Student Waiver Criteria

• Covers a minimum of $500,000 per condition without time limitation.
• Has a policy year deductible of $500 or less per individual.
• Covers inpatient and outpatient medical services (including labs and x-rays).
• Covers inpatient and outpatient mental health services.
• Covers prescriptions up to a minimum of $500,000.
• Provides coverage worldwide.
• Has $50,000 or more provision for medical evacuation to your home country.
• Has $25,000 or more provision for repatriation (removal of remains after death) to your home country.
• Provides coverage for the waiver period requested.

Medical/Veterinary Student Waiver Criteria (Human Medicine/Osteopathic Medicine/Vet Medicine)

• Covers hospitalization.
• Covers preventative services like annual physicals.
• Covers emergency care.
• Covers lab work and x-rays.
• Covers prescriptions.
• Covers mental health and substance abuse treatments.
• Provides coverage for the waiver period requested.

College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Human Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine students are eligible to waive coverage in the MSU SHIP plan.

International Students
A limited number of international students are eligible to apply for a waiver to opt out of the MSU SHIP plan, including:

• International students sponsored by home governments or non-governmental organizations outside of MSU
• International students enrolled in an online degree program
• International students remaining outside the U.S. for the full waiver period
• International students with MSU staff benefits, through own employment or spouse/parent employment
• International students with U.S. employee benefits, through own employment or spouse/parent employment

These groups are still subject to the waiver criteria and will need to follow the waiver application process as outlined in the Section below.

• International students sponsored by home governments or non-governmental organizations outside of MSU:
  Process: Contact Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) to verify that you are a Sponsored Student at ihealth@msu.edu or 517-353-1720. If you meet the criteria, OISS will send your information to Human Resources to change your eligibility to waive. Once waiver eligibility to waive is updated, you will be notified that you can submit a waiver request.
• International students enrolled in an online degree program
  

  Process: Contact the Solutions Center in MSU Human Resources via email at Solutionscenter@hr.msu.edu or by phone at 517-353-4434 to notify that you are in an online degree program. If you meet the criteria, HR will change your eligibility to waive, and you will be notified that you can submit a waiver request.

• International students remaining outside the U.S. for the full waiver period
  Process: Contact OISS to complete an “exemption request” at ihealth@msu.edu or 517-353-1720. If you meet criteria and exemption request is approved, OISS will notify Human Resources and Human Resources will create and approve a waiver for the approved exemption period. 

• International students with MSU staff benefits, through own employment or spouse/parent employment
  

  Process: Contact the Solutions Center in MSU Human Resources at Solutionscenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434 to notify that you are enrolled under MSU staff benefits and if you meet the criteria, HR will change your eligibility to waive, and you will be notified that you can submit a waiver request.

• International students with U.S. employee benefits, through own employment or spouse/parent employment
  Process: Contact the Solutions Center in MSU Human Resources at Solutionscenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434 to notify that you are enrolled under a U.S. employer benefit. If you meet the criteria, HR will change your eligibility to waive, and you will be notified that you can submit a waiver request.

  Please note: These processes may take up to 1-2 weeks to complete.

2025-2026 Waiver Dates

You can only waive coverage for Spring III if you are a new student beginning summer semester. For all other enrollment periods, if you do not complete a waiver prior to the deadline, you will have to wait until the next period to waive coverage.

Questions? Contact the Solutions Center at  SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434 or toll-free at 800-353-4434.

2024-2025 Waiver Dates

Access the waiver system on the AHP website.

Once you are logged in, you will select the box "I Want to Waive" and completed the waiver process by submitting applicable insurance documents for review by the AHP team.

For detailed instructions on how to submit a waiver, please refer to this additional resource, AHP Student User Guide.

If you have waived the student or GA health plan, you will be waived for the full period in which you submitted a waiver for. If you are returning the following period in an automatically enrolled student group, you will be auto enrolled in the aligned enrollment period.

If you experience a loss of coverage after submitting a waiver, you may re-enroll due to a qualifying event.