The Student Health Center and Pharmacy strongly encourages all students to have health insurance to help minimize the costs of their health care. The University of Alabama offers a fully underwritten Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources (UHCSR). Eligible UA students can voluntarily enroll in the health plan on a semester basis, or for the entire plan year beginning August 1 and ending in July 31 of each academic year.

Additional information about the plan can be obtained from the Student Health Insurance Office at 205-348-4086 or online at www.uhcsr.com/ua.

UHCSR complies with all aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as it applies to student health insurance plans, including the requirement to provide free preventive services and unlimited annual and unlimited lifetime dollar coverage per insured person with no waiting period for pre-existing medical conditions. Students are advised to compare the UHCSR plan with their parents’ health plan or other health coverage, co-pays, deductibles and premiums before deciding whether to enroll.

Enrollment Windows

Annual and Fall: July 30, 2023 – September 14, 2023
Spring and Spring/Summer: December 19, 2023 – January 31, 2024
Summer Enrollment: May 1, 2024 – June 9, 2024

Enroll online at United Healthcare Student Resources

Eligibility

All domestic undergraduate students taking five or more credit hours and all domestic graduate students taking three credit hours are eligible to enroll in the University sponsored insurance plan on a voluntary basis. All international students are required to be insured and premiums will be billed to their student receivables account, unless a waiver form is submitted timely to the Student Health Insurance Office. Students classified as distance learning primarily enrolled in Internet classes are not eligible.

All students who have been continuously insured under the plan for at least one semester and who no longer meet these eligibility requirements are eligible to continue their coverage for a period of up to 90 days. Please contact UHCSR for additional information.

Dependents

Eligible students who do enroll in the University sponsored student health insurance plan may also insure their dependents. Eligible dependents include spouses and unmarried children under 26 years of age. Dependent eligibility expires concurrently with that of the insured student.

Requirements

Students must actively attend classes for at least the first 31 days after the date that coverage is purchased. Home study, correspondence, Internet classes and television (TV) courses do not fulfill the eligibility requirements that the student actively attend classes. UHCSR may investigate eligibility and student status, and if UHCSR discovers that the policy eligibility requirements have not been met, its only obligation is refund of the premium.

UHCSR Policies

The annual deductible will be waived and benefits paid at 100% for covered medical expenses incurred when treatment is provided at the SHCP (students only) or University Medical Center (students or insured dependents).

Preventive care office visits (includes immunizations) are provided at the SHCP with no copays. A $20 copay applies to all non-preventive office visits.

Prescriptions dispensed at the SHCP have less expensive copays than other retail pharmacies – $10 copay for Tier 1, $40 copay for Tier 2 and $50 copay for Tier 3. Copays at other in-network retail pharmacies are $10-$15 more per prescription.

UHCSR requires a referral from the SHCP or University Medical Center before a student can be seen by any provider outside the SHCP, otherwise benefits will be paid at the out-of-network level (60%). However, students do not need a referral from the SHCP for outside medical care under the following conditions:

  • For a medical emergency.
  • When the SHCP is closed during regular business hours or holiday break.
  • When medical care is received by the student more than 50 miles outside of Tuscaloosa.
  • When the student is no longer a UA student due to change in status (such as graduation).
  • Psychotherapy does not require a referral from the SHCP.

Insurance Forms and Information