Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires health insurance for all full-time students. All students attending Amherst are billed the annual premium in the fall, with the exception of students going on educational leave for fall. They will be billed the fall only premium and upon return to Amherst, billed the spring premium. Students that have a current health insurance plan that is ACTIVE throughout the entire policy year have the option to waive the coverage the College provides.

All enrolled students wishing to waive the College provided SHIP are required to submit a health insurance waiver through Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk's website to determine if the student's existing plan meets the waiver requirements. In choosing to waive the College provided SHIP, students are affirming that their current plan's coverage meets Massachusetts state requirements. Should the student receive medical care that is not covered by their current insurance coverage plan, they assume the responsibility to cover out of pocket expenses.

Waiving the College Provided SHIP

To waive the College provided SHIP, the student must first access an email issued to their Amherst College email address from Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk and follow the instructions provided.

The online waiver form  must be submitted by August 4, 2023 for the fall 23/24 semester and by January 5, 2024 for the spring 23/24 semester. Approved waivers will be credited to the student account 1-2 business days after approval. Unless the plan is waived by the published deadline, the College will automatically enroll the student in the College provided plan and the premium must be paid.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ONLINE WAIVER PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS CAN BE ADDRESSED TO GALLAGHER STUDENT HEALTH & SPECIAL RISK: 800-379-6183

Students who receive financial aid from the College may request additional grant aid to pay for the College provided SHIP, if their family does not have health insurance and/or if their existing plan does not meet Massachusetts state requirements. A “Request for Scholarship–Health” form should be completed and submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. This is available in the “Forms and Helpful Links” section of the Office of Financial Aid website.

Coverage Dates and Cost of SHIP

The SHIP benefit is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. The plan name is: Blue Care Elect Preferred Student Health Plan: Amherst College-Students

The student health insurance premiums for the 2023-2024 academic year are:

  • $2,934- Annual/Full Year Coverage- Billed in fall semester to all students enrolled at Amherst
  • $1,222- Fall Semester Coverage Only- Billed to students going on educational leave for fall
  • $1,712*- Spring Semester Coverage Only- Billed to new students, students returning from a leave of absence or fall educational leave and students going on educational leave for spring that are not already enrolled in the annual plan

*The difference in the spring premium is the cost of the Travel Assistance Program which is already included in the fall premium. For more information regarding this program, please contact Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk at 800-379-6183.

The benefit coverage dates for 2023/24 are:
Fall Semester: August 15, 2023 through January 4, 2024
Spring Semester: January 5, 2024 through August 14, 2024

*There is no gap in coverage for students enrolled in the Annual plan

Additional information on the current year's Student Health Insurance Plan are linked below: 

Subscriber ID and Insurance Card

The Subscriber ID# is found on your Verification of Coverage (VOC) letter. To access this letter:

-Log into your Gallagher account

-Click on the Academic years SHIP plan link under the blue Coverage Options box

-The VOC letter link is located in the Plan Summary box

ID cards are available through the MyBlue app in the App Store or Google Play.

How to Access Your Insurance ID Card via the MyBlue App