Dependent Coverage

NOTE: Dependent coverage does not automatically roll over to the new plan year. If you wish to enroll your dependents for the 2024-2025 plan year, please see the information below.

2024-2025 plan year (August 15, 2024 – August 14, 2025)

NOTE: The 2024-25 open enrollment period will end on September 20, 2024***.

***The following students have an earlier open enrollment deadline:

BU School of Medicine: new entering M.D. Candidate: September 5, 2024

BU Goldman School of Dental Medicine:

new PreDocs (D.M.D.): August 29, 2024
new entering PostDocs & new Fellowship students: August 1, 2024

NOTE: Online only students are ineligible to enroll in SHIP. Also, domestic part-time degree registered below 75% if a full-time course load are also ineligible for SHIP coverage.

Students must be enrolled at the PLUS plan level to add eligible dependents*. The final day to upgrade to the annual PLUS plan for most students is September 20, 2024***. Students enrolled at the BASIC level for the 2024-2025 policy period are NOT eligible to add dependents to their plan (except newborn/newly adopted children)**.

Open Enrollment Instructions:

If you are already enrolled in the Student PLUS plan for the 2024-2025 plan year, then visit Aetna Student Health’s website to add your eligible dependents at the Student PLUS level before the open enrollment deadline.

If your student account is assessed for the Boston University Student BASIC level with your semester registration, during open enrollment, visit the MyBU portal select the MyBU Dashboard, select Student Health Insurance > Change Plan level, > Confirm/Change to the Student Plus Insurance Plan, then confirm that change with the pop-up button.

If you are registered student who is eligible to enroll in BU SHIP, but your student account has not been charged for SHIP, during open enrollment, visit the MyBU portal, select the MyBU Dashboard, select the Student Health Insurance > Purchase SHIP > Purchase Student Plus Insurance Plan.

The Open Enrollment Deadline for the Annual Policy for most students is September 20, 2024.

Students enrolled in the Student Plus plan for Fall 2024 Semester:

For students enrolled for the 2024-2025 plan year effective August 15, 2024, through August 14, 2025, the rates for the family plan are:

Student (Plus level): $4,567

Spouse (Plus level): $4,567 (in addition to student/subscriber’s own premium)

One Child (Plus level): $4,567 (in addition to student/subscriber‘s own premium)

Two or More Children (Plus level): $9,134 (in addition to student/subscriber‘s own premium)

[Total annual cost: Student + Spouse $9,134; Student + one child $9,134; Student + spouse + one child $13,701; Student + spouse + two or more children $18,268.]

(Professional Medical students (i.e. M.D. candidates), Dermatology students and Goldman School of Dental Medicine students may visit their school’s web site for information on plan rates and coverage dates.)

Professional Medical students (i.e. M.D. candidates), visit http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm-reg/health-insurance-information/.

Dermatology students, visit http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm-reg/health-insurance-information/.

Students at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine students, visit https://www.bu.edu/dental/about/offices/registrar/tuition/health-ins-costs

The Dependent rates are published in the 2024-2025 Plan Design and Benefits Summary document which may be viewed at Aetna Student Health’s website. The Open Enrollment Deadline for the 2024-2025 Policy Year for most students is September 20, 2024.)

Students who are new for the Spring 2025 semester only:

NOTE: Online only students are ineligible to enroll in SHIP. Also, domestic part-time degree registered below 75% if a full-time course load are also ineligible for SHIP coverage.

Spring dependent enrollment is only open to students who are enrolled at the PLUS level. The final enrollment deadline for adding dependents for the Spring policy period is January 31, 2025. Please refer to the instructions above to enroll your dependents in the plan.

For New Spring students enrolled for the Spring/Summer policy period (January 1, 2025, through August 14, 2025), the rates for the family plan are:

Student (Student PLUS): $2,816

Spouse (Student PLUS): $2,816 (in addition to student/subscriber‘s own premium)

One Child (Student PLUS): $2,816 (in addition to student/subscriber‘s own premium)

Two or More Children (Student PLUS): $5,632 (in addition to student/subscriber‘s own premium)

[Total Spring/Summer 2024 cost: Student + Spouse $5,632; Student + one child $5,632; Student + spouse + one child $8,448; Student + spouse + two or more children $11,264.]

Students must be enrolled at the PLUS level to add eligible dependents. The final day to upgrade to the PLUS plan for students who are new for the Spring 2025 semester is January 31, 2025. Students enrolled at the BASIC level are not eligible to add dependents to their plan. (except newborn/newly adopted children)**

If you are already enrolled in the Student PLUS plan with your Spring 2025 registration, then visit Aetna Student Health’s website to add your eligible dependents at the Student PLUS level before the open enrollment deadline.

If your student account was assessed for the Boston University Student BASIC level with your Spring 2024 semester registration, during open enrollment visit the MyBU portal, select the MyBU Dashboard, select Student Health Insurance > Student Health Insurance > Change Plan level, > Confirm/Change to the Student Plus Insurance Plan, then confirm that change with the pop-up button.

If you are a registered student who is eligible to enroll in BU SHIP, but your student account has not been charged for SHIP, during open enrollment, visit the MyBU portal select the MyBU Dashboard, select the Student Health Insurance > Purchase SHIP > Purchase Student Plus Insurance Plan.

The Open Enrollment Deadline for the Spring Policy period is January 31, 2025.

Important Note

You must be an Aetna Student Health member to add your dependents to the plan. Dependent premiums will be charged to your Boston University student account 7 to 14 business days after you submit your online enrollment. You will be responsible for payment in full of any resulting balance due.

* PLUS plan (only): Eligible dependents are the insured student’s lawful spouse that resides with the student and dependent children under 26 years of age.

For instructions on how to add dependents after open enrollment due to a recent qualifying event refer to our Add Insurance page. Scroll down the page to find the “After Open Enrollment Guidelines”.

** BASIC Plan: Covered students enrolled in the BASIC plan may enroll a newborn or newly adopted child that is born or adopted during the current policy period. No other dependents are eligible under the BASIC plan. For instructions, refer to the bottom of our Add Insurance page. (scroll to bottom of page)

Note: Dependents of the student enrolled in the plan are not able to be seen at Student Health Services and do not require a referral from Student Health Services to access the outpatient benefits. A list of Preferred Providers may be viewed using Aetna’s DocFind® service at www.aetnastudenthealth.com or through Aetna Navigator.