Pennsylvania students facing auto-enrollment, may be on the hook for thousands of dollars

As students prepare to return to campus this fall, many in Pennsylvania will face mandatory student health insurance fees unless they act quickly to submit waivers. 

For many students, coverage is not needed and only increases the cost to attend college. 

A Campus Reform review of public and private university policies across the state reveals stark differences in coverage requirements, waiver flexibility, and enrollment practices.

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Public University Systems

Pennsylvania’s public universities vary widely in how they administer health insurance mandates, particularly in how they treat domestic and international students.

Pennsylvania State University: International students required to enroll, while domestic students must provide proof of coverage or join the PSU plan (~$3,600/year). Waiver deadlines: Sept. 2 and Jan. 20.

University of Pittsburgh: Insurance mandate for international students only. Domestic students may opt in voluntarily (~$3,237/year). Waiver deadline: Sept. 30 and Jan. 31.

Temple University: Insurance required for international students and recommended for all (~$5,796/year). Waiver deadlines: Sept. 1 and Jan. 1.

West Chester University: Coverage required for international students only (~$900/year). Waiver deadlines: Aug. 31 and Jan. 31.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania: No school plan offered, international students required to submit proof of coverage before orientation.

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Private Universities

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn): Coverage mandated for all full-time students (~$4,662/year). Waivers require ACA-compliant plans. Deadlines: Aug. 31 and Jan. 31.

Carnegie Mellon University: Health insurance mandatory for all full-time students, auto-enrollment enabled (~$2,877/year). Waiver deadline: Aug. 22.

Lehigh University: Full-time students required to have coverage and are auto-enrolled in a school plan (~$2,745/year). Waivers due Sept. 5 and Jan. 30.

Drexel University: All full-time students must have a policy meeting Drexel’s standards, auto-enrollment in school plan for students not covered (~$3,035/year). Deadlines: Sept. 30 and Jan. 31.

Villanova University: All full-time students required to have health insurance, auto-enrollment enabled for those not covered (~$2,407/year). Waiver deadline: Sept. 5 and Jan. 31.

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Private institutions in Pennsylvania tend to charge higher insurance premiums and offer less flexibility in waiving out of coverage. Automatic enrollment is common, and most require waivers to be submitted online with stringent documentation standards.

Public universities generally apply mandates more selectively, offering domestic students more waiver opportunities. However, failure to submit proper documentation on time can still result in automatic enrollment and substantial fees.

A Government Accountability Office analysis found that most students are already covered under existing policies, either through their employer’s plan or someone else’s policy. 

Students navigating health insurance requirements in Pennsylvania must now meet their institution’s requirement or face thousands of dollars in premium costs.