UC Berkeley auto-enrolls students in health plan covering trans surgeries before semester begins
Undergraduate students who miss the July 15 waiver deadline are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan and face a $2,429 charge. If they fail to meet the deadline, students face a $75 opt-out fee.
UC Berkeley’s health insurance plan offers gender-affirming services such as breast augmentation, “bottom surgery,” “top surgery,” tracheal shave, laser hair removal, vocal training, and facial feminization surgery.
Across the country, many universities automatically enroll students in campus-sponsored health insurance plans unless they complete a multi-step waiver process by a strict deadline.
At the University of California, Berkeley, students face one of the nation’s earliest opt-out deadlines: July 15, more than a month before the fall semester begins in late August.
Students who miss the cutoff are faced with a $75 late fee to opt-out of the student health plan. After August 15, no waivers are accepted, and students are locked into the nearly $3,000 plan.
The opt-out process and restrictive insurance requirements can be burdensome and confusing for students, especially for those unfamiliar with the process and its annual requirements.
Given the multi-step approval process and strict criteria to opt-out, students must act early to avoid automatic enrollment and additional fees. This tight timeline raises concerns about whether students have sufficient time and notice to opt out or secure alternate coverage.
Additionally, university health insurance plans come at a steep price, and students who miss the often-overlooked deadlines may be locked into expensive policies they don’t need.
Undergraduates who don’t submit a waiver are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) at a cost of $2,429 for the semester. For graduate students, the rate jumps to $3,924.
Many students don’t rely on university health insurance and may be automatically enrolled despite already having coverage. Over 70% of students report having insurance through their parent, guardian, or employer, according to Statista.
Another growing concern centers on the types of services included in mandatory university health plans.
As Campus Reform has previously reported, universities are quietly adding thousands to students’ bills through health insurance programs that fund ideologically driven medical services.
At UC Berkeley, the SHIP plan offers students abortions, extensive gender-affirming services and hormone therapy.
Services include breast augmentation, “bottom surgery,” “top surgery,” tracheal shave, laser hair removal, vocal training, “gender-conforming facial surgery” and facial feminization surgery.
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University policy requires all registered undergraduates, including international students, to either enroll in SHIP or submit proof of equivalent coverage through the Student Health Portal. The waiver process must be repeated annually. To opt out, students must demonstrate that their outside insurance meets strict requirements.
A similar restrictive opt-out policy applies to the spring semester, with a January 1 deadline and a final cutoff of January 22. After that date, waivers are no longer accepted, and students are locked into the plan for the remainder of the term.
Campus Reform has contacted UC Berkeley for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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