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Health insurance helps pay for medical care, like doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital stays. It protects you from paying the full cost out of pocket.

Health insurance protects you from high medical costs if you get sick, injured, or need ongoing care. Without it, you’d be responsible for paying the full cost of your visits, labs, and treatments.

The ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú University System requires all students taking classes on campus to carry active health insurance.

You’ll also need health insurance to receive services at Curry Health Center’s medical clinic, since medical visits are billed to your insurance.

A co-pay is a small fee you pay when you go to the doctor — for example, $20 for a regular visit or $40 to see a specialist.

A deductible is the amount you pay each year before your insurance starts covering most costs. If you're enrolled in SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan), your deductible is 100% covered at Curry Health Center.

After you meet your deductible, insurance usually pays a percentage of the bill.

If you get care at Curry Health Center with SHIP, you don't have to pay for co-insurance. If you get care outside of Curry Health Center with SHIP, insurance pays 80%, and you pay 20%.

Yes. Insurance helps, but you still pay things like co-pays, part of the bill (co-insurance), or the deductible.

The ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú University System requires all students taking 6 or more credits on campus to have and maintain active major medical health insurance for the entire time they are attending classes. 

This requirement helps ensure you can access the care you need while you’re a student. Good health is a key part of academic success, and having adequate insurance protects you from unexpected medical costs and allows you to receive services at Curry Health Center’s medical clinic.

All students, including athletes, are required to have their own primary health coverage. The coverage provided by the ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú to athletes is secondary and used in the event of an illness or injury obtained during participation in a sport.

No. Students are not required to buy the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). However, all on-campus students taking 6 or more credits are required to have active medical insurance and SHIP is simply one option that can meet that requirement.

You can meet the insurance requirement in any of the following ways:

• Staying on a parent/guardian or family member’s insurance plan
• Using insurance you get through your employer
• Purchasing a private health insurance plan
• Purchasing AcademicBlue / SHIP, UM’s student health insurance plan

SHIP is designed specifically for ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú University System students and offers comprehensive, Gold-level coverage at a student-friendly rate. It can be especially helpful if your current plan doesn’t work well in ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú or doesn’t include out-of-state coverage.

Important notes:

• All students taking 6+ credits, including online-only and distance-only students, are eligible to purchase SHIP.
• Regardless of which plan you use, you will need active health insurance to receive medical services at Curry Health Center.

If you’re on Medicaid from a different state (not ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú Medicaid), your plan:

• Meets MUS’s insurance requirement 
• Only covers emergencies in ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú 
• Does not cover routine care (CHC or local clinics) 
• Requires SHIP or another plan for primary or routine care

It depends on your specific plan. Every insurance policy has its own rules about what’s covered, which providers are in-network, and whether services outside your home state are included. Because of this, Curry Health Center cannot confirm your coverage for you.

To make sure you’re covered while you’re at UM, it’s important to contact your insurance provider before you need care and ask about:

• Whether your plan covers services at Curry Health Center’s medical clinic
• If CHC is considered in-network for your plan (network status can vary even within the same insurance company)
• Whether you have out-of-network benefits and what those costs look like
• Coverage for labs, prescriptions, and ongoing care you may need
• Whether your plan includes out-of-state or “away from home” coverage, especially if your insurance is based in another state

Knowing this information ahead of time helps you avoid surprise costs and makes it easier to access care when you need it.

If your plan does not work well in ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú, you may want to consider the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP / AcademicBlue), which is designed for ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú students and works on campus and statewide.

Important: Curry Health Center's Medical clinic accepts health insurance, but Counseling Services and Dental do not.

You'll verify your insurance selection each semester in GrizPortal during registration (look for it under Action Items). Once you submit your choice, you can’t change it in GrizPortal.

If you need to change your selection, please do so before the 15th day of class:

Before the 15th Class Day: Fill out the

Both forms require your signature and are processed in 3–5 business days.
For more details and to access the forms, visit the Insurance section of the Curry Health Center website.

Insurance selection happens during Fall and Spring registration. Spring coverage runs through July 31, and Fall coverage begins August 1.

Summer-only coverage is not available.

Yes! Starting January 2026, Curry Health Center’s medical clinic accepts insurance for services. You’ll need active health insurance to receive care, or you can pay out of pocket. After your visit, CHC will bill your insurance directly, and any remaining balance (co-pays, coinsurance, or out-of-network charges) will appear in your Patient Portal. Check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage at CHC and whether CHC is in-network.

Important: Counseling Services and Dental do not accept insurance, they remain self-pay.

The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), also called AcademicBlue, provides coverage for medical and counseling services and prescription coverage for all members. Vision and dental coverage are included for students who are under the age of 19 only.

SHIP is offered as an option to satisfy the insurance requirement.

It is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan with Gold level benefit coverage. Although a private plan, it is specifically designed for ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú University System students. 

Additional information on the plan, can be found by visiting the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) section of the Curry Health Center website.

The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) runs on a yearly cycle from August 1 to July 31, but it's purchased one semester at a time.

• Fall semester coverage:
  • August 1 – January 31 (6 months)
• Spring semester coverage:
  • If you had SHIP in the fall: February 1 – July 31 (6 months)
  • If you did not have SHIP in the fall: January 1 – July 31 (7 months)

Important: Your insurance coverage won’t begin until your tuition and fees are fully paid and finalized.

The current premium costs can be found by visiting the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) section of the Curry Health Center website.

If you get care at Curry Health Center:

• Nearly all services are covered at 100%
• You don’t pay co-pays, the deductible, or co-insurance

If you get care outside of Curry:

• You will pay the co-pay, deductible, and co-insurance
• It’s best to use Curry or In-Network providers when possible
• Co-pays:
  • $20 for a primary care visit
  • $40 for a specialist visit
• Deductible: $500
• Co-insurance: 80% insurance / 20% patient

Reminder: Not all providers or pharmacies work with Blue Cross Blue Shield. It’s up to you to check if they’re in-network before getting care.

No. Although there are advantages to using the Curry Health Center, members can utilize any providers they wish.

Yes, the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Whether you are in Missoula, or at home for the weekend, this plan provides coverage worldwide.

No. Although some providers may require a referral to treat you, they are not required by the carrier.

When you register for classes each fall and spring semester, you’ll be prompted to make a health insurance selection. That’s your chance to choose SHIP.

If you initially waive the plan, you have until the 15th class day to change your selection.

Important: Your coverage won’t start until you’ve finalized and paid your tuition bill. For billing questions, contact UMstudentaccts@mso.umt.edu.

The cost of SHIP is added to your regular semester bill and is paid along with your tuition and fees. If you have questions about the payment, contact Business Services Student Accounts at 406-243-2223.

Yes. All students taking 6+ credits, including self-support MSW Online students, are eligible to purchase SHIP.
This is separate from the Health Services Fee opt-in, students can choose one or both depending on their needs.