Policy on Health Insurance for Change in
Status to Leave of Absence
- Students on Leave of Absence (LOA) may purchase two consecutive terms of health insurance.
- Students must purchase both the Student Health Fee (SHF) and Student Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) coverage. No exceptions will be made.
- The date the student goes on LOA will determine the student’s health insurance options available through Harvard.
| LOA BEFORE October 1 (fall term) or March 1 (spring term) |
The Student Receivables Office will remove the SHF and BCBS charges from the student’s term bill. The student will no longer have health insurance coverage. If the student wishes to purchase health insurance coverage, he/she must enroll in person at the Member Services Office within 30 days of going on LOA. Coverage will be retroactive to the beginning of that term, which will be considered the first of two consecutive terms.
Important: It is critical for students with dependents on their plan to contact Member Services to ensure continuous coverage. |
| LOA ON or AFTER October 1 (fall term) or March 1 (spring term) |
The student’s current health insurance coverage will be retained through the end of the term and will be considered one of the two consecutive terms of coverage allowed. A student may extend his/her LOA coverage at the end of the term if they have not already met the maximum allowed.
To enroll the student must submit an enrollment form to Member Services during the next enrollment period. Open enrollment starts August 1 for the fall term and February 1 for the spring term. |
HUHS reserves the right to retroactively charge a student previously credited for the insurance if the insurance was used prior to cancellation. Fee for service is not an option for services rendered prior to status change. Prescriptions purchased are part of the SHF benefit
For more information, contact Member Services at (617) 495-2008.
Please Note:
- Registrars cannot request that the insurance be extended or removed from the student’s term bill, and cannot override this policy.
- This policy applies to all schools.
The terms of this policy are subject to change.
Contact Member Services for more information
Member Services • 75 Mt. Auburn Street • Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-2008
Email: mservices@huhs.harvard.edu