New Students

If you are a student living on campus, you must meet Massachusetts’ immunization requirements. Non-submission and/or missing required immunizations will place a hold on your account, and you will not be able to register for classes. You will be utilizing the Patient Portal in the “Medical Clearances” section to upload your required paperwork.

Please visit our Immunization webpage for updated information for students who will be on campus or remote.

• Law Students can direct questions to lawschoolhealthservices@huhs.harvard.edu
• Medical and Dental Students can direct questions to mahealthservices@huhs.harvard.edu 
• College and all other Graduate School Students can direct questions to mrecords@huhs.harvard.edu

For students with SHIP, find coverage information for preventative vaccines. 

All eligible students are automatically enrolled in both parts of the Harvard University Student Health Program, which includes the Student Health Fee and the Student Health Insurance Plan. View the New Student Letter and the New Student webpage on the HUSHP website.

Student Health Fee

Most registered students are required to pay the Student Health Fee. The Student Health Fee enables Harvard University Health Services to provide support and services to all segments of the Harvard community. It also supports the University’s public health infrastructure in its response to the current pandemic and the future path to reopening for all students.

When accessing care at HUHS, the Student Health Fee will cover most services at HUHS without requiring a visit copayment.

• Fact: Even if you have waived the Student Health Insurance Plan, the Student Health Fee enables your access to HUHS.

Please visit the Student Health Fee webpage for more detailed information about what this health fee covers.

Student Health Insurance Plan

This plan is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and is designed to complement the health care provided through the Student Health Fee at HUHS. It covers hospital, specialty care, labs/radiology, and has a prescription drug benefit. This plan provides coverage throughout the United States and abroad. You have the option to waive the Student Health Insurance Plan with comparable health insurance coverage, but you must do so by the stated deadline.

At HUHS, the Student Health Insurance Plan would address medical services not covered by the Student Health Fee. This includes diagnostic lab testing, prescriptions, routine eye exams, allergy serums, and immunizations (limitations apply).

If you are referred to an outside service or specialty, you will be utilizing your Student Health Insurance Plan benefits. Please become familiar with your benefits and out-of-pocket costs when accessing care.

• Quick Tip! If you are concerned about your medical care costs, please visit the Medical Hardship Fund webpage, and contact our Patient Advocate with any questions you may have.
• Quick Tip! For additional resources about HUSHP and being a new student, please visit the HUSHP New Student webpage.

Please visit the Harvard University Student Health Program website for more detailed information, and contact Member Services with any questions about the Harvard University Student Health Program at (617) 495-2008 or email MServices@huhs.harvard.edu. 

All new students are automatically assigned a Primary Care Physician at HUHS after 8/3. You can view this information in the “Profile” section of the HUHS Patient Portal.

If you would like to select or change your Primary Care Physician, contact our Registration Department directly at (617) 495-5795 or email registration@huhs.harvard.edu.

Having a Primary Care Provider assignment enables you to book appointments at HUHS. Not all appointments at HUHS are web-bookable on the Patient Portal. Please call us directly at (617) 495-5711 if you need assistance or to consult about scheduling an appointment.

If you would like to see a provider in a specialty service at HUHS, please note that specialty services require an inside referral from an HUHS Primary Care Provider.

• Quick Tip! You can call your Primary Care Provider to request a referral. If this is a new issue or concern, your Primary Care Team may want to speak with you before a referral can be made.

Telemedicine is a digital health solution that connects the patient and clinician through real-time audio and video technology. This allows the patient and their clinician to see and hear each other through a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

• Quick Tip! Set up your personal voicemail and be sure to answer blocked calls in case HUHS is trying to reach you about your medical information or appointment.

Learn more about telemedicine at HUHS

Our Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Department is a no-cost service that works collaboratively across the University to support registered students who are experiencing some measure of distress in their lives. Their team is comprised of more than 40 clinicians who represent a range of diversity, expertise, life experiences, and disciplines across the mental health field.

All registered students can schedule an Initial Consultation by visiting the “Appointments” section in the HUHS Patient Portal. You will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire so we can evaluate and discuss your needs.

We are here for you if you are in distress and in need of urgent mental health care. Students can speak to a mental health counselor 24/7 by calling (617) 495-2042 and selecting our CAMHS Cares option.

Please visit the Counseling and Mental Health Services website for more information about services, groups, workshop offerings, and much more!

For your safety and the safety of other patients, please no walk-ins! You must call (617) 495-5711 before presenting in person so that we can provide guidance for you.

If you need care now and cannot wait for a future appointment, call our Urgent Care Department at (617) 495-5711 before presenting in person. 

Our Urgent Care Department can provide advice and treatment for urgent health problems, both physical and emotional, that require prompt attention. If your problem or issue is life-threatening, please call 911.

Please consult with your Primary Care Physician and team for routine or non-urgent care needs.

At HUHS, we offer a range of vision services for adults on a fee-for-service basis, including eye exams and prescriptions for eyewear. If you have waived the Student Health Insurance Plan, a routine eye exam or prescription exam would be fee-for-service. 

The Student Health Fee can address Ophthalmology services at HUHS if you have a new or ongoing eye issue. There is no coverage for a routine eye exam.

The Student Health Insurance Plan will cover the cost of one routine eye exam per plan year (8/1-7/31). Please consult with Member Services by calling (617) 495-2008 or emailing MServices@huhs.harvard.edu if you have questions about your coverage for eye care.

Our Nutrition Department can consult with you about your nutritional needs and goals based on your personal lifestyle, as well as provide guidance to manage specific health concerns and conditions as it relates to nutrition.

Students can make an initial consultation appointment without a referral on the HUHS Patient Portal.

Our Center for Wellness and Health Promotion is here to encourage and cultivate your wellness and well-being through holistic educational experiences.

To schedule an appointment, patients are encouraged to contact their HUHS Health Care Team. Patients can also schedule certain appointments online through the HUHS Patient Portal on the HUHS website.

Please call the clinic directly at (617) 495-5711 if you have a complex medical or critical issue that needs immediate attention. Please call before presenting in person so we can offer guidance.

• Quick Tip! Set up your personal voicemail, and be sure to answer blocked calls in case HUHS is trying to reach you about your medical information or appointment.

Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists are registered nurses with advanced training in diagnosing and treating illness, as well as in health education. They work closely with Physicians and can write prescriptions and refer patients to other clinicians, as appropriate. They are a part of your Health Care Team!

Please contact your insurance plan directly to review what pharmacies are in-network for you. If you have the Harvard Student Health Insurance Plan, you can contact Member Services directly at (617) 495-2008 or email MServices@huhs.harvard.edu. If you waived the Student Health Insurance Plan, you will want to contact your private insurance company.

HUHS also has an onsite laboratory operated through Quest Diagnostics. If you waive the Student Health Insurance Plan, Quest Diagnostics can bill your secondary insurance for these services.

• You can make an appointment with your HUHS Health Care Team to discuss questions and receive emergency contraception.
• Because emergency contraception is now available over the counter, you can also purchase it from our ScriptCenter* and most pharmacies. 

* The ScriptCenter is located in the entryway of HUHS at Smith Campus Center, is available 24/7, and can be accessed after hours with your Harvard ID.

HUHS offers comprehensive screening based on your concerns, risks, and exposure. You can meet with your clinician and together decide which tests are appropriate for you. Most STIs are diagnosed through a clinical exam, a culture, or a blood test.

• STI testing at Harvard University Health Services: All STI testing at HUHS is done by appointment. Please contact your HUHS Primary Care Team to arrange an appointment. 

Read more about sexual and reproductive health at HUHS.

HUHS providers are trained to provide respectful and affirming care to meet your specific care and wellness needs. Please visit our LGBTQ Health & Wellness webpage to learn more.

There may be times when you will be accessing care outside of HUHS. Your Primary Care Team can discuss this plan to receive outside care with you.

• Quick Tip! Contact your insurance plan to learn about your coverage when being seen outside of HUHS and become familiar with your benefits.

Contact the Patient Advocate, Mallory Finne, directly at patadvoc@huhs.harvard.edu or (617) 495-7583 for help with navigating the health care system, exploring choices for your medical care, resolving or mediating problems, discussing financial assistance options, and coordinating accessible arrangements.

Harvard College and Harvard University Health Services strive to treat our college students as the young adults they are.  We are mindful that they need to practice autonomous decision-making and self-care.   Having the privilege of keeping medical information private is one of many autonomous rights of an adult afforded to Harvard College students.  We believe that accepting blanket medical record authorizations to allow parents to access a student’s records, signed at or near the time a student is entering college, reinforces dependency, not independent decision-making.  This is not to say that medical privacy is valued above all others.  Certainly, we accept authorizations to share medical information made at the time, identifying specific records and specific people or entities.  Also, if our medical professionals have reason to determine that a patient is a danger to themselves or others, the law permits disclosure to anyone who may be able to help.  This includes parents as well as others.

Medical privacy laws are designed to encourage people to access health care.  Few people would seek care if they believed their medical records would be available for others to see.  College students are a hard-to-reach population if only because they may not have developed a habit of seeking medical care independently.  This is why HUHS makes great efforts to encourage them to come to HUHS by sending surveys to first-year students, distributing flyers in housing, and visiting dining halls, fairs, and other gatherings.  It is also the case that college students seek care for issues that are particularly private (birth control, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, substance and alcohol abuse and their associated injuries, depression, and anxiety).  Without a promise of medical privacy, we believe many of these conditions/situations would go untreated, either entirely or until the conditions have worsened unnecessarily.  Thus, HUHS does not accept blanket medical record authorizations from students because we believe them to be a barrier to care.