Affiliates and their dependents must enroll each academic year; enrollment and renewal is not automatic. 

Affiliates who submit applications after the enrollment deadlines without a life changing event will be charged a late fee in addition to the cost of the insurance. 

Affiliate Eligibility

Post-doc affiliates and fellows are eligible to enroll as long as they meet all of these requirements:

• Hold a current appointment
• Recently awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate in an appropriate field
• Must not be eligible to purchase insurance through the Harvard University Human Resources Benefits Office 

Eligible Dependents 

Dependents are eligible to enroll when the Post-doc affiliate is covered by both the Student Health Fee and the Student Health Insurance Plan.  

• Married Spouse
• Dependent children (Children must be under the age of 26. Married children and the dependents of a child can enroll in coverage under the enrolled affiliate's membership.) 

Required Documents

Documentation is required for each family member enrolled in the affiliate's plan.

• Married Spouse: marriage certificate or I20 form for international students
• Dependent children: Birth certificate or statement of birth from hospital (for newborns), legal documentation of adoption or guardianship, or DS-2019 form for international students

Documents must have the affiliate name and the name of the dependent that is being added to the insurance. 

Documents that are not in English must be officially translated and are only required for initial enrollment and not necessary when you renew dependents for subsequent terms.

Life Changing Events

You may enroll or add dependents to your plan within 45 days of a life changing event. The coverage effective date and the cost are pro-rated to the first day of the month in which the event occurred. Affiliates who fail to submit appropriate documents to support the event are charged a late fee.

You must submit documentation confirming one of these events to Member Services:

• Start of a new appointment with the University
• Entry into the country: a copy of passport, which includes the United States arrival date stamp
• Other health insurance coverage ending: a copy of the termination of coverage letter from your alternative insurance carrier or human resources department stating the date your coverage has or will be ending.
• Marriage: marriage certificate
• Birth of a child,* legal adoption, or legal guardianship: Birth certificate or statement of birth from hospital (for newborns), legal documentation of adoption or guardianship  

*When enrolling a newborn, we recommend the effective date of coverage should be the child's date of birth to avoid costly medical bills. This plan does not cover services rendered prior to the beginning date of the health insurance coverage.

When enrolling dependents, remember that you must submit the required documentation in addition to the documentation of the life changing event if the event does not support the relationship to the subscriber.

Rates and Payment

Affiliates and their dependents must purchase both the Student Health Fee and the Student Health Insurance Plan. View rates

Payment

We accept the following forms of payment :

• Check (personal or bank; made payable to Harvard University)
• Money order
• Department web voucher (department administrators, please refer to the complete instructions)

You must submit your payment within 30 days of submitting your enrollment application, or we cannot process the application. We do not enroll you in coverage until we receive your payment.

Late Fees 

Enrolling affiliates and their dependents is possible for those who miss either the open enrollment period or the period to enroll with a life changing event, but restrictions and late fees apply. We do not pay claims prior to the coverage effective date.

The late fees are applied for each month following the enrollment deadline or when the life changing event occurred. These fees are in addition to the full prorated dependent premium, and the increase is effective on the first of each month.

   Additional fee per month:

• Coverage is effective as of the date Member Services receives the completed enrollment form.
• We do not pay claims prior to the coverage effective date.
• All other enrollment rules still apply.

Example:

The fall enrollment deadline for affiliates is August 31. On October 3, an affiliate realizes that he forgot to enroll himself in HUSHP and then submits an enrollment form to Member Services. The affiliate is charged a prorated premium, and a $400 penalty fee ($200 for September, and $200 for October). Claims prior to October 3 will not be paid by HUSHP, therefore these claims are the responsibility and must be paid by the affiliate.

65+ years of age

Are you or a dependent at least 65 years of age or about to turn 65?

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts requires all members who are at least 65 years of age (or approaching age 65) to complete a Medicare certification form and return it to Member Services. Failure to submit this form results in a hold on your insurance coverage, and your claims are not paid.

Submit the Medicare certification form to:

HUSHP Member Services
75 Mt. Auburn Street, First Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: mservices@huhs.harvard.edu