SLU Student Health Insurance
Saint Louis University requires full-time students with on-campus classes to maintain health insurance during the academic year. Health insurance provides protection against unexpected medical costs and promotes student well-being.
SLU offers student health insurance — the SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP) plan — in collaboration with Aetna Student Health.
The University assesses a default charge for the SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP) plan. Students must either enroll in or waive the SLU plan (and the related default charge) by submitting a waiver request with proof of alternate coverage that meets SLU waiver criteria.
Enrollment and waiver requests must be submitted through Aetna's SLU website during the semester open enrollment period. Students who do not waive by the semester deadline will be automatically enrolled in the SLU plan and responsible for the related semester charge. Reminders regarding the need to enroll or waive are sent to students’ SLU email addresses.
The Aetna website is open for the summer 2025 open enrollment period. Summer 2025 online enroll/waive tools will be available until Saturday, May 31. The summer 2025 open enrollment period ends on Monday, June 30.
The enroll/waive tools will be updated mid-June 2025 to accept fall 2025 semester waivers and fall 2025 enrollment including July 1, Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 start dates.
Guide to Requesting Waivers or Enrollment for Summer 2025 (PDF)
If you need assistance, please call the SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP) office at 314-977-5666 or email uhp@health.slu.edu.
Waive or Enroll Through Aetna Online
Open Enrollment Periods
- Fall: July 1 through Sept. 25
- Spring: Dec. 1 through Feb. 10
- Summer: May 1 through June 30
Open enrollment periods are the time frames in which eligible students must make (or change) coverage elections for the respective semester. Dates are subject to change. Special enrollment periods are provided when qualifying life events occur.
Waiving SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP)
The SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP) plan is designed to meet the needs of students while on SLU campus or at home. If a student wants to waive the SLU plan (and related charges), they must submit a waiver request with proof of alternate coverage that meets SLU waiver criteria.
You must have your insurance information available when you submit waiver requests as you will be asked detailed questions about your existing coverage. You’ll also be able to upload a picture of your insurance card.
Use your full nine-digit Banner ID (including zeros) to submit your waiver request via Aetna's SLU website.
The SLU Student Health Center (SHC) is an important health care provider on the Saint Louis campus. To confirm if the SHC is in-network for your coverage, ask your carrier if they contract with SSM Health SLUCare Physician Group (Tax ID# 88-0988603).
Domestic students must submit a waiver at least once an academic year. Due to the short-term nature of many international student health insurance plans, international student waivers may be required each semester.
The deadline to waive (or enroll) is Sept. 25 for the fall term, Feb. 10 for the spring term and June 30 for the summer term. Students required to carry coverage who do not waive by these deadlines will be automatically enrolled in the UHP and responsible for respective semester charges.
Waiver Criteria
Due to their limited coverage offerings, international travel plans or plans that only offer catastrophic/emergency coverage will not meet the SLU waiver criteria.
Due to geographic coverage restrictions and limitations, out-of-state Medicaid plans will not meet the SLU waiver criteria (exceptions: Illinois Molina, Meridian and Blue Cross Community Health Plans).
Alternate coverage through health insurance plans without a U.S. address for provider medical claim submission and U.S. phone number for member/customer service will not be accepted for waivers.
Waiver requests must meet the following waiver criteria based on status as either a domestic or international student.
- Plan must be active and maintained for the student’s academic year.
- Plan must provide benefits with no policy maximums (i.e. no caps/limits on the dollar amount the plan will pay within a policy year/period).
- Plan must cover inpatient and outpatient medical care within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must cover inpatient and outpatient mental health, and drug and alcohol abuse care within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must provide coverage for prescription drugs within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must be active and maintained for the student’s academic year.
- Plan must have an individual deductible that is $500 or less per policy year.
- Plan must have at least $25,000 coverage for repatriation, which provides transportation to the student's home country in the event of death.
- Plan must have at least $50,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage, which covers emergency transportation to the nearest, most qualified treatment facility.
- Plan must include inpatient and outpatient medical care within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must include inpatient and outpatient mental health, drug and alcohol abuse care within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must include coverage for prescription drugs within the St. Louis area.
- Plan must provide a U.S. mailing address for provider medical claim submission and a U.S. phone number for member/provider support customer service.
Enrolling in SLU Student Health Insurance (UHP)
Find more detailed information about the University Health Plan (UHP), policy information, medical and prescription drug benefit summaries, provider directories, and policies at Aetna website. You can also call Aetna Customer Service at 1-877-381-3544 with specific questions.
Students may remain on the plan through the summer if they have active SLU enrollment status in the spring and will again in the fall. Summer coverage is generally not required for domestic students.
All international students, scholars and their dependents must have adequate health insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States.
NCAA athletes should consult with the Department of Athletics regarding summer coverage requirements.
Students with active SLU enrollment status are eligible to enroll in the plan. Off-campus students and part-time students are encouraged to have health insurance coverage, but it is not required. Call the UHP Office at 314-977-5666 or uhp@health.slu.edu to find out if you are eligible to enroll voluntarily.
Students accepting health insurance support awarded with a graduate assistantship must enroll in coverage through the Aetna website (not Workday).
Review frequently asked questions on the enrollment or waiver process for graduate assistants
If you need additional coverage after graduation, call the UHP Office at 314-977-5666 or uhp@health.slu.edu to receive information about optional three-month Student Continuation Coverage.
You must be registered in classes as a full-time student in order for Aetna's website to recognize you. Once registered, allow three business days for student data to be loaded into the Aetna Student Health webpage.
Qualifying Life Events
No enrollment changes can be made outside of the open enrollment period and waiver requests will not be accepted after the respective open enrollment period deadline. Students with active SLU enrollment status are allowed special enrollment periods when qualifying life events such as marriage, birth, adoption or loss of other coverage occur.
Call the UHP Office at 314-977-5666 or uhp@health.slu.edu for qualifying life events enrollment support.
Students must formally request enrollment changes within 31 days of the qualifying life event date.