A guide to navigating health insurance options at Penn

Penn provides several options for student health insurance, along with resources outlining how to access care on campus.

Despite the range of resources, many students struggle to navigate the complexities of the health insurance system. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with experts at Wellness at Penn about common challenges for students, along with current coverage options.

“Health insurance is complicated, and accessing health care can be confusing,” Executive Director of Public Health and Well-Being, Ashlee Halbritter, said in an interview with the DP. She added that the best way to “better understand the healthcare marketplace” is by utilizing Wellness at Penn’s educational programs, including Health Insurance 101.

Penn offers students two choices for insurance coverage — enrolling in the Penn Student Insurance Plan or using a separate plan. 

PSIP is offered through  Aetna Student Health’s nationwide Preferred Provider Organization plan. According to Wellness at Penn data analyst Raahul Narayanan, that means the plan’s coverage extends beyond Philadelphia and includes a “wide network of providers across the U.S.,” in addition to international coverage benefits.

“If you live out of state, if you’re studying abroad, you’re able to find an in-network provider or specialist and be seen by them,” Narayanan told the DP.

Aetna Student Health — an insurance broker and administrator — serves over 150 colleges and universities across the United States. 

Narayanan added that PSIP is overseen by the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee, which includes Penn students, faculty, and staff who help “review, evaluate, and negotiate” the plan’s renewal to ensure it continues to meet student needs.

For the 2025-26 annual school year, the premium is $4,662 billed across the fall and spring. 

Alternatively, students can file an insurance waiver and enroll in an external coverage plan. Students who do not complete an approved waiver by the deadline are automatically enrolled in PSIP and charged, Narayanan said.

In order to qualify for the waiver, students must fulfill five requirements. 

According to the Wellness at Penn Insurance Navigation, the insurance plan must be through a U.S. licensed insurer with a U.S. claims office and “provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, or have been in effect long enough that any waiting period has passed.” 

The plan also needs to have an annual maximum benefit of at least $2 million.

Narayanan added that the remaining requirements of insurance plans are related.

“The fourth is inpatient and outpatient medical coverage in Philadelphia, and the fifth is inpatient and outpatient mental health coverage in Philadelphia,” he said.

If a student’s insurance waiver fails, Narayanan said that they have “a couple options.” On one hand, students can work with their insurance company to see if the plan can be adjusted or expanded. The company can contact the insurance team at Wellness at Penn, “who will talk them through those options again,” Narayanan said.

“We can’t guarantee it, because we’re not their insurance company, but we want to ensure that students are covered,” he added.

Another option is for students to purchase an alternative plan that meets the requirements. For domestic students, Narayanan suggested Pennie as one health insurance marketplace for Pennsylvania.

International students residing in the U.S. may be eligible for plans offered by select companies, although Wellness at Penn’s navigation site clarifies that these plans are “not sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania.”

Narayanan highlighted that some of these companies’ plans also do not cover certain treatments, including gender-affirming care, fertility and infertility treatment, sleep studies, obesity and GLP-1 coverage, and motor vehicle accidents.

“We encourage them to review the exclusions carefully and possibly budget for additional expenses,” he said. 

In addition to these two insurance options for students, there is a mandatory clinical fee of $371 per semester. 

According to Narayanan, the fee allows students access to “unlimited routine medical care visits with no copay at the Student Health Clinic, primary care for illnesses and minor injuries, preventative care and health screenings, counseling visits, including short-term therapy and crisis support,” in addition to other services. 

One key exception is lab work — students getting a blood panel will need insurance billed, Narayanan said.

The clinical fee allows access to all services through July 30.

“That is important [because] if you graduate in May, but you don't start your job until August or September, you might have a pretty long gap from care and you may be doing a bunch of traveling in that season or something,” Halbritter said. “But actually ensuring that our Penn students continue to have access to our care and our services even after graduation is something worth highlighting.”

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