The School of Medicine is required to ensure students have a certain level of health insurance coverage while enrolled in medical school. The Zucker School of Medicine has a student health insurance plan available for purchase through Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk. If you have health insurance elsewhere it must satisfy the criteria listed below and you must complete the waiver process through Gallagher for each academic year enrolled.
Your health insurance plan MUST:
- Be compliant with the Affordable Care Act.
- Cover the following services (but not limited to): preventive and non-urgent care, emergency care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient hospitalization, lab work, diagnostic x-rays, physical therapy, chiropractic care, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment.
- Be provided by a company licensed to do business in the United States, with a U.S. claims payment office and a U.S. phone number.
- Cover doctors and hospitals near campus as well as elsewhere if you plan to travel during your time as a student (away rotations, summer research, etc.). Out-of-state Medicaid does not meet our coverage criteria.
- Remain in effect if you are a registered student at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
- Cover pre-existing conditions.
Please be aware that if you purchase a Medicaid plan offered through the New York Health exchange your application for a waiver will generally be approved. However, before waiving the school health insurance in lieu of Medicaid, we strongly encourage you to consider the gaps in coverage that you may experience with Medicaid. Examples of this are: Medicaid may not cover you out of state or if you travel abroad, referral options may be limited within the proximity of the school and you may find yourself having to wait for specialist appointments or you may not be able to access providers when you need them. It is for these reasons that we advise you to consider the risks of enrolling in a Medicaid plan.
Frequently Asked Questions about Insurance
What do I need to do to become enrolled in the Zucker School of Medicine health insurance plan? (i.e. aged out of current plan, loss of coverage, changing coverage, etc.)
Information on the Hofstra University SHIP will be updated as soon as possible. We will notify you as we receive information.
Where can I find my health insurance card?
All students enrolled through the Zucker School of Medicine health insurance can log onto their health insurance portal to view or print a copy of their health insurance card.
How do I log into my health insurance portal?
Instructions to log onto the Zucker School of Medicine health insurance portal can be found by accessing the FAQ document on Gallagher’s website for details. (https://www.gallagherstudent.com/Hofstra).
If you need further assistance please email us at medicine.students@hofstra.edu
My health insurance carrier is requesting a letter stating that I am a full-time student. Where can I go to request this?
To request a letter of enrollment, please visit the Student Records website. Please note that these requests normally take about 72 hours. For additional assistance, please contact somregistrar@hofstra.edu.
I would like to remove myself from the School’s health insurance plan. How do I go about doing this?
Please email medicine.students@hofstra.edu stating that you would like to be removed from the Zucker School of Medicine health insurance plan.
Upon receipt of your request an email will be sent to you with instructions on how to submit a termination request to Gallagher insurance. If they accept your termination request, the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Finance will issue you a prorated refund if one is due.
Does the School Health Insurance include dental or eye insurance?
No, unfortunately, it does not include eye insurance or dental insurance. However, there are plan enhancements available for these services. EyeMed (Discount Vision) and Basix (Dental Savings). Students can log onto their insurance portal for additional information.
Does the School of Medicine offer disability insurance?
Yes, the School of Medicine offers disability insurance for matriculated medical students at no cost to the student. For additional information on this plan and it's benefits, please visit https://app.hsac.com/zuckersom. Additional questions can be directly towards the Office of Student Affairs
How should I note the school’s health insurance on EHS forms?
Please put “Zucker School of Medicine Health Insurance” or provide the carrier and group name from your health insurance card.