Student Health Insurance Policy
All Noorda-COM students are required to maintain personal health insurance.
Students may have insurance through various options including parents, spouses, or health exchanges. To ensure students have access to a comprehensive plan, Noorda-COM is making available a student health insurance plan through HSA Consulting (HSAC). All students must either enroll in the Noorda-COM sponsored health plan or provide proof of acceptable alternative health coverage to HSAC.
Noorda-COM does not waive student health insurance requirements for religious or personal preferences. Noncompliance with Noorda-COM’s health insurance policy may result in unexcused absences leading to failure of a course, academic probation, failure to progress, delay in graduation, or dismissal from the College.
Mandatory Coverage
Maintaining comprehensive health insurance coverage is mandatory for all Noorda-COM students and all students must be covered by an ACA-compliant domestic health insurance plan for the entire academic year, including summer and holidays. All Noorda-COM students are required to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan unless they submit an acceptable waiver by the designated deadline. The deadline is posted on the Noorda-COM’s website in the Registration and Enrollment section of the Office of the Registrar.
Automatic Fee Assessment
All Noorda-COM students enrolled in the student health insurance plan through HSAC will automatically be assessed the fall health insurance premium for the student health insurance plan during each fall registration. The fall premium charge will only be reversed upon receipt of an acceptable waiver by the posted waiver deadline.
If an acceptable waiver is not received by the posted deadline, HSAC will enroll students without waivers in the student health insurance plan. Once enrollment in the student health insurance plan is finalized, students will no longer be eligible for a refund of the fall premium and will also be responsible for the spring premium.
Acceptable Waivers
Requirements for waiving the College’s student health insurance requirement are as follows:
- Parent employer group plan
- Spouse employer group plan
- Utah Medicaid – Only entering OMSI students and OMSII students may waive with Utah Medicaid. OMSIII and OMSIV students are not eligible to waive with any state Medicaid coverage.
- VA Benefits
- COBRA
Noorda-COM will accept individual plans if they meet additional waiver requirements (see below). HSAC will verify individual plans quarterly.
- Adequate major medical coverage of at least $1,000,000 / policy year
- Prescription coverage
- A provider network in the Provo, Utah area for primary care, specialty, hospital, and diagnostic care
- Coverage for the entire academic year, including summer and holidays.
- Coverage for an annual exam
- Individual plans’ (plans purchased through the marketplace, not an employer group, whether for an individual or family) deductible MUST NOT be more than $2,500 annually
Should a student waive out of the student health insurance plan using Utah Medicaid, the student may only be covered for emergency services while out-of-state. Using Medicaid-based coverage is prohibited for clinical rotation/experience as a third or fourth-year student.
If a student initially waives out of the student health insurance plan but needs health insurance coverage later in the year due to an involuntary loss of coverage or because of aging out of parents’ insurance plan, the student can enroll in the student health insurance plan via the Health Sciences Assurance Consulting website. If a student must be enrolled in the student health insurance plan after the initial enrollment period due to an involuntary loss of coverage, the student will be assessed a prorated portion of the insurance premium based on my dates of enrollment.
Short-term health insurance policies, traveler’s plans, or plans originating outside of the United States will not be accepted as part of the Waiver process.
If a student’s waiver is denied, the student may appeal the decision based on the appeal requirements outlined on the Office of the Registrar website. If a waiver is denied because it does not meet Noorda-COM’s minimum requirements, students must start the appeal by contacting noorda@hsac.com. If the appeal is denied by HSAC, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs makes a determination if the student waiver shall be approved or denied. The decision of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs is final.
Health insurance plans approved during the waiver process will be verified by HSAC periodically to ensure students remain in compliance with the College’s health insurance coverage requirements.
Lapse, Loss of, or Inactive Coverage
If a student uses Utah Medicaid coverage to waive out of the student health insurance plan, it is the student’s responsibility to comply with all eligibility requirements of Medicaid. Applying for and obtaining any Medicaid coverage without meeting requirements, and providing false information on a Medicaid application, is considered insurance fraud and punishable under state and federal laws.
If a student is found to be inactive or out of compliance, the Noorda-COM will enroll the student in the student health insurance plan from the start of the period of non-compliance (even if the termination date was in the past) through the end of the current academic year. If the student plan is found out of compliance, HSAC will send the student an e-mail notification), and the student will have 14 calendar days to respond to HSAC. If the student has not responded within 14 calendar days, Noorda-COM will enroll the student health insurance plan, assess the student’s account for the applicable premium charges, and notify the Office of Student Affairs of non-compliance with Noorda-COM’s health insurance requirements.
Students have 30 calendar days after an involuntary loss of coverage to enroll in the student health insurance plan or to submit updated proof of coverage to HSAC.
Students must maintain continuous enrollment in health insurance. If a student submits new proof of coverage, it must begin within 24 hours of the termination of previous coverage. Students are not eligible to waive if they have any gap in coverage.
Premium Refunds
If a student withdraws from school during the first 31 days of the period for which coverage is purchased, the student will not be covered under the student health insurance policy, and a full refund of the insurance premium will be made, minus the cost of any claim paid by Aetna. (Exception if withdrawal is due to illness or injury in the first 31 days.). If a student withdraws after such 31 days, the student will remain covered under the student health insurance policy for the term purchased, and no refund will be allowed.
Students enrolled in the student health insurance plan will remain enrolled for the entire academic year and will not be granted refunds of premiums for fall or release from responsibility for spring premiums. Exceptions will not be granted for obtaining Utah Medicaid coverage, spousal coverage, or parental coverage.
This policy was reviewed and revised in March 2024. For assistance with policies and procedures, please contact Alexa Levine (adlevine@noordacom.org).
