Graduate Student Health Insurance (GSHI)

Student Health Insurance for Students with a 50% GTA, GRA, GA and/or RGA appointment

The Kansas Board of Regents, offers voluntary health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance for Graduate students with a 50% Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), and/or Graduate Assistant (GA), including Residential Graduate Assistants (hereafter referred to as GAs) appointment through United Healthcare Student Resources.

Dental insurance and vision insurance are supplemental plans and are not provided as part of the health insurance plan. The University of Kansas does not contribute towards dental and vision premiums for graduate students. For information about these options, please visit Individual Dental and Vision Insurance.

Please Note:

Eligibility for GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance

Eligibility to purchase GTA/GRA/GA health insurance and receive the University's subsidy towards the health insurance premium is determined at the beginning of each semester (coverage period). The following requirements must be met each semester for a student to be eligible for this plan:

  • Fall and spring semesters: A student must have at least a 50% GTA, GRA and/or a GA appointment for a minimum of eight consecutive work weeks
  • Summer sessions: A student must have at least a 50% GTA, GRA, and/or GA appointment for a minimum of four consecutive work weeks
  • Combined appointments: If a student has a combination of GTA, GRA, and/or GA appointments, eligibility is met if the combined appointments total at least 50% for the required number of weeks

Cost for GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance (Incentivized)

Students with a 50% GTA, GRA and/or GA appointment qualify for a premium subsidy through their employment relationship with the University.  Eligible GTA, GRA and/or GA students who choose to purchase this voluntary health insurance will have 75% or the student-only premium paid by the University.  The remaining 25% of the student-only premium and the premiums for any dependents are the student's responsibility.  If a student meets the above eligibility requirements and chooses to purchase this health insurance, the table below provides a breakdown of semester premiums and the University contributions for the various coverage options offered under the plan:

Coverage OptionFall, 2024Spring, 2025Summer, 2025
StudentUniversityStudentUniversityStudentUniversity
Student Only$294.88$884.62$294.88$884.62$118$354
Student and Spouse$1474.38$884.62$1474.38$884.62$590$354
Student and One Child$1474.38$884.62$1474.38$884.62$590$354
Student and 2 or More Children$2653.88$884.62$2653.88$884.62$1062$354
Student, Spouse and One Child$2653.88$884.62$2653.88$884.62$1062$354
Student, Spouse and 2 or More Children$3833.38$884.62$3833.38$884.62$1534$354

 Enrollment for GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance

All eligible GTA, GRA and/or GA students can apply for health insurance coverage by submitting an online application at United Healthcare Online Enrollment.

Step 1:  Once the application has been submitted, the University will verify eligibility and approve the application. 

Step 2:  Once the application has been approved, the student will receive an email from UHCSR with a link requesting payment of the student's portion of the premium.  Enrollment is not complete until UHCSR receives the student's premium payment.

Please note, it is the student's responsibility to apply for and renew this voluntary health insurance each semester.

Effective Dates of Coverage for 50% GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance

Coverage periods for each semester are illustrated in the table below:

SemesterCoverage PeriodEffective Date
FallAug. 1 - Dec 31Aug. 1
SpringJan. 1 - May 31Jan. 1
SummerJune 1 - July 31June 1

Per Semester Open Enrollment Periods

SemesterEnrollment PeriodsEffective Date
FallJuly 1 - October 1Aug. 1
SpringDecember 1 - March 1Jan. 1
SummerMay 1 - July 1June 1

Health Plan Brochures for GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance

For detailed information, please see:

2024 - 2025 Summary Brochure

2024 -  2025 Certificate of Coverage

Please go to the United Health Care Student Portal and select "Find Providers" or contact United Healthcare Student Resources Customer Service or 1-888-344-6104

Under the Kansas Board of Regents Student Insurance plan, mental health is covered like any other sickness/illness.  When using a preferred provider, there is no deductible and the covered student will only pay a $25 office copay per visit.  Mental health services are not subject to plan deductible, and copay is waived at the Student Health Center. 

Continuation Insurance for GTA/GRA/GA Health Insurance

Students who purchased the GTA/GRA/GA health insurance  through the most recent coverage period, may pay for continuing coverage for a maximum of up to 3 months due to loss of an eligible appointment. The GTA/GRA/GA has a right to choose to continue benefits as long as the Kansas Board of Regents maintains a plan with UHCSR. The insured GTA/GRA/GA must exercise this right within 60 days of termination of appointment.

This Continuation Insurance election MUST be made in the student’s MyUHC portal through the UHCSR Student Resources website. Please keep in mind:

  1. Premium is subject to change each August 1st.​
  2. UHCSR will NOT send premium reminder notices.
  3. Once the first month of Continuation Insurance has been purchased, it is the student’s responsibility to send subsequent premium payment to UHCSR so that UHCSR receives the payment on or before the first of the month for which insurance is being purchased.
  4. Premium can be paid in advance. However, UHCSR will NOT refund unused premium should the student terminate insurance early.

Additional Information

You can add and drop dependents during the plan year with a qualifying event.  To make a mid year change please submit the Qualifying Life Event Form (pdf) and emailing it to SIDPremiumDataEntry@uhcsr.com or fax to 1-469-229-5612.

For students who do not meet the eligibility requirements for the GTA/GRA/GA health insurance plan, please see additional information on the Graduate Studies website.

If you are enrolled in the School of Pharmacy or the Interdepartmental Communications Disorders Program, you may be eligible to purchase the Health Science Students health insurance plan.  Brochures and certificates explaining benefits are available at The United Health Care Student Website.  In the View Plan dropdown, select Health Science Students Plan.  Online enrollment in this plan is available by contacting:

School of Pharmacy students - The School of Pharmacy

Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders students - Student Health Insurance Website

 

*An accessible version of the PDFs on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact our office at hrdept@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.