Full-time Students ONLY

 

IMPORTANT DATES

July 30 - complete the waiver to prevent enrollment in student health insurance plan and get 100% refund of the insurance fee.

September 20th - complete the waiver for a full refund of the insurance fee and retroactive cancellation of enrollment in the insurance plan.

January 30th - for new Spring semester students only - complete the waiver for a full refund of the spring insurance fee and retroactive cancellation of enrollment in the insurance plan.

Please note: Requests to cancel the student health insurance plan accepted after the waiver deadline will result in a pro-rated refund of the insurance fee as of the end of the month in which the request along with the documentation of existing current other insurance is received, not a full refund. Requests to terminate coverage after the published deadlines should be made via email to obermayer@siena.edu.

 

Students who complete the waiver after July 30 may have their OTHER INSURANCE company DENy A CLAIM.  

Some plans have a Coordination of Benefits (COB) clause making any other insurance you may have primary. If your insurance company is one of those (Fidelis, etc.), they will deny claims.

If you complete the Siena health insurance waiver for 2023-24 after July 30, 2023, you will be enrolled in the Siena plan until the waiver is processed, your student account credited and CDPHP notified. As long as the waiver is completed by September 20, 2023 for fall 2023, your enrollment will be retroactively voided by CDPHP, their records will be updated and you will appear as never having been insured by CDPHP. 

May i waive the siena student health insurance plan?

International Students: All international students attending Siena College full time are required to be enrolled in the student health insurance plan with CDPHP in order to ensure adequate local coverage. International students may not waive the Siena student health insurance plan. If an international student believes they have a comparable domestic US health insurance plan  they may request a review for an exemption from the requirement to purchase the CDPHP Siena plan by contacting the Student Life Compliance Officer, Jeanne Obermayer, at  obermayer@siena.edu.  Exemptions are done on a case by case basis by the Student Life Compliance Officer. The decision of the Student Life Compliance Officer is final

Should I waive the siena student health insurance plan?

What to consider:  If you have health insurance already and are planning to waive the Siena Student Health Plan, please check to see if your current insurance will cover lab work at St. Peter’s Hospital  Laboratory, 315 S. Manning Blvd, Albany, NY 12208. Siena Health Services can only use St. Peter's Lab  for routine lab work (strep, blood, UTI, etc.)  When a student calls Health Services for an appointment, the student will be triaged. If their issue does not appear to require lab work, an appointment will be scheduled for the student at Siena's Health Services.  If the student is presenting with an issue that might require lab work but their insurance doesn't cover St. Peter's Lab, the triage nurse will direct them to an off- campus urgent care.   

Currently on Medicaid? Students currently on Medicaid in Massachusetts, Montana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania should check with their current insurer about the possibility of getting a subsidy from the state to pay for your participation in the Siena Student Health Insurance Plan instead of staying on your current medicaid plan. Some states have found it is less expensive to pay for a student to participate in their college's student health insurance plan than it would be to keep the students on the state plan.

Some students may be covered under an insurance plan that doesn’t permit dual coverage (Healthy New York plans, Medicaid, etc.) If a student is covered under such a plan and does not complete the waiver by the deadline, their current plan may terminate their coverage because the student will be automatically enrolled in the Siena College Student Health Plan with CDPHP. To prevent losing coverage/eligibility with a current insurance, please make sure to complete the waiver prior to the deadline.

 

completing the waiver

  • NOTE:  You must complete the online waiver form as outlined here to have the insurance cancelled and your account credited even if you choose to upload a copy of your health insurance card to the Health Services portal. Information submitted to the Health Portal is not shared with the Student Life Compliance Officer for purposes of completing this waiver.
  • Waive the coverage via your student Banner Self Service account if you have existing comparable coverage that is accepted in Albany, NY. Remaining in or waiving out of the student health insurance plan is an annual decision, effective for the entire academic year. The student health insurance fee will remain on your e-bill. Once you complete the waiver, a new item will post to your e-bill (Waived Student Health Insurance) with a credit for the amount of the fee typically within 5-7 business days. Those choosing to waive the insurance MUST renew their waiver EACH YEAR.  All full year waivers must be submitted by September 20 for a full refund of the insurance fee and cancellation of the insurance plan.
  • INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WAIVE THE COVERAGE: Students wanting to WAIVE the College's health insurance plan need to log into Banner Self Service.
    • After logging in, please click on "Personal Information" and then click "My Housing Portal"  (this is for all students, including commuters.)
    • Once you enter the housing portal, click on "Applications" and complete the "Student Health Insurance Waiver" application.
    • Problems completing the waiver???
      • If you are having difficulty accessing the waiver, it may very well be a browser issue. First try clearing your internet history and cached files. Then try again.
      • If you are still having difficulty, please call Community Living when you are at a computer and they can help you resolve your issue. 518-783-2919.
      • If you are a new student and are having difficulty accessing My Housing Portal, please contact Community Living. (see above.) 

REMINDER OF DEADLINES TO WAIVE FOR A FULL CANCELLATION OF ENROLLMENT  AND REFUND

  • September 20 for full time students enrolling in the fall semester.
  • January 30 for full time students beginning in the spring semester.

The waiver process must be done once every year prior to the start of the first semester of attendance each academic year.  If you process a waiver in the Fall Semester you will not need to complete another waiver for the Spring Semester.