Medical insurance is required for all full-time students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dental and vision coverage is optional. ISMMS insurance enrollments, terminations, or changes in the student plan must be made in-person through the Office of Enrollment Services in Annenberg 12-70. Students opting out of the ISMMS Student Health Plan must provide proof that they are currently enrolled in a comprehensive medical insurance plan with basic prescription through an US-based insurance company. Students waiving insurance must email a photo copy of their insurance card or print out of their insurance coverage to studentfinancialservices@mssm.edu, with their name and effective date listed.
New Student Open Enrollment
New students matriculating into the Icahn School of Medicine in August or September will receive medical insurance enrollment information during orientation. Participation in the ISMMS Student Health Plan is mandatory for new incoming students unless they provide proof of adequate health insurance coverage on an existing plan.
Annual Open Enrollment
The open enrollment period is held annually during the first two weeks of June. Students will receive an email notification informing them about the open enrollment period. Students wanting to make changes to their current ISMMS Student Health Plan can only make changes during the open enrollment period. Opting in or out of the medical, dental, or vision ISMMS insurance plans during the open enrollment period will be effective July 1st. Once the annual enrollment period is over, students will not be able to change or enroll in benefits until the next annual enrollment period, unless they experience a qualified life event.
Qualifying Events
If a student experiences a qualified life event, he or she is permitted to make benefits changes within 31 days of the event(s). These events include changes in status such as marriage, birth, divorce, parents retired, and a spouse or partner’s termination from an insurance plan. Turning 26 years of age also qualifies as a life event, as students will no longer be able to remain on their parents’ health insurance plan. Qualifying events can be addressed outside of the open enrollment period throughout the year.
Student Health Plan Information
The ISMMS Student Health Plan is underwritten by Aetna for medical coverage and United Health Care for vision and dental coverage. For more information on vision coverage by United Health Care, please visit their website or call 1-800-638-3120. For information on dental coverage by United Health Care, please visit their website or call 1-877-816-3596.
The policy number for Aetna’s medical coverage is 846570. For information on benefits, ID cards, and medical claims, please visit their website. The Aetna claim and customer service telephone numbers are 1-855-821-9713 and 1-877-480-4161 (toll free).
Mailing Address Changes
Students enrolling in our plan will receive their insurance card by mail. To reflect the change of address in Aetna and UHC Dental and Vision system, students on stipend/payroll must update their current address by logging into to Sinai Central-Employee Self Service. Students who are not on stipend/payroll must email studentfinancialservices@mssm.edu to update their address.
Medical Student Disability Insurance
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) mandates that disability insurance coverage be made available to medical students during their period of enrollment. ISMMS provides a long term disability (LTD) insurance policy to its medical students through MedPlusAdvantage.
The MedPlusAdvantage policy is sponsored by the American Medical Association and has been specifically designed to meet the specialized needs of medical students. To obtain a copy of the policy in its entirety, please contact the Office of Medical Student Affairs or the Associate Dean for Enrollment Services.