Academic Graduate Student Employee Insurance Options

An AGS employee is benefits eligible if expected to work in one or a combination of the following AGS job titles for at least 20 scheduled weekly hours (SWH) and for at least 4.5 months (135 calendar days):

• G0045 Assistant Instructor
• G0062 Teaching Assistant-NSC
• G0063 Teaching Assistant
• G0064 Graduate Tutor
• G0065 Academic Assistant
• G0071 Graduate Assistant
• G0090 Graduate Research Assistant

The scheduled weekly hours (SWH) for AGS employees determines their part-time or full-time status for insurance purposes.

• Part-time AGS employees are scheduled for 20-29 total SWH, with at least 20 SWH in AGS job titles.
• Full-time AGS employees are scheduled for 30+ total SWH, with at least 20 SWH in AGS job titles.
  • Certain benefits eligible AGS employees may have less than 30 SWH and still be considered full-time for insurance purposes. If they worked at least 1,560 hours in a previous 12-month Affordable Care Act (ACA) measurement period, they will qualify as ACA full-time for a future 12-month ACA stability period

UT provides all eligible AGS employees with 100% premium support for UT SHIP, also known as AcademicBlue.  UT Austin also provides 50% premium support for dependent coverage, with AGS employees paying the remaining 50% of their dependent premiums directly to Academic HealthPlans, the plan administrator, monthly.

UT provides premium sharing for all employees based upon scheduled weekly hours (SWH) for UT SELECT, the employee health plan. 

Part-time (20-29 SWH) AGS employees will receive 50% premium sharing for UT SELECT and 25% premium sharing for dependent coverage. Full-time (30+ SWH) AGS employees will receive 100% premium sharing for UT SELECT and 50% premium sharing for dependent coverage.

AGS employees with UT SELECT will pay their premium costs for part-time and/or dependent coverage through monthly or semi-monthly payroll deduction.

The following UT SELECT and UT SHIP rates for AGS employees are valid for the September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024 plan year:

The following UT SELECT and UT SHIP rates for AGS employees are valid for the September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025 plan year:

Regardless of health plan enrollment, AGS employees may elect other plans available in the employee group insurance program for themselves and for some plans, their eligible dependents.  These plans include:

• Dental
• Vision
• Voluntary Term Life
• Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Disability
• UT Flex Flexible Spending Accounts

Premiums for these plans are paid through monthly or semi-monthly payroll deduction.

AGS employees may receive dental, vision, and voluntary AD&D coverage at no premium cost if enrolled in another health plan, including UT SHIP.  Part-time AGS employees are automatically enrolled in the Premium Sharing Credit Plan.  Full-time AGS employees must decline UT SELECT and enroll in the Premium Sharing Credit plan.  Up to half of the eligible UT SELECT premium sharing dollars are available to pay the dental, vision, and voluntary AD&D premiums for AGS employees and their dependents.

Effective September 1, 2024, all AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in the Premium Sharing Credit plan.

The following premium sharing credit amounts are valid for the September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024 plan year.

The following premium sharing credit amounts are valid for the September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025 plan year.

Benefits eligibility is not determined until the employing college, school, or unit completes the hire process and AGS employees complete the following onboarding tasks in Workday.  Insurance enrollment can’t occur until these tasks are completed.  Some of these tasks may not be completed prior to the first work day.

• Edit Government IDs, if SSN was not already provided for I-9 or background check
• Enter Personal Information
• Change Contact Information
• Benefits Questionnaire
• AGS Employee Acknowledgment

Review the New Student Employee Checklist for more information about all required onboarding tasks.

Newly benefits eligible AGS employees with hire dates before September 1, 2024 will be automatically enrolled in a health plan based upon their scheduled weekly hours (SWH).

• New part-time (20-29 SWH) AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP and the Premium Sharing Credit plan.
• New full-time (30+ SWH) AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in UT SELECT. 

Effective September 1, 2024, all AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP and the Premium Sharing Credit plan, including full-time AGS employees who were automatically enrolled in UT SELECT before September 1, 2024.

New AGS employees have 31 calendar days from the hire date to make additional insurance elections, including:

• Waiving automatic medical coverage;
• Enrolling in the other UT medical plan;
• Adding dependents; and
• Adding other plans such as dental, vision, and voluntary AD&D.

The initial enrollment period is defined below, based on the standard academic employment hire dates.

* Insurance will not be activated until the August 16 hire date or later, depending upon when the hire process and required onboarding tasks are completed.

To calculate your initial enrollment period if your benefits eligible employment starts on a different date, count 31 calendar days from your hire date with your hire date as day one.

This is an annual opportunity for continuing AGS employees to make changes to their benefit elections that become effective for the next plan year.

Dependents must be enrolled in UT SHIP each year by September 15.
 

AGS employees who experience a mid-year employment status change or family status change may be able to make a change to their insurance elections within 31 calendar days of the qualifying event date. If this deadline is missed, AGS employees will need to wait until the next open enrollment period to make changes.

UT SHIP is designed and priced for students, so premiums are lower than UT SELECT, and for services at University Health Services, benefits are paid at 100% of the allowable amount for covered expenses. 

Learn more about the plan on the UT SHIP website.

Learn more about the plan on the UT System Office of Employee Benefits and UT SELECT websites.

Review the Comparison Chart for a side-by-side comparison of the cost of care and premium costs. The plan year for both plans is September 1 – August 31.

Key Similarities

• BlueChoice PPO Nationwide Network
• BlueCross BlueShield Global Core (formerly BlueCard Worldwide)
• Gold-level Plan Rating
• Copayments for Office Visits and Urgent Care
• Prescription Drug Benefits
• Behavioral Health Care
• Virtual Visits
• 24/7 Nurseline
• Blue Access for Members (BAM) Account Access
• Out-of-Network Benefits
• No Pre-existing Condition Limitation
• No Annual or Lifetime Maximum Benefit
• Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximum

Key Differences

These coverage differences assume AGS employees are using network providers.

Benefits eligible AGS employees may retain summer insurance eligibility if:

• They have Teaching Assistant (TA) or Assistant Instructor (AI) jobs on May 15; and
• They are expected to have benefits eligible employment for the subsequent fall term starting August 16; and
• They have a Summer Anchor Job in Workday from May 16 – August 15.

Summer insurance eligible TAs and AIs will retain the same part-time or full-time status during the summer that they had on May 15, unless they increase their summer SWH and qualify for full-time status. UT will continue to contribute to the cost of summer insurance coverage.

Summer Anchor Jobs are critical for certain TA or AI employees to maintain their summer insurance eligibility until they return to benefits eligible employment in the fall. Review the table below to determine if a Summer Anchor Job is required.  Summer Anchor Jobs should be 0 SWH, have a "Summer TA/AI Anchor Job" Business Title, and use the Regular Benefits Eligible – Graduate Student Academic employee type.

*If more than one of these job statuses applies during the summer, the Summer Anchor Job may or may not be needed for part of the summer.

AGS employee insurance coverage will end on May 31 for TAs and AIs who are either graduating in May or not returning to benefits eligible employment in the fall (graduate student fellowships are not benefits eligible employment).  Review Loss of Eligibility & Continuation of Coverage for insurance options.

AGS employees in Graduate Research Assistant and other AGS job titles during spring, excluding TA or AI jobs, must have benefits eligible jobs during the summer to remain benefits eligible.

If benefits eligible employment does not continue for the summer months, review Loss of Eligibility & Continuation of Coverage for insurance options.

AGS Employees Enrolled in UT SHIP

All benefits eligible AGS employees enrolled during the summer will continue to receive 100% premium support for their coverage and 50% premium support for their dependent coverage. AGS employees will continue to pay their 50% dependent premium directly to Academic Health Plans monthly. 

AGS Employees Enrolled in Employee Group Insurance Plans

Employee group insurance plans include UT SELECT, premium sharing credit, dental, vision, AD&D, life, disability, and UT FLEX. 

Benefits eligible Graduate Research Assistants and other AGS job titles, excluding TA or AI, will continue to pay any employee group insurance plan premiums due through semi-monthly or monthly payroll deduction.

Summer insurance eligible TA and AI employees will pre-pay one month of employee group insurance premiums on each March 1, April 1, and May 1 paycheck.  This means double insurance deductions will be taken from each of these three paychecks for the month paid plus one pre-paid summer month.

Employees may view their My Insurance Premium Calendar in Workday to confirm how they will pay their summer insurance premiums for the employee group insurance plans:

• Log in to Workday
• Click View All Apps
• Click Benefits Dashboard
• Review My Insurance Premium Calendar

UT SHIP coverage and employment based premium support terminate on the last day of the month in which your benefits eligible employment ends.  If you are losing UT SHIP coverage as an AGS employee, the following options are available to continue medical coverage:

• Enroll in Voluntary SHIP coverage within 31 days of the date you lose AGS SHIP coverage, if you meet student eligibility criteria. If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event.”
• Enroll in three months of SHIP Continuation Coverage, if you do not meet student eligibility criteria.
• Enroll in a health plan through HealthCare.gov within 60 days of losing AGS SHIP coverage.

UT SELECT, Delta Dental, and Superior Vision coverage and employment based premium sharing terminate on the last day of the month in which your benefits eligible employment ends.  If you are losing any of these plans as an AGS employee, the following options are available to continue coverage:

• Enroll in Voluntary SHIP coverage within 31 days of the date you lose UT Select coverage, if you meet student eligibility criteria. If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event.”
• Enroll in COBRA continuation coverage within 60 days of the date you lose UT Select, Delta Dental and/or Superior Vision coverage. COBRA information will be mailed to your primary home address in Workday after your coverage ends.
• Enroll in a health plan through HealthCare.gov within 60 days of losing UT Select coverage.

If you are an F-1 or J-1 international student, you will be automatically enrolled in and charged for International UT SHIP coverage by Texas Global. 

• No action is required by you, unless you need to enroll your dependents in International UT SHIP, which must be done within 31 days of the date you lose AGS employee UT SHIP (or UT SELECT) coverage. If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event.” Dependent premiums are paid directly to Academic HealthPlans (AHP).
• International UT SHIP provides the same UT SHIP coverage you had as an AGS employee and your Member ID will remain the same.  
• If you are graduating at the end of the spring term, you will be enrolled in and charged for International UT SHIP for the summer term unless you submit the Graduating in Spring waiver, as outlined on the Texas Global website: Waiving the Student Health Insurance Plan.
• Email intlinsurance@austin.utexas.edu with questions regarding your enrollment.  Contact AHP with questions regarding dependent enrollment.

AGS employees transitioning to graduate student fellowships have the following options to continue coverage:

• Enroll in Voluntary UT SHIP coverage within 31 days of the date you lose AGS UT SHIP coverage. Please review your fellowship offer letter to confirm if your fellowship includes a supplement to offset the cost of UT SHIP. If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event.”
• Enroll in UT SELECT, Delta Dental, or Superior Vision within 31 days of the date your fellowship starts, if you have a competitively awarded fellowship valued at $10,000 or more. You may enroll in Delta Dental and Superior Vision even if you enroll in Voluntary UT SHIP as your medical plan.
• Review Insurance for Graduate Student Fellows for more information.

You may see dollar amounts listed under the Employer Paid Benefits section of your payslip. These dollar amounts are the university's contribution toward the premium cost of your insurance.  They are not deductions for pay, and are not taxable benefits. Depending upon your specific plan enrollment, you payslip may include the following items in the Employer Paid Benefits section:

For AcademicBlue SHIP Enrollment:

• AcademicBlue SHIP Premium Support (100% for you and 50% for your dependents)

For Premium Sharing Credit enrollment with dental, vision, and/or AD&D enrollment:

• Dental Insurance - Premium Support
• Vision Insurance - Premium Support
• AD&D - Accidental Death/Dismemberment Insurance - Subscriber Premium Sharing
• AD&D - Accidental Death/Dismemberment Insurance - Spouse Premium Sharing
• AD&D - Accidental Death/Dismemberment Insurance - Dependent Premium Sharing

For UT Select Medical Plan Enrollment:

• Insurance - Medical - Employer

You may see dollar amount listed under the Pre-Tax Deductions or Post Tax Deductions section of your payslip. These amounts are deductions from your pay on a pre- or post-tax basis, as indicated.  Depending upon your specific plan enrollment, you may have premium deductions for the following plans:

• UT Select Medical (your 50% part-time premium and/or your dependent premium)
• Delta Dental*
• Superior Vision*
• Voluntary AD&D*
• Voluntary Term Life
• Disability
• UT FLEX

* If not yet enrolled in or not eligible for the Premium Sharing Credit plan.

If you are enrolled in AcademicBlue SHIP with dependent coverage, you pay your 50% dependent premium directly to Academic Health Plans on a monthly basis.  These premiums will not appear on your payslip.

For a hire date prior to September 1, 2024, you will be automatically enrolled in the UT SELECT Medical Plan effective as of your date of hire (for example, August 16) through August 31, 2024.  Effective September 1, 2024, you will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP (AcademicBlue). You have 31 days from your date of hire to make your insurance elections.

If you would like UT SHIP* through August 31 instead of UT SELECT, you must elect 2023-2024 plan year coverage through Academic HealthPlans (AHP) in the AHP Enrollment System and decline UT SELECT in the My UT Benefits enrollment system.  You may also enroll dependents in UT SHIP and must enroll them twice, for both the 2023-2024 plan year through August 31 and for the 2024-2025 plan year effective September 1.  You may also only enroll your dependents for either the current or future plan year.

*UT SHIP will be retroactively effective August 1 if you have an August 16 date of hire.

If you would like UT SELECT effective September 1 instead of UT SHIP, you must elect UT SELECT coverage in My UT Benefits and waive UT SHIP for 2024-2025 in the AHP Waiver System.  You may also enroll dependents in My UT Benefits and will need to upload Evidence of Eligibility documentation to verify their eligible dependent status.

You will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP (AcademicBlue) and have 31 days from your date of hire to make your insurance elections.

Your UT SHIP effective date is your date of hire, unless your date of hire is August 16, in which case you will be retroactively enrolled in UT SHIP effective August 1.  If you are retroactively enrolled in UT SHIP effective August 1 and need to utilize care prior to the activation of your UT SHIP, you may need to pay out of pocket and then submit a claim to BlueCross BlueShield of Texas once your coverage has been activated. If you utilize care at University Health Service (UHS) in August prior to your activation of coverage effective August 1, please make UHS aware that your UT SHIP coverage is pending at scheduling or check in. UHS will not require you to pay out-of-pocket if your UT SHIP coverage effective date is August 1. If you schedule a Telehealth appointment online, you may be responsible for those charges, unless you contact UHS directly regarding your pending insurance coverage.

If you would like to enroll dependents in UT SHIP, you must enroll them twice in the Academic HealthPlans (AHP) Enrollment System, for both the 2023-2024 plan year through August 31 and for the 2024-2025 plan year effective September 1.  You may also only enroll dependents for either the current or future year.

If you would like to enroll in the UT SELECT Medical Plan instead of UT SHIP, you must waive UT SHIP for the 2023-2024 plan year in the AHP Waiver System and elect UT SELECT in the My UT Benefits enrollment system.  You may also enroll dependents in UT SELECT and will need to upload Evidence of Eligibility documentation to verify their eligible dependent status.

You may elect any the following plans for yourself and your dependents, if applicable, in My UT Benefitswithin 31 days from your date of hire:

• UT SELECT Medical
• Dental*
• Vision*            
• Voluntary Life
• Voluntary AD&D*
• Disability
• UT FLEX Flexible Spending Accounts

Enrollment in these plans is effective as of your date of hire.  Plan information is available on the UT System Office of Employee Benefits web site.

*You may enroll in the Premium Sharing Credit plan in My UT Benefits to receive dental, vision, and/or voluntary AD&D coverage at no premium cost, if you are enrolled in UT SHIP or another non-State of Texas funded medical plan.  For another non-State of Texas funded medical plan, you must upload Evidence of Waiver (EOW), which is proof of coverage, into My UT Benefits.

Premium Sharing Credit:  If you are a part-time AGS employee, you are automatically enrolled in the Premium Sharing Credit plan in My UT Benefits and only need to elect dental, vision, and/or voluntary AD&D plans to receive them at no premium cost.  If you are a full-time AGS employee, you must decline UT SELECT (don’t forget to enroll in UT SHIP if you need medical coverage) to elect the Premium Sharing Credit plan in My UT Benefits, and also elect dental, vision, and/or voluntary AD&D plans to receive them at no premium cost.  Full-time AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in the Premium Sharing Credit Plan effective September 1, along with the automatic UT SHIP enrollment effective September 1. 

If enrolled in UT SHIP, you will need to add dependents in the Academic Health Plans Enrollment System within 31 days from your date of hire. You must enroll your dependents twice, for the current 2023-2024 plan year ending August 31, and for the new 2024-2025 plan year starting September 1.  You may also only enroll your dependents for either the current or new plan year.  

If enrolled in UT SELECT, you will need to add dependents in the My UT Benefits enrollment system within 31 days from your date of hire. You will need to upload documentation to verify their eligible dependent status. Review Evidence of Eligibility to learn more about document requirements.

If enrolled in UT SHIP, you will need to add dependents in the Academic Health Plans Enrollment System within 31 days from your date of hire. You must enroll your dependents twice, for the current 2023-2024 plan year ending August 31, and for the new 2024-2025 plan year starting September 1.  You may also only enroll your dependents for either the current or new plan year.  

If enrolled in UT SELECT, you will need to add dependents in the My UT Benefits enrollment system within 31 days from your date of hire. You will need to upload documentation to verify their eligible dependent status. Review Evidence of Eligibility to learn more about document requirements.

You will not have access to the Academic HealthPlans (AHP) or My UT Benefits enrollment systems prior to your hire date. If you can’t access the enrollment systems after your hire date, review Enrollment Prerequisites under Insurance Enrollment to ensure you have completed all required onboarding tasks. If these tasks do not appear in your Workday inbox, please contact your department regarding the status of your Workday hire process. UT will not send your information to the enrollment systems until your hire process is complete and you have completed all required onboarding tasks in Workday.

After UT sends your information to the enrollment systems, you will be sent emails within one to two business days. Though the timing may differ, you will receive emails from both AHP (do-not-reply@ahpcare.com) and My UT Benefits (HR Portal) indicating that you have access to the enrollment systems.

No, coverage is not permitted in both plans.

If you are enrolled in UT SHIP, you must enroll your dependents each plan year by September 15, or else they will not have coverage.

If you are enrolled in UT SELECT Medical or any of the additional group insurance plans available to you and your dependents (dental, vision, etc.), you do not need to enroll your dependents each year. These plans will automatically continue, except for UT FLEX, which must be elected each year by July 31.

Your insurance coverage will not automatically change.  You will be sent a notification from My UT Benefits (HR Portal) regarding this qualified status change event.  You have 31 days from the date of your part-time to full-time change to make new elections.  If you don’t make new elections, your insurance coverage will remain the same, however, if you are enrolled in UT SELECT, your premium will decrease.  

If you are enrolled in UT SHIP at the time of this change, your premium will not change.  You may change your medical plan from UT SHIP to UT SELECT. To change from UT SHIP to UT SELECT:

1. You must first elect UT SELECT in My UT Benefits, using the event that has already been created for you as of the date of your change.  You are not eligible to add or remove dental or vision coverage with your election of UT SELECT, but may add, change, or remove voluntary life, voluntary AD&D, and disability plan coverage.
2. You must then decline UT SHIP by submitting a qualifying life event through Academic HealthPlans and proof of your UT SELECT enrollment.  You may use the Confirmation Statement available in My UT Benefits, which confirms the start date of your UT SELECT coverage.  

If you are enrolled in UT SELECT at the time of this change, your premium will change from 50% to no cost (your dependent premium will change from 75% to 50%).  You may confirm your UT SELECT premium change in My UT Benefits.

Your insurance coverage will not automatically change.  You will be sent a notification from My UT Benefits (HR Portal) regarding this qualified status change event. You have 31 days from the date of your full-time to part-time change to make new elections.  If you don’t make new elections, your insurance coverage will remain the same, however if you are enrolled in UT SELECT, your premium may increase.

If you are enrolled in UT SELECT at the time of this change, you may see your premium increase from no cost to 50% cost (and your dependent premium will increase from 50% to 75%).  If you do not want to pay this increased premium, you may change your medical plan from UT SELECT to UT SHIP, which is provided at no premium cost (and 50% for dependent premiums).  To make this change:

1. You must first decline UT SELECT in My UT Benefits, using the event that has already been created for you as of the date of your change.  You are not eligible to add or remove dental or vision coverage with your decline of UT SELECT, but may add, change, or remove voluntary life, voluntary AD&D, or disability plan coverage.
2. You must then enroll in UT SHIP by submitting a qualifying life event through Academic HealthPlans and proof that your UT SELECT coverage has ended.  You may use the Confirmation Statement available in My UT Benefits, which confirms the end date of your UT SELECT coverage.  

If you are enrolled in UT SHIP at the time of this change, neither your insurance coverage nor UT SHIP premiums will change.  Your premium sharing credit amount may be reduced to the part-time amount, which could possibly impact the cost of your dental, vision, and/or voluntary AD&D coverage, if you have dependent coverage for these plans.  You may confirm your premiums for these plans in My UT Benefits.

Your job may have been terminated in Workday if your expected end date passed without a job extension, resulting in termination of your insurance coverage. Please contact your Graduate Coordinator or HR Contact in your department so they can verify and initiate the process to reinstate your job. Once your job is reinstated, your insurance coverage should be reinstated. 

If your job changes aren’t completed in Workday prior to the employment start date of the new semester, outstanding job changes may result in a temporary change to your part-time/full-time status. Please contact your Graduate Coordinator or HR Contact in your department so they can verify and complete your job changes. Once your job changes are completed and your part-time/full-time status is restored, you will receive another notification about returning to your original status. These job changes will not impact your insurance coverage, but may temporarily impact insurance premiums, depending upon your plan enrollment.

Your Premium Sharing Credit, Delta Dental, Superior Vision, AD&D, Life and Disability coverage will automatically continue. You must elect UT FLEX each year by July 31.

If enrolled in UT SELECT Medical, you will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP effective Sept. 1, 2024.  If you need dependent coverage, you must enroll your dependents in UT SHIP each year by Sept. 15 or else their current coverage will end Aug. 31.  

If enrolled in UT SHIP, your UT SHIP coverage will automatically continue for yourself. If you need dependent coverage, you must enroll your dependents in UT SHIP each year by Sept. 15 or else their current coverage will end Aug. 31.  

You must elect UT SHIP dependent coverage each year by September 15. If you do not enroll your currently covered dependents by September 15, their coverage ends August 31.

Regardless of when you enroll your dependents during the July 15 – September 15 enrollment period, their coverage will be effective September 1; however, coverage may not be active on September 1 if you have not completed enrollment before that date. To avoid a temporary lapse in active coverage, consider enrolling your dependents by August 22.

You will pay your 50% portion of the dependent premium for September 2024 coverage on the date you enroll or up to three business days later, once Academic HealthPlans approves coverage. Your remaining monthly payments for the new plan year will begin on October 1 for October coverage.

Your first monthly payment for the new plan year will be made at the time you enroll your dependents in coverage during the July 15 – September 15 enrollment period. Your 50% share of dependent coverage for September 2024 will be paid to Academic HealthPlans on the day you enroll or up to three business days later, depending upon when Academic HealthPlans approves your enrollment.

Consider the requirement to pay your share of the September 2024 dependent premium at the time of enrollment in determining the best time for you to complete your dependent enrollment between July 15 – September 15.

Regardless of when you enroll your dependents, their coverage will be effective September 1; however, coverage may not be active on September 1 if you have not completed enrollment before that date. To avoid a temporary lapse in active coverage, consider enrolling your dependents by August 22.  

After you pay your share of the September 2024 dependent premium at the time of enrollment, your remaining monthly payments for the new plan year will begin on October 1 for October coverage.

Your final monthly payment for dependent coverage for the current plan year will be for August coverage on August 1. Depending upon the timing of your dependent enrollment for the new plan year, it’s possible you could pay your dependent premium for September before you pay your dependent premium for August.

No, your waiver will automatically continue for the new plan year.

More information about the UT SELECT Medical plan and other group insurance plans is available on the UT System Office of Employee Benefits’ Annual Enrollment website and in the Annual Enrollment & Resource Guide for Employees.

More information about UT SHIP is available on the Academic HealthPlans AGS Employee website.

Premiums for the other group insurance plans are included in the Annual Enrollment & Resource Guide for Employees and Benefits Cost Worksheet for Employees.

All AGS employees will be automatically enrolled in the Premium Sharing Credit plan effective Sept. 1, 2024. You must elect Delta Dental, Superior Vision and/or Voluntary AD&D coverage in My UT Benefits by July 31. If you are enrolled in UT SHIP for the new plan year, you do not need to upload Evidence of Waiver (EOW), which is proof of other medical coverage. If you are enrolled in another health plan, you must upload EOW in the Document Center of My UT Benefits by August 15.

You will be automatically enrolled in UT SHIP effective Sept. 1, 2024. If you need dependent coverage, you must enroll your dependents in UT SHIP each year by Sept. 15 or else their current coverage will end Aug. 31. There is no change to UT SHIP premiums for the new plan year.  

If you would like to keep UT SELECT as your medical plan, you have two enrollment options:  

1. You can elect UT SELECT by July 31, then waive UT SHIP by Sept. 15.
2. You can waive UT SHIP by Sept. 15, then elect UT SELECT by Oct. 1 with the "Loss of UT Student Health Insurance Plan (AcademicBlue)" life event and an Aug. 31 event date.

The first option is recommended so you're enrolled in UT SELECT Medical by Sept. 1.  However, the second option is available if you need additional time to decide on your medical plan.

UT SELECT premiums are increasing.  Review Highlights for Employees for the new premium amounts. 

You will need to elect UT SELECT in My UT Benefits between July 1 – 31, then you will need to waive UT SHIP in the Academic HealthPlans waiver system between August 16 – September 15. 

Yes, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (BCBSTX) will mail you an ID card. This may take up to two weeks after your AcademicBlue SHIP enrollment is completed. You may also print or download a temporary ID card after registering for Blue Access for Members (BAM). To register for BAM, you will need your member ID and group number available in the Academic Health Plans student portal. You can register for the student portal on the Academic Health Plans website.

Yes, you will receive two ID cards. BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (BCBSTX) will mail you an ID card. You may also print or download a temporary ID card after registering for Blue Access for Members (BAM). Express Scripts will mail you an ID card for prescription benefits.  You may also view or download a temporary ID card after registering on the Express Scripts website. ID cards may take up to two weeks after your UT Select enrollment is completed.

• Use BlueChoice PPO network providers (you must select BlueChoice PPO)
• Use University Health Services (UHS) to receive benefits covered at 100% of the allowable amount for covered expenses
• Use AcademicLiveCare for a $0, including behavioral health counseling
• Use the 24/7 Nurseline for health questions at no cost
• Consider a Flexible Spending Account to use pre-tax funds to pay for your eligible out-of-pocket expenses
• Search for rebate and assistance programs, if prescribed specialty drugs (Goodrx.com may help identify options; no affiliation with UT benefits)

• Use BlueChoice PPO network providers
• Use MDLive at no cost, including behavioral health counseling
• Use University Health Services (UHS) to receive office visits for a reduced $10 copayment and a reduced $25 copayment for procedures
• Use the UT Health Network for reduced copayments and coinsurance
  • Office visits for the UT Austin School of Nursing Wellness Center are a reduced $10 copayment
• Use the 24/7 Nurseline for health questions at no cost
• Consider a Flexible Spending Account to use pre-tax funds to pay for your eligible out-of-pocket expenses

• Primary Care/General Medicine services
• Preventative services (e.g., physical exams, well woman exams)
• Designated Women’s Health clinic
• Contraceptive prescription and management
• STI testing and treatment
• Gender care and gender affirming hormone treatment
• Sports Medicine services
• Same day appointments for more urgent health care needs (UHS can provide IV hydration and some IV medications, perform laceration repairs, set uncomplicated fractures, administer nebulizer treatments, assess abdominal and headache pain, etc., although emergency and higher level care is referred to a community provider or hospital)
• Travel Health services Allergy injections (after starting allergy injections with an off-site allergist)
• Physical Therapy (after receiving a referral from a UHS or off-site provider)
• Nutrition counseling from our Registered, Licensed Dietician
• Radiology services including digital x-rays and many common ultrasound exams
• COVID-19 testing
• Common dermatology procedures like wart treatment and biopsy of skin lesions
• In-house clinical laboratory
• Integrated Health counseling services

Yes. These individuals are eligible for AcademicBlue SHIP due to their student status, along with the dental and vision plans available through Academic HealthPlans. They are also eligible for UT Select Medical, Delta Dental, and Superior Vision plans if they have competitively awarded fellowships with a total value of $10,000 or more. Non-employee fellows must pay the full cost for either AcademicBlue SHIP or UT Select, although the fellowship may include funding for insurance premiums. Review Insurance for Graduate Student Fellows for more details about plan options, enrollment, and billing.

If you have a competitively awarded fellowship valued at $10,000 or more, you may choose any of these medical, dental and vision plans.  Your choice of medical plan does not limit your choice of dental or vision plans.

*Graduate Student Fellows are not eligible for the premium sharing that benefits eligible employees receive and must pay the full premium cost for the UT Select Medical Plan.  The monthly premium amounts for Fellows are available on the Health Insurance Rates page. 

**Graduate Student Fellows pay the same monthly premium amounts as benefits eligible employees for these dental and vision plans.

If you are an F-1 or J-1 visa holder, you will be automatically enrolled in and charged for AcademicBlue SHIP by Texas Global.  No action is required by you unless you need to enroll your dependents in coverage, which must be done within 31 days of the date you lose your AcademicBlue SHIP coverage as an AGS employee.  If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll your dependents via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event” on the international AcademicBlue SHIP enrollment web page.

If you are not an F-1 or J-1 visa holder, you must elect insurance as a fellow or you will not have coverage.  Your enrollment options are to:

• Enroll in voluntary AcademicBlue SHIP coverage within 31 days of the date you lose AGS employee AcademicBlue SHIP coverage. Please review your fellowship offer letter to confirm if your fellowship includes a supplement to offset the cost of coverage. If the semester enrollment period is closed or you need a different effective date, enroll via “Students with a Qualifying Life Event.”
• Enroll in UT Select Medical, Delta Dental and/or Superior Vision plans within 31 days of the date your fellowship starts, if you have a competitively awarded fellowship valued at $10,000 or more. You may enroll in the Delta Dental and/or Superior Vision plans even if you enroll in AcademicBlue SHIP for your medical plan.

Below are the standard AGS employment end dates and insurance termination dates for each semester.

*This will change to May 15 starting in Spring 2025.

Review Insurance for Graduate Student Fellows for more details about plan options, enrollment and billing.

You will be automatically enrolled in medical coverage as an AGS employee, but it may not be the same plan you chose as a fellow.  Part-time AGS employees are automatically enrolled in AcademicBlue SHIP and full-time AGS employees are automatically enrolled in the UT Select Medical Plan. If you enrolled in the Delta Dental and/or Superior Vision plans as a fellow, those plans should continue with your AGS employment.  You have 31 days from your AGS employee hire date to change your medical plan, enroll dependents, or elect additional plans.

If you enrolled in the UT Select Medical Plan as a Graduate Student Fellow and then elect UT Select after you transition to AGS employment, you will have continuous coverage.  If you enrolled in AcademicBlue SHIP as a Graduate Student Fellow, the effective date of your AGS employee medical insurance depends upon which plan you are enrolled in, which you may review below. 

*This will change to May 16 starting in Summer 2025.

Review the Enrollment for Newly Benefits Eligible AGS Employees FAQs above for more detailed information about AGS employee insurance enrollment.

Yes, you must still waive insurance with Texas Global every semester so you are not responsible for paying the cost of international AcademicBlue SHIP on your tuition and fee bill. The deadline to request a waiver is the 1st class day in summer and 10^th class day in fall and spring.  Texas Global will audit to ensure that students who submitted a Graduate Student with an Academic Assignment waiver have a benefits eligible job in Workday. More information about the waiver process and deadlines is available on the Texas Global Waiving the Student Health Insurance Plan webpage. 

Initially, you will be enrolled in international AcademicBlue SHIP with Academic HealthPlans and will see the cost of supplemental/early arrival coverage on your tuition and fee bill. Once you are enrolled in AcademicBlue SHIP as an AGS employee effective August 1, your double coverage will be identified by Academic HealthPlans and reported to Human Resources.  Human Resources will notify Texas Global and the cost of supplemental/early arrival coverage will either be removed from your tuition and fee bill or you will receive a refund of any amount paid for supplemental/early arrival coverage. 

Yes, the plan and benefits are the same, although the premiums differ.  You are responsible for paying the full cost of AcademicBlue SHIP as an international student, including coverage for your dependents.  You pay your premium through your tuition and fee bill and pay the cost of dependent coverage directly to AcademicHealth Plans.  If you have a fellowship, it’s possible you may receive funding towards the cost of your insurance premiums. 

The university pays the full cost of AcademicBlue SHIP coverage for AGS employees and 50% of their dependent coverage premiums.  The remaining 50% premium for dependent coverage is paid by AGS employees directly to AcademicHealth Plans.

If you change between international student and AGS employee coverage under AcademicBlue SHIP, you will retain the same Member ID.