Medical Student Benefits
Health Benefits through UHS
Full-time, active students have access to UHS, regardless of enrollment in the Student Health Program (SHP) insurance. There is no charge for clinic visits for adult primary care and adult outpatient mental health services. However, additional services such as labs, x-rays, and medications will be billed to your health insurance.
Access to UHS services ceases upon graduation or completion of your fellowship or trainee appointment, so you and your covered spouse/same-sex domestic partner should begin to make arrangements to establish with a non-UHS provider for primary care and mental health needs at least 90 days prior to graduation. Participants in COBRA Student Health Program are not eligible to use UHS services.
Health Insurance
All full-time medical students, their spouses and dependent children must be covered by health insurance. Students, spouses and dependent children must enroll in the Student Health Program (SHP) unless they are covered by an alternative plan which meets minimum standards established by the School of Medicine. Same-sex domestic partners are also eligible to enroll in the SHP insurance. Enrollment must take place within 30 days of registration. Changes in enrollment can be made during the open enrollment period or as a result of a qualified “life event” provided application is made within 30 days of the qualifying event. Foreign or travelers insurance is not accepted.
If you are enrolled in the SHP for your health insurance, you can view your medical benefits at a glance on the EHP website.
Additional information from the School of Medicine about student insurance benefits is available through the Office of the Registrar.
Pharmacy Benefits
Participants in the Student Health Program (SHP) (group #E00016) are covered by Caremark Prescription Services (group #W7569999). The program has a three-tier co-payment benefit (generic, preferred brand, and non-preferred brand). Details about the cost of prescriptions in each tier is available on the EHP website.
If the prescribed drug is less than the copay, the member pays the lesser amount. No deductible applies to pharmacy benefits. Additional information about pharmacy benefits, including in-network pharmacies, are available on the EHP website. A cost saving mail order prescription program is available for the convenient purchase of maintenance prescriptions. Please Note: The prescription plan covers oral contraceptives.
Exclusions: Prescriptions are covered if written by a primary care physician or specialist with whom you have formally established care. Prescriptions written by a SHP subscriber for another covered person in the SHP will not be covered by the prescription program. Prescriptions are also not covered under the SHP if written by a blood relative or a family member living in the home. Some prescriptions require prior authorization by EHP before they can be covered.
Dental Insurance
Full-time medical students in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are automatically enrolled in the student dental plan administered by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. This coverage is available only to students, and to their children under age 19 who are enrolled in the Student Health Program medical insurance plan (as required by the Affordable Care Act). Dental coverage is not available to the spouse or same-sex domestic partner of the student. Detailed information about the student dental plan is available on the SOM website.
Vision Care
Medical students are allowed one annual comprehensive routine eye examination/contact lens evaluation provided by Wilmer Comprehensive Eye Service within the health plan year, which begins JULY 1 and ends JUNE 30. Appointments can be made by contacting one of several locations shown below. When calling to make your appointment, please notify the person scheduling you that your examination will be covered by University Health Services. Your name and fee for the examination will then be placed on an account to be paid by the UHS Benefits & Billing Office. If for some reason you get a bill, please notify the UHS Benefits & Billing Office immediately and submit the bill for resolution. Please note that the fee for the routine eye examination/contact lens evaluation is not paid by your Student Health Program (SHP) insurance and you should not contact or submit the bill to them. Eyeglasses or contact lenses are not covered by SHP insurance or by UHS. However, the Wilmer Institute Comprehensive Eye Service provides a 25% discount off of the retail price of prescription eyewear, frames, lenses, and lens treatments; 25% discount off all non-prescription sunglasses; and 10% discount off a year’s supply of disposable or planned replacement contact lenses.
Dependent vision care: Routine eye examinations or contact lens fittings for dependents under the age of 20 are covered under the SHP. Please refer to the insurance summary of benefits for specifics of services and benefits allowed or contact a customer service representative from EHP’s Student Health Program at 410-424-4450 for assistance.
The sites for the routine comprehensive eye examination/contact lens evaluations are:
- Johns Hopkins Hospital – 410-955-5080
- Greenspring Station – 410-583-2800
- Columbia – 410-910-2330
- White Marsh- 443-442-2020
- Bel Air- 410-399-8443
- Bethesda- 240-482-1100
Immunizations
Routine Immunizations: UHS offers routine, age-appropriate immunizations. Please note that the cost of immunizations is not covered by the health fee, but depends on your insurance coverage. Typically, the cost of these vaccines is covered in full if you have the Student Health Program (SHP). However, if you have health insurance other than SHP, please check with your insurance provider to determine your coverage.
Travel Immunizations: Fees for travel immunizations are covered for medical students by the UHS Benefits & Billing Office only if required as part of a required or elective course. The Johns Hopkins Travel and Tropical Medicine Clinic administers travel immunizations. This clinic is located at 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room WB031; the phone number is 410-955-8931 and the email is travelmedicine@jhmi.edu. No referral is necessary. Please make an appointment at least 2-4 weeks in advance of travel. Please notify the person scheduling your visit that you are a medical student, and you have been approved for travel for a course. The travel clinic staff will send the bill for the immunizations to the UHS Benefits & Billing Office for review and payment.
Please note, your SHP insurance does not allow benefits for travel immunizations. If for any reason you get a bill for approved travel immunizations, do not pay it, and contact the UHS Benefits & Billing Office for assistance.
Other Benefits
The School of Medicine provides disability and life insurance policies to medical students at no cost to the student. More information about these benefits is available through the Office of the Registrar.