Alternative Insurance Coverage Options: Student Health Insurance

Alternative Insurance Coverage Options

By providing this information, Northwestern is not endorsing any of the options below.

All Kids offers qualifying Illinois children comprehensive healthcare, including doctors’ visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care, and medical devices like eyeglasses and asthma inhalers.
Families pay monthly premiums for coverage, based on income level; rates for low- and middle-income families are significantly lower than private plans.

All Kids Hotline 1-866-ALL-KIDS (1-866-255-5437)

TTY: 1-877-204-1012

Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace Website

Health insurance now is required in the U.S.

The Marketplace allows individuals, families, and small businesses to compare health plans, answers insurance questions, find out if they are eligible for tax subsidies for private insurance or health programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and enroll in an insurance plan that meets their needs.
Individuals who don't have continuous health insurance coverage may face tax penalties.
Students can purchase insurance coverage only through an Exchange in a state in which they are a legal resident. Students whose legal residence is outside Illinois must use their home state’s established Exchange to research/purchase alternate insurance plans. Please note: out-of-state HMO plans do not meet Northwestern's comparable coverage requirements.
Students may be eligible for subsidies to reduce premium costs. Please note that subsidies are calculated based on your previous year's federal taxes, and changes in your income may impact how subsidies are applied and taxed.

The NU-SHIP plan year runs from September 1 through August 31, annually.
When your NU-SHIP coverage terminates, you are eligible to apply for an Exchange-based plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace during a Special Enrollment Period.
You must enroll within 60 days of your NU-SHIP coverage ending (i.e., within 60 days of August 31, or whenever your coverage terminates).

Alternate insurance plans purchased through a state or federal Exchange must meet Northwestern’s requirements for comparable coverage (for more details on comparable coverage requirements, click here).
Plans also must provide routine, non-emergency care (medical and mental health) in the Chicago / Evanston area.

Please review the options that are available through the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov.