Out of State HMO's
Unfortunately, almost all out-of-state HMO plans do not meet Northwestern’s comparable coverage requirements. Generally speaking, HMO plans issued outside of the state of Illinois only provide emergency coverage. Therefore, the student and the University assume the liability and financial burden of uncovered care should the student have non-emergency medical needs while on campus. The NU-SHIP Policy Committee, which includes representatives from campus administration and leadership, agreed and mandated this policy.
Some insurance carriers offer a “guest network” specifically for college students studying outside of their home state which allows them access to routine/non-emergency providers & coverage in the Evanston/Chicago area. We encourage you to reach out to your carrier to see if this option is available. If this option is available please send us a letter from the insurance carrier that documents the guest network access and coverage for routine/non-emergency medical care. If this option is not available then the student would have to enroll in the NU-SHIP or seek alternate comparable coverage.
Please note the past few academic years we allowed students who held out-of-state HMO coverage to waive the NU-SHIP. Since most students were studying remotely due to the pandemic these plans provided comprehensive coverage in their home states. However, with almost all students returning back to campus for their studies the online coverage selection form was updated to reinstate the requirement of comprehensive coverage in the Evanston/Chicago area.